sherman said:
how do you know they didn't "postively" effect the outcome?
If the count is positive (the player has an advantage) it would be impossible for additional players to positively effect the long-term outcome in regards to the players already in the game, if for this discussion you made the simple assumption that tens in the deck iare good and fives in the deck are bad. If the count was positive two things could happen, the count could become more positive, meaning the player has more of an advantage or the count could lose value, meaning less advantage for the player. In either case the addition of additional players, or the existing players playing more hands would either hasten the degradation of the advantage or dilute the advantage realized by each player.
If you were plaiying at a table and the count became positive the count will get more positive or less positive with each card that is dealt. These cards will come off of the deck or out of the shoe whether or not another player joins the game. The faster the cards come out the faster it would be possible for the count to degrade, therefore if another and took tens off of the deck it would negatively effect the players advantage by allowing them to play fewer hands with the positive count (positive expectation).
As I said the cards will come out the same whether or not other players are in the game. If the cards were to come out in a way to make the count more positive this too would be hastened with the addition of players to the table. The catch is that if no one would join the game the players in the game would gain the benefit of being able to play more hands with a positive expectation by playing the same cards to the same ending point in the deck or shoe.
arty: 
