if (expectedOldCount != 0) {
        return false;
      } else if (newCount == 0) {
        return true;
      } else {
        // if our write lost the race, it must have lost to a nonzero value, so we can stop
        return countMap.putIfAbsent(element, new AtomicInteger(newCount)) == null;
      }
    }
    int oldValue = existingCounter.get();
    if (oldValue == expectedOldCount) {