KISS II is a level-one, unbalanced, suit-aware counting system published by Fred Renzey. Use its complete published method; the card tags alone do not define a betting ramp or guarantee an advantage.
What KISS II is
Fred Renzey presented KISS II in Blackjack Bluebook II. KISS means “Keep It Short and Simple,” and the KISS family adds complexity in stages. Independent strategy documentation describes KISS II as better suited to single-deck games than KISS III.
For the wider context, see the card-counting overview and the guide to blackjack books.
Card-tag values
| Red 2 | Black 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | J | Q | K | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | -1 | -1 | -1 | 0 |
The color distinction applies only to twos: red twos are tagged 0 and black twos +1. Across one deck, 18 of 52 physical cards are neutral—the four aces, four sevens, four eights, four nines and two red twos. The remaining cards still have to be counted; positive and negative ranks do not become ignorable merely because their tags oppose one another.
What “unbalanced” means
A counting system is unbalanced when its tags do not sum to zero over a complete deck. That property is distinct from the initial running count. Starting counts, key counts and betting instructions must come from one complete version of the system and must match the number of decks and game conditions.
Do not treat a generic running count such as +3, +4 or +5 as a universal betting signal. Practical results depend on the exact KISS II implementation, rules, penetration, bet spread, execution and risk tolerance.
Published performance descriptors
QFIT’s strategy summary classifies KISS II as unbalanced, level one and suit-aware, with betting correlation 0.90, playing efficiency 0.62 and insurance correlation 0.87. It labels the system “Ace-Reckoned: No,” consistent with the ace tag of 0. These correlation measures describe aspects of a count; they are not a promised player edge.
Practice and limitations
Practise the full system without wagering until every tag and running-count update is accurate. Then test only a documented starting count, betting ramp and set of deviations for the intended game. A count does not guarantee profit, and short-term results can differ substantially from expectation.
Further reading
Blackjack involves financial risk. Set affordable limits before playing, and see the responsible-gambling policy if play stops being recreational.
