I know a local retired chemist who consistantly wins large sums of money playing blackjack. He uses the count as a small percentage because the dealer has the same advantage or disadvantage. His basic play is based on the fact that when the cards are running right put your money out & when they are not bet the min or just leave. I have no idea if he is ahead or not, but he says that money management is the most important factor. He also will not play in a game where players are allowed to come in the middle of a shoe, or where the house is allowed to hit a soft 17.