If we look at the single-deck table, we bet $10 with counts below 1, $20 at a count of 1, etc. You can scale the bets up or down according to your bankroll. Note: These schedules require a fairly large bankroll — at least $10,000 for a reasonable risk. Bankroll sizing will be discussed in the Betting/Risk Chapter and there is a lengthy discussion on risk and bankrolls in the “How Blackjack Works” chapter.

Playing

Betting according to the count will give the player an advantage over the house. But we can further improve that advantage by also varying play by the count. Now that we have the count, we can change our playing decisions to take into account the remaining high and low cards. We do this by altering Basic Strategy. If there are more high cards remaining, we are less likely to hit hands that might bust. But we are more likely to double down since high cards are good for doubles and bad for the dealer when she has a low card showing. We are also more likely to surrender when the dealer has a high upcard. With REKO, we normally play Basic Strategy. The tables on the following page provide exceptions.

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger