Rating: 
Summary: best backjack book ever
Review: I have been collecting blackjack books for the past 25 years and this one is the best.Why? Beacause it introduces the simplest effective card counting system devised to date. The writing is clear , the instructions are precise and above all the system is simple relative to others.Absorbing the material will take time but you will be well rewarded if you succeed. If you progressto "full" matrix indices ,buy James Grosjean s book Beyond Counting and see if you want to lern soft doubling indices as well
Rating:
Summary: Should you learn this system?
Review: I have racked my brain trying to decide if I want to learn the K-O count or the High-Low. I figure, why waste my time learning one system if I will eventually move on to another, more advanced system? Just start with the High-Low from the beginning!But I have finally made my decision, and I feel this advice might help others trying to make the same decision. Is the K-O good enough to learn, or should you look elsewhere? Well, I'm no expert, but I have come to the conclusion, after reading much about counting systems, that it really makes no difference which system you use. The difference in expectation is very small, not to mention the potential for error in the more complicated systems like Omega II or APC. Even in a simpler level-1 count like High-Low, there remains that god-awful true count conversion (more room for error and delay). Of course, if you really want to play professional blackjack, you might want to eventually (or even right from the beginning) move to a balanced count system. But I have decided that while I want to play blackjack with an advantage, I never want the game to become a chore. I don't want to hate playing it. Therefore, it is not necessary for the recreational/casual player to learn anything more than an unbalanced count. Even if it's not the K-O system, you shouldn't worry about learning an advanced balanced count.
The K-O system performs on par with all other similar systems, so the decision between which to learn is up to you (there is the Red 7 count and the Black Ace count, for example). Now, as far as this particular book goes, I think it is fantastically written and presented. I read another review that says the book is poorly organized, but I honestly don't understand where that person is coming from. The book presents the K-O in steps, and by the end you will understand it. (My only complaint is that there are a few incarnations of the K-O count, eventually all coming together to form the K-O Preferred system, and it is not always easy to know what exactly is involved with each incarnation.) It may be necessary to re-read it, but if you plan to seriously learn to count cards, then you should expect to read it several times anyway. Another complaint I saw was that the authors do not explain why they assign the values that they do to particular cards. But this is also simply not true. Vancura and Fuchs give you a chart that shows the player/dealer expectation when certain cards are removed from the pack, and it is on the basis of this information that they assign +1 to 2-7 and -1 to 10, J, Q, K, A. Anyway, if you are interested in learning a simple but powerful count that will perform well for recreational play, you definitely should read this book. It is wonderful. But not only that, the K-O is also considered a "professional" level count, so it cannot be written-off as a system not to take seriously. There is work to be done to learn it efficiently. And as Stanford Wong said in "Blackjack Secrets" (I believe it was that book), as long as you know a count that keeps track of low cards compared to high cards, then you are using a good system and do not need to move up to one that is supposedly more "powerful". (Of course, he wrote this before the K-O count was created, but I would still include it in his assessment). Besides, these systems that are "more powerful" are only theoretically so, and I think a lot can be said for the fact that because K-O is so simple, it may work more efficiently than even more advanced count systems.
Rating:
Summary: Ka-Poww!! My gloves fit perfectly!
Review: I read this book and thorps book. Went to Vegas 04/2004 and brought home $21,000 in profit!! I used the techniques in the book and watched the money pile up!!
Rating: 
Summary: K-O is a great system
Review: I've read a lot of BJ books and played the game all over the country with varying house rules. This book is a great guide. If you stick to basic strategy, except when the count calls for an adjustment, and remain unemotional about the money, you can make some cash. Have patience and stick to the system. The game can be beaten consistently enough for it to be a profitbale hobby. I recommend the book and these guidelines to anyone who wants to make a serious run at the 21 tables: 1.) Practice counting every chance you get; 2.) Play single or double deck until you master the count (it's easier to start this way because if you lose the count you don't have to wait long for the shuffle); 3.) Read as many books as you can and find your counting niche; 4.) Make sure you have the proper bankroll for your bet spread, above all else. The ultimate goal is to be able to count down a 6 or 8-deck shoe. Big decks make for longer runs with a positive count and better camouflage.
Rating:
Summary: A good, simple counting system...
Review: If you are looking for a consistently successful blackjack card-counting system, buy this book. In addition to introducing you to basic playing strategy, you will learn a complete card-counting system. The KO system is easy to learn, easy to use, and employed correctly, will assist you in beating the casinos while avoiding heat from the pit bosses.
Rating:
Summary: Counting cards can be simple, this book shows the way.
Review: If you have tried counting cards using other systems and have failed, then Knock-out Blackjack is the book for you. Not only is the system uncomplicated, but the authors layout a step by step progression of easily understandable techniques. The data supporting the K-O system is included in various chapters, yet you do not need to know or memorize the math. There is no dividing and they show you how to make a simple adjustment so you there are no negative number to work with. And it is easily adjustable to any number of decks. When they say it is the easiest card counting system every devised, it is true. I have tried other systems and failed. But with K-O system the average person will have the advantage over the house for a change. If you like to play BJ this book is a must.
Rating:
Summary: Very good book .. dont listen to others..
Review: ill make this short and brief and not into a novel like 2 other "reviewers" who think there siskel and ebert of the book/blackjack world lol anyways the book is excellent ... and since i read it i have been winning on a consistent basis.. and i play at multiple deck games at the $25 tables... not the $5 tables that siskel and ebert probably play at... and the fact that Dr. Thorpe and The Bishop highly recommend it tells me the book is worth buying and using in a real casino setting..so take it from this consistent winner at blackjack.. buy this book!!!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Two Must Read Books
Review: In terms of books that can take you from knowing almost nothing about blackjack to becoming a skilled player, there are two that I have found to be the best: Knock Out Blackjack by Fuchs and Vancura and Best Blackjack by Frank Scoblete. Scoblete's book is the more enjoyable and entertaining. However, the Knock Out book has a counting system that is truly easy to learn. My advice is to get both. Scoblete is a warrior who has been in the casino wars. His diary at the end of the book is priceless and his insights into what it is like to play in casinos is the best I have ever read. Fuchs and Vancura, on the other hand, have created a simple but powerful card counting system in KO that I have been using with great success for over eight months now. I think these two books are just super. I recommend that you buy both to truly learn how to beat the game of blackjack.
Rating:
Summary: A revolution in simplicity
Review: In the decades since Edward Thorp discovered card-counting theorists have been trying to create the holy grail of count systems:- a perfect blend of simplicity and power. K-O is that system. Its main strength is that it does not require the player to perform "True Count" conversion, which requires you to divide the player advantage suggested by your count system by the number of decks remaining, for many the most difficult and frustrating aspect of the process. Yet despite its simplicity KO is the most powerful level-1 betting system created. Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs are highly respected blackjack experts. To get some idea of the quality of their contributions to blackjack theory you might like to view their profiles at dejanews.com. John May (Author of "Get The Edge At Blackjack")
Rating:
Summary: If you're a recreational player, this is the book for you!
Review: Overall, this is an excellent book for casual or recreational players who want a simple BJ system, based on card counting, that will provide them with a definite edge over the house. The K-O System presented in the book is a level-1, "unbalanced" system that is as easy to use as it gets. The authors, Vancura and Fuchs, cover the basics of card counting and casino comportment in a very clear, concise manner. So, unless your goal is to play at the pro or semi-pro level, this may be all the BJ book you need. My only real criticism of this book is the disingenuous way the authors exaggerate the power of the K-O System. It's a good system, but, Vancura and Fuchs to the contrary, it can not and does not compare to real powerhouse systems such as Carlson's Advanced Omega II System, or Uston's Advanced Point Count. And, actually, there wasn't any real need to overstate the power of the K-O System; considering its ease of use, it's plenty powerful for most players.
|
