E - Z Card Count

I just finished dicussing an "introductory" course in card counting at Blackjack with Sammy Spade. He claimed anyone could get an edge in Blackjack with the following simple count method. Here it is:

Count through a shoe of cards making the minimum bet, starting at zero and count +1 for every 10, J, Q, K or Ace that comes out. That's it... no other cards are counted. After at least one deck of cards have been played out, the running count would "normally" be +20. If the running count is greater than that amount, you keep making the minimum wager. If the running count is less than that amount, you make a larger wager. The larger the difference in the "expected" count, the larger you bet. You continue doing this throughout the shoe, i.e., 1 deck = 20, 2 decks = 40, 3 decks = 60. All you have to do is keep a running count of the "tagged" cards and become fairly proficient in estimating the number of cards already played by monitoring the discard tray.

Sounds pretty simple to me! Even I might could do that. That brings up a couple of questions.

1) Does anyone know of Sammy Spade? If so, is he for real, or is this more of the Scarne, Patrick BS. (And I don't mean Basic Strategy) :)

2) Will this simple count in combination with "near" perfect Basic Strategy get me an overall positive expectation in the game?

I have had an interest in Blackjack for the last 20 years or so, but admit to not being too "keen" on the game. So, why not put this question out the the Blackjack Pros on this site and get a feel for what to expect. I found a site that discussed an Ace - five count, where and Ace counts +1 and a five counts -1, but that seems to simple to be effective. Any thoughts and recommendations on implementing this strategy would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance...

I don't think the count you mentioned is as easy as it sounds, nor is it very efficient. You would have to keep a very exact tally of decks used, probably more than you would need to do with a true-counted system. If you used it as described, you would also have to wait until you have seen one deck of cards before you started, although you could adjust for fractions of a deck if you wanted to do so. You should know just what kind of advantage you have at varying counts, in order to bet properly, or you will find yourself facing a large risk of ruin. Having one more ten in the shoe than "normal" after one deck is played gives you virtually no advantage and it wouldn't be the time to put out your big bet.

I think you would find it far easier to use a simple level-one count, such as Hi-Lo, KO or Red Seven and make your betting and playing adjustments based on those systems than it would be to use the kind of count you describe with any accuracy.

As for the Ace-Five count, it can work in a deeply dealt single deck game, but the advantage gained is small and the Ace-Five system is practically useless in a shoe game.

I started counting. I would count the 10-A & my partner would count the 2-6 & we would exchange counts every round, so virtually we were using hi-lo. Then we graduated to hi-lo on our own & other counts.

Something that simple might be somewhat effective for the rule-favorable SD and DD games (S17, DA2, DAS) that I play. [No, I'm not mistaken--believe it or not, those are the rules in the SD game that I play. Just by playing perfect basic strategy, I have a 0.13% long-run advantage over the house.] I want to start using a simple counting system and am considering KO Rookie, Fred Renzey's Key Card Count, and E-Z; I'm leaning toward KO Rookie, but would like to explore all of my options before deciding. Thanks in advance for any advice.

The Gamemaster Online (www.gamemasteronline.com) has an article on his Blackjack Page titled "I Am Not a Blackjack Fanatic" that explains the Ace-Five Count. He only recommends it for single-deck games, and only as a starting point for learning to count, not as a replacement for Hi-Lo, Red 7, etc.

Sounds tailor-made for your situation, RP. If only I had a game like yours in my area!

Using the ace-five count you describe, except counting the aces as -1 and the fives as +1, gives a playing efficiency of 8 %, an insurance efficiency of 0% and a betting efficiency of 77%.

If you use this count:

1. Learn the correct basic strategy for all plays; do not use your count to vary playing stratgy.

2. Increase your bets when your counts are positive (remember aces are -1 and fives are +1).

This count can win,but you need a larger betting range, a larger bankroll and greater patience.

The advantage of this count is in its simplicity for tracking when you have the advantage. For example, tracking aces only, the betting efficiency is 37%, the ace-five count's betting efficiency is more than twice that.

Run a simulation to find the % advantage you have for various ace-five counts for the specific game you are playing.

Hope this helps.

wc21

Rec Player - where is that game with those great rules? And how is the penetration? I have found some nearby double deck games with those rules, but SINGLE DECK? If the penetration is decent (75%), then I might be inclined to take a weekend trip to whever it is that you play!

I have the same single deck game in my area and it is played as rule of 5, not very good. The A-5 count my be ok for comp hustlers, but that is about all. I agree with Bootlegger, just learn a count like hi-lo (Professional Blackjack, Stanford Wong).

Telescopic

at the Belterra riverboat casino, which is between the towns of Vevay and Florence. The closest major city is Cincinnati, OH, which is about 50 miles northeast of Belterra; Louisville, KY (which usually has much lower airfares than Cincy), is about 70 miles southwest of Belterra. As telescopic21 guessed, the rule of 5 is the shuffling rule in effect (it used to be rule of 6, but was changed a couple of months or so ago). However, it is often easy to get some one-on-one action because the table minimum is usually $50 (it is sometimes only $25 on weekdays). I've included a link to Belterra's website.

but what is the Rule of 5? something like 5 deals and then a shuffle, maybe? Just when I think I know everything...

So it's only 4 rounds to one player, 3 rounds to 2, 2 rounds to 3, and 1 round to 4 or more. Very bad pen for single deck. (Good for comps, though; see Max Rubin's *Comp City*.) Belterra is perhaps the nicest facility in the Midwest, but I think their high-end restaurants leave something to be desired.

anon38