Does penetration really matter on KO count?

Hi all. Let's say in a 6 deck game I meet my pivot point and then some early on (say 15% dealt so far). Is it any less significant than say hitting my pivot point 60 percent dealt into the shoe?

My understanding has always been that an unbalanced count such as the KO count is great because there is no need for a true count conversion and that penetration at certain counts doesn't matter. But for some reason I always have it in the back of my mind that the pivot point is more significant and holds more weight the deeper you are in the deck. Please help. I have the book somewhere, but can't find it (just moved).

Thanks.

Dusted off my old copy of Vancura & Fuchs.

"If you find a dealer who deals far into the pack, the gain in expectation (from additional volatility in the count closer to the pivot point) from more (and better) betting opportunities, will far outweigh the tiny disadvantage inherited from diminished accuracy in strategic play"....Page 116

This should answer your question

I didn't realize how many blackjack books I have. It's like the Gambler's Book Store. Any questions on any other counting systems.
Did I really read all this stuff?

Cobbson

Hi all. Let's say in a 6 deck game I meet my pivot point and then some early on (say 15% dealt so far). Is it any less significant than say hitting my pivot point 60 percent dealt into the shoe?

My understanding has always been that an unbalanced count such as the KO count is great because there is no need for a true count conversion and that penetration at certain counts doesn't matter. But for some reason I always have it in the back of my mind that the pivot point is more significant and holds more weight the deeper you are in the deck. Please help. I have the book somewhere, but can't find it (just moved).

Thanks.

For KO, the pivot point is most acurate at around 50% penetration. Reaching the pivot point at 15% is better than reaching it at 60%. In general, KO underestimates your advantage early and overestimates it late. But don't worry about these inaccuracies as doing so will detract from everything else you need to worry about.

Some people apply a true count conversion to KO in an attempt to obtain a more accurate count. Doing so overly complicates the system. The beauty of KO is in its simplicity. The REKO system takes that simplicity to higher levels.

"Hi all. Let's say in a 6 deck game I meet my pivot point and then some early on (say 15% dealt so far). Is it any less significant than say hitting my pivot point 60 percent dealt into the shoe.
My understanding has always been that an unbalanced count such as the KO count is great because there is no need for a true count conversion and that penetration at certain counts doesn't matter. But for some reason I always have it in the back of my mind that the pivot point is more significant and holds more weight the deeper you are in the deck. Please help. I have the book somewhere, but can't find it (just moved). "

I'm a little confused here. Are you talking about penetration in the usual sense of how deep in the shoe the cut card is placed, or do you mean how far play has progressed into the shoe?
It seems that you mean the latter. In that case, the pivot point presents the same advantage no matter where you are in the shoe.
As P.R. says above, KO underestimates advantage early in the shoe and overestimates late.
This is certainly true for counts below the pivot, (which is most of the time), but I believe the reverse is true for counts above the pivot.
(P.R. is certainly far more expert than I, and he can correct me on that last bit if necessary.)