12.  Knock-Out Blackjack

Author……………………….Olaf Vancura & Ken Fuchs

Published…………………..1998

Publishing Com…………Huntington Press

I cannot believe that it is nearly twelve years since this book came out but it had a profound effect on the world of blackjack and casino gambling. The authors produced an unbalanced card counting system that eliminated most of the mental arithmetic from the game and made the game accessible as a money earner for many more people who played the game.

Gone were the days of doing true count conversions as all you have to do with the KO system is keep one simple count. I never used the KO system personally as it didn’t fit in with shuffle tracking procedures and I found counting very simple anyway.

But I can see the immense value that this system has for average blackjack players who could actually short cut an awful lot of hard work. The book gives you two systems in one with the “KO Rookie” and the “KO Preferred” for players who have more experience and desire to reach a professional level.

Since it is over ten years since I first read this book, I must confess to not knowing fully how the count system works after all these years. But as I recall the player edge is identified by locating certain “pivot points” that are geared around certain numbers.

So it is the easiest thing in the world to know not only when to increase your bets but also by how much. What the KO system will not do for you of course is help you to avoid casino detection and escape heat. These are separate issues that need to be addressed. You will still have the problem of escalating bets so you will need to ramp accordingly and have a good act.

But for me personally, this was one of the most important books on the subject certainly in the past ten years or so and even in the entire history of blackjack. I think that because it has followed so many great books then it is vastly under valued by many people but I have no problem in giving this book maximum marks based on the impact that it would have if executed by the blackjack masses who cannot execute tougher systems.

RATING…………..10/10

See you soon

Carl “The Dean” Sampson