The tells you the raw plus/minus. But a +5 with 6 decks left is very different from +5 with 1 deck left.
= / decks remaining
- Running +5 with 5 decks left → +1 (small edge)
- Running +5 with 1 deck left → +5 (huge edge)
The is what you actually bet on. Rough bet-spread guideline:
- ≤ 0 — bet the table minimum
- +1 — bet 1 unit
- +2 — bet 2 units
- +3 — bet 4 units
- +4 — bet 8 units
- +5 or more — bet 12 units
The interactive section below renders the same data as a proper table; this list is the inline version because lesson prose doesn't run a markdown table parser.
Estimate decks remaining by eyeballing the discard tray. A deck is about ½ inch thick.
Key points
✓True count = running count ÷ decks remaining
✓Always convert before placing your bet
✓Bet spread: 1× at TC ≤ 1, scale up exponentially
✓Eyeball the discard tray (½ inch ≈ 1 deck)
✓Wong in at TC +1, Wong out near TC 0 to skip negative shoes