AC blackjack

Living an hour from AC, I play most of my blackjack there. 8 decks, DOA, DAS, stand 17. Casino edge .43% off the top. Most books I have read say you need a 12-1 or even 20-1 spread to beat these games. At $15 min tables, 25$ on weekends, I can't afford these spreads. I am hoping they are talking play all situation. I figure If I wong out at counts of -1, making it an almost even game, I can have a decent win rate with only a 4-1 or 5-1 spread. Is my thinking incorrect?