Rookie KO

Thank you to the readers who responded to Renzy's count with advice about Rookie K.O.
A Question to the more knowledgable
Rookie IC starts at -20 when your RC reaches -4 you have an edge. Would it not be simpler to add 20 to both sums to get IC 0 and RC advantage at 16 ?
Or to save traversing zero, which can be confusing what about IC 20 and advantage at 36..... or am I missing something ????

The authors chose the IRC so that a K-O running count of +4 is roughly equal to a High-Low true count of +4. You can start your count at any number you like.

in the appendices, they suggest customizing the IRC to whatever is preferable - I agree that IRC zero, with pivot point 24, is better than wading through endless minus numbers.

Can you explain pivot point at 24?

I can understand IRC at O and for betting this would give the advantage at 16 for a six deck.

1. You can start your count (IRC) at any number you wish. I start at 0 for any number of decks. I just remember my Key/Pivot for 1 deck is 2/4--2 decks is 5/8--6 decks is 16/24--and 8 decks is 22/32. Insurance is always 1 under the Pivot.

2. The Key count is where you first begin to squeek out an advantage over the house. This advantage can vary, depending on how much of the shoe/deck has been played. The advantage is more at beginning of the shoe/deck, less at the end.

3. The Pivot is where you have a concrete advantage over the house. The mathamatics of an unbalanced count work out such that at the Pivot, your advantage is equal to a true count of +4 (for KO, anyways). This advantage remains the same--+4--REGARDLESS of how much of the shoe/deck has been played!! Strange, but true.

I started with KO Rookie, moved to Preferred, and am now eyeballing discard trays to get an idea of approximate true counts for KO. I also ran a spreadsheet months ago which gave me exact true counts for the various running counts encountered, so I could better see what/where the advantages REALLY are. Many people will tell you KO is a beginner's count, and to move on to HiOptII, AOII, or other more complicated counts. Others will say stick with what works, and PERFECT it. This is a call only you can make. I am staying with KO, at least for now. It is so easy it makes me feel like I am cheating---yet it works! KO reminds me of an old Camaro--you can drive it as it is, and it performs well. Or, you can hop it up, and get more performance. But, it will never be a Porshe Turbo.
Good Luck,
Doug (Potaire)