Quote from zoo:
What card counting system did you use if you added an additional system to your hi-low card counting? Is basic hi-low BJ card counting sufficient enough to beat the dealer in blackjack? Or should an additional system be added? (besides basic strategy, naturally).
A straight hi-lo system (2-6 = +1, T = -1) is sufficient to beat the dealer in BJ, but it is also extremely easy to detect by casino surveillance. If I remember correctly, a hi-lo system will give the player a slim edge (roughly 1%) over the house in a 6-8 shoe (standard Atlantic or Vegas) game.
When I was counting, I generally pick 2 systems (usually hi-lo plus one diff system), count both (it is not that bad since the other system is just a delta from standard hi-lo, so it is tracking the hi-lo current count, and then a delta value only), and then switch after 10-20 hands. This tends to confuse the spotter at least for a little while, long enough to walk away (by switching, the player do give a little bit of the edge back, but not enough for the house to have an advantage again). See some comparison between the systems here:
http://www.qfit.com/card-counting.htm
Wow, this is taking me back. I haven't seriously counted in years upon years. As it turned out, the infamous MIT Counting team was operating around the same time, obviously with a higher level of focus and bigger bankrolls. But what is surprising is that for all the amount of media attention they received, they *only* made about $1.8-2M (especially considering the size of the team and the risks) or so (yes, I know some members of the team circa '94). Which, compared to trading, is a tiny amount. Thorpe, Hull, etc, made much more money in trading than they ever did couting.
