Some years ago I read a gambling book titled How to Win by Mike Goodman, a professional gambler and casino executive. His approach to the game of blackjack was unique and controversial. He believed in winning money He openly challenged any and all experts to back up their systems at his casino and offered them a chance to hold public debates. To the best of my knowledge, he had no takers.

Mr. Goodman opened my eyes to a completely new approach to the game of blackjack. Without specifically attacking the card counting systems, he made it clear that the key to profitable blackjack play was to never risk more than a minimal bet while losing, and to increase the bet while winning. This strategy, which seems too easy to believe, works! The card counting systems can then be discarded because they require that a player determine the bet based on a "count" or "index," with no relationship to winning or losing.