Uston SS Count Backjack : Uston SS Count Blackjack Betting System

In his book "Million Dollar Blackjack," Ken Uston introduced the world to his blackjack counting strategy, now known as the Uston SS Count. This count system allowed players of blackjack to keep track of the cards in play, figure out when they have the advantage, and ideally, use this information to increase their wins.

The Basics

The Uston SS Count allows a team of blackjack game players to count cards quickly, execute complex playing variations, and manage their money efficiently and effectively. Dubbed the "strongest and simplest" counting system, this counting strategy is level-three, so it requires some middle math. Each card in a deck is tagged with a numerical value; Aces are -2; 2s, 3s, 4s, and 6s are +2; 7s are +1; 8s are neutral; 9s are -1; ten-value cards are -2; and 5s are +3.

The Advantages

This system doesn't require any complex count conversions because the total value of a single deck is +4. That means if the player starts his or her count at -4 for each deck, when the player's count tally comes to zero, he or she is at an advantage over the casino. This unbalanced count technique allows the player to know when a large number of the smaller cards have already been played and the higher numbers are still available.

The Uston SS Count has a fairly rigid counting structure and does not allow for a large number of variations on Basic Strategy. This makes it not as efficient when it comes to playing strategies, even though it is quick and easy when it comes to determining betting strategy. It is still a useful and easy system for maximizing efficiency at the tables.