Can this simplify my counting?

Counting the cards and converting to a true count can get very mentally tiresome at times. I also find that I lose count since I have to concentrate too hard at times when I do the conversion.

I would like to find an easier way so that I can continue to improve on my skills and eventually be able to convert to the TC without too much trouble.

I've been reading up on K-O's unbalanced approach. I was thinking that maybe I could do something similar with just the RC. Can I come up with a set of key values for percentages of the shoe and track it that way? So, for instance, if I am half way through an 8D shoe, the running count is +12, and there are about 4D left, I should have roughly a TC of +3. Can I just set a key RC value of about +12 for decks 5-6 of the shoe?

Anything to make it easier would be appreciated. Thanks.

-Orange Man

...and KO brings in the money. Eight-deck shoes are hard enough to beat as it is, you have to be careful about taking too many short-cuts.

I'm not sure I would go out of my way to re-invent the wheel for simplicity's sake: with KO, you really only have two numbers to learn, and they seem to work pretty well regardless of where in the shoe you are.

The advantage of KO is that, at the pivot point, you have at least some reliable information on where you are at in terms of player advantage. This gives you an anchor for betting strategy, and opens the door to the use of playing strategy variations. It's nice to know with some assurance when you can start taking insurance, doubling 9 vs 2, doubling 8 vs 6 etc, and when you should have your max bet out.

The disadvantage with KO is that it is not easy to tell exactly when you have the first advantage. This makes it a little more difficult to use for back-counting, which is a consideration if all you have are 8-deck games. Your hands-per-hour would probably be less if you are backcounting 8-deck shoes with KO than with Hi-Lo. Perhaps that isn't as great a concern for a risk-averse, recreational player.

Rather than try to create a new system, why not just go with KO? The only extra card you will be counting is the 7, you have a ready-made set of indices for you to use, and you don't have to do any deck estimations at all if you choose not to.