Ken Uston tried to create a simple point count that did not have to be adjusted for the number of decks remaining. He gave strike numbers for increased or decreased bets for 1 through 6 decks. These numbers, if exceeded in either direction had the player bet 4 units if greater than the positive strike number, and bet one unit if less than the negative strike number. Uston also gave playing strategy changes for a plus or minus table. He broke them down between Atlantic City and Nevada strategies.
Being a level one system, this count should be easy to learn. The strike numbers eliminate the true count calculation. A disadvantage is a slight loss of accuracy to simplify a counting system. This came out just before the unbalanced counts which also do not require true count adjustment.
B.C. .95 P.E. .55 I.C. .76
22. Uston Advanced Plus-Minus Count
Million Dollar Blackjack by Ken Uston
The Advanced Plus-Minus Count is the same as the simple count except the running count is adjusted for the true count. This is done by dividing the running count by the number of half decks remaining, rather than whole decks. He adjusts for this by giving the user a playing matrix to modify the basic strategy. Dividing by half decks gives the player the actual advantage. For the professional player who bets the advantage, this saves a step.
Uston considered this count to be a lower level professional counting system comparable to Wong High-Low and HI-Opt I strategies. To get the most of this system, the player must learn the matrix.
B.C. .95 P.E. .55 I.C. .76
23. Expert Count
Blackjack Your Way to Riches by Richard Canfield, 1977
Canfield had 10 requirements of a system when he designed the expert count. The system had to:
1. Be simple 2. Be easy to learn 3. Be uncomplicated to use 4. Be versatile 5. Win at a rate as good as any system on the market 6. Be up-to-the-minute, and flexible 7. Be fatigue-free 8. Be a point count type 9. Count the Ace as a neutral card 10. Prove itself early but have potential for more power
His betting strategy is to bet a spread of one to four units. If the count goes to two, bet two units. Plus three bet three units. Plus four and up, bet four units. To start, one would play basic strategy, then progress to Modified Basic Strategy.
One advantage to this system is the high playing efficiency. This comes from treating the Ace as a neutral card. The sacrifice of doing that is a loss in the betting correlation. A side count of Aces would remedy this if you don’t have enough to think about.
B.C. .87 P.E. .623 I.C. .76
24. HI-OPT I
The Worlds Greatest Blackjack Book by Lance Humble and Carl Cooper, 1980
This is a level one, balanced system which may be used with or without an Ace side count. This strategy was originally developed by Charles Einstein and published in his 1968 book, How to Win at Blackjack. Drs. Humble and Cooper refined the playing strategy and added the side Ace count. This improved the betting coefficient. The insurance coefficient was high because the tens were the only minus count. Being a level one system makes it easy to learn, and there are only five cards to count in the basic system. This also adds to ease of use and ease of learning. By starting with the basic system, then learning the strategy, and adding the Ace side count, one can learn the system in steps. Each step makes it more powerful.
The advantages to this system are that it is easy to learn, expandable, and has high playing, betting and insurance efficiencies. The disadvantage is that to get the most power, one must add the side count of Aces.
B.C. .88 P.E. .615 I.C. .85
With Ace side count, Betting Coefficient goes up to .96.
25. The Silberstang Count
Winning Blackjack for the Serious Player by Edwin Silberstang, 1993
Card 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A Card Value 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 -1 Side Ct.
Mr. Silberstang uses a plus/minus count where the count is the relationship of the tens to small cards. In addition, he keeps a side count of Aces to help with playing decisions. This yields a strategy with a high playing efficiency and insurance correlation. He gives advice on betting strategy for any number of decks as well as single and multiple deck playing strategy. He uses a true count derived by dividing the running count by half decks remaining rather than whole decks. This is a professional short-cut to obtain the player advantage. The discard tray will be close to half decks twice as often as whole decks.
By computing the true count using half decks, the player can bet the count as a percentage of his/her bankroll. This, of course, is Kelly Betting. This means that Insurance would be taken with a count of +1 instead of +2.
This count is the same as the Hi-Opt I, so the following are those of the Hi-Opt I where the Ace is counted as 0.
B.C. .88 P.E. .61 I.C. .85
Note the high I.C. when the Tens are the only -1 cards counted.
Other Level one, balanced counts include the following:
