First and foremost, not all blackjack games are beatable, although most of them are. The biggest initial basic strategy disadvantage you can probably afford to start out with would be about 0.75%. Use the "Rule Variations" table from Chapter 5 in this book to evaluate each particular game available to you.

Recognize however, that some rules affect the card counter more than the basic strategy player and vise-versa. The surrender option for example, is more valuable to a card counter due to his increased likelihood of being dealt 15 or 16 against a 10 up when he has a big bet out there. That's because these hand scenarios are often comprised of two 10's and only one non-10.

Plus, most fully structured count systems will tell the counter when it's proper to surrender some other hands such as 14 against a 10, or 15 vs. a 9. Such opportunities arise only when the player has a large bet up. Surrender is a BIG asset to the card counter, yielding an extra 0.20% to 0.25% in multi-deck play. It also lowers your volatility by smoothing out the "bumps". As a result, you can bet a little higher while running the same risk of ruin. Just exactly how much bigger you can bet depends upon whether you bring your daily stake, your trip stake or your entire bankroll into the picture.