Why Blackjack?
     Why is it that a skilled player can beat blackjack, but has no hope of ever beating a game like craps over the long term? It boils down to the mathematical concept of independent and dependent trials. In games like craps, roulette, and slot machines, each and every round is independent from all other rounds; there is no information whatsoever to be gained by studying the outcome of previous trials. In blackjack, successive hands are dependent events. This means that past events can and do influence what happens in the future.

K-O's Simplified Basic Strategy
     While most basic strategies are created to apply specifically to either single or multiple decks, in practice, it's best to memorize just one generic basic strategy table. The gain in memorizing additional variations is very minimal, amounting to a total additional gain of roughly 0.03% (3¢ per $100).

The K-O Count System
     Traditional "balanced" card-counting systems require that you keep a "running count" of the cards, estimate the fraction of the deck(s) remaining to be played, and divide the running count by that fraction—the result is the "true count," which you need to calibrate the correct "proportional wager." It's enough to make you want to stop before you start. Take heart: The unbalanced K-O system eliminates almost all of these steps, at virtually no reduction in power.

What's It Worth?
     The average blackjack player loses about 2% of every dollar wagered. Playing according to the basic strategy, that disadvantageis cut to between .2% and .5%. Applying the simplest incarnation of the K-O count provides basic strategy players with a mathematically verifiable advantage ranging from .43% against 8 decks in Atlantic City to nearly 1% against single-deck blackjack in Las Vegas.

Preface
     There is the notion, often put forth by the casinos, that card counting requires a mind like Albert Einstein's, together with a memory tantamount to that of a Pentium computer. Nonsense! And yet, the vast majority of blackjack players do not presently count cards. We have invented a new, simple, scientific technique of beating casino blackjack, which we call the Knock-Out (K-O) system. You don't need a math degree to be able to participate; virtually anyone who has ever applied the principles of the basic strategy (and can count up and down by ones) will be able to put K-O to good use. But don't let the simplicity of the Knock-Out system fool you. K-O's power compares favorably with all the proven card-counting systems. This has been verified not only through simulations of billions of computer-generated hands, but also by the actual play of card-counting teams throughout the United States. After reading this book, you too will have the knowledge necessary to successfully "Knock-Out" the casinos in the game of blackjack.

• Implement an abbreviated system—the "K-O Rookie"—that's powerful enough to yield a player advantage and simple enough to be mastered in a few hours.
• Advance to a professional-level system—the "K-O Preferred"—which performs on a par with the most sophisticated systems on the market.
• Win the cat-and-mouse game between the casinos and the players.

“This revolutionary card-counting system will KNOCK YOU OUT … and wait until you see how easy it is to use.”  —Casino Player magazine

“An excellent book for any player looking for one of the easiest and strongest professional-level systems ever published.”  —Arnold Snyder, Blackjack Forum