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How to Count Cards in Blackjack – Make Your Game Count

Card counting is a technique used in blackjack to improve your long-term odds. By assigning values to each card, you can gauge the strength or weakness of the remaining cards in the show.

Adjust your bets depending on the value of the remaining cards. Your bets increase if the count is high. You decrease your bets if the count is low. That’s really the core principle behind counting cards.

Card counting is an easy concept to learn. Here, we’ll show you how to count cards in blackjack, and teach you a few systems to beat the house. We also have a blackjack trainer to help you practice online.

card-counting

What is Card Counting?

How to Count Cards

What is card counting? It’s a simple blackjack strategy that can lower the house edge in the long term. Here’s how it works:

Counting with Multiple Decks – What Changes?

It’s quite easy to calculate the running count in single deck blackjack. But over time, casinos have wised up to card counters. In reaction, they started introducing multiple decks. That made it harder for card counters to work out what cards were left.

At a blackjack table using multiple decks, you need to adjust your count. In fact, you need another type of count for multi-deck games, known as the ‘true count’.

The true count is worked out using this formula:

True Count = Running Count / Number of Unplayed Decks in the Shoe

Example:

You’re playing Classic Blackjack with 6 decks. Your running count is +4. There are 2 decks remaining, so our True Count is +4 / 2, or +2.

In the casino, you can get an idea of how many unplayed decks are left by looking at the shoe (if it’s made of Perspex), or by looking at how many cards are in the discard pile.

Generally, the higher the true count, the better it is for the player. When there is a True Count of +1, the player has little or no edge. With a true count of +2, the player gains an edge of 0.5%, and so on.

Now you know the true count, you can adjust your bet size. The higher the true count, the higher your bet. In fact, you should be doubling your bet every time the true Count goes up by +1.

So, what if the true count is +1 or lower? That’s easy – simply stick to your original unit stake. Keep doing this until the count changes, or the decks are shuffled and you begin again.

Now look at our table for sizing bets. It’s quite different to the table when following just the running count.

True Count
Bet Size (units)
+1 or less
1
+2
2
+3
2
+4
3
+5
3
+6
4
+7
4
+8 or more
5

Why Count Cards in Blackjack?

Card counting is simple to learn, but it can take many years to fully master. So, what are the advantages of counting cards?

There are several advantages to using good card counting practice. These include:

  • Your chances of a natural blackjack increase. A blackjack pays 3/2, the best payout in conventional blackjack games.

  • As a player, you know when to double down and increase your returns.

  • The 2/1 insurance bet, normally a poor wager, suddenly offers good blackjack odds.

  • You can lower the house edge. The house edge goes down by around 0.5% when the true count is positive.

If you’re totally new to counting cards, then you probably have a few questions at the back of your mind. Here are some of the most common concerns that our readers share with us:

Blackjack Card Counting Strategies

If you’re new to counting cards, you may be surprised to know there are quite a few different strategies. However, each strategy revolves around assigning points to cards as they are dealt.

We’ve compiled the most common blackjack card counting systems for you.

Card Counting System
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10, J, Q, K
A
Difficulty level
Hi-Lo
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
0
0
0
-1
-1
1
Hi-Opt I
0
+1
+1
+1
+1
0
0
0
-1
0
1
Hi-Opt II
+1
+1
+2
+2
+1
+1
0
0
-2
0
2
KO
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
0
0
-1
-1
1
Omega II
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+1
0
-1
-2
0
2
Red 7
+1
+1
+1
+1
+1
0 or +1
0
0
-1
-1
1
Wong Halves
+0.5
+1
+1
+1.5
+1
+0.5
0
-0.5
-1
-1
3
Zen Count
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+1
0
0
-2
-1
2

Hi-Lo

Hi-Lo is the most common card counting system in blackjack. For cards 2-6, you assign +1. For 7-9, assign 0, and for 10-Ace, assign a value of -1. When counting cards with Hi-Lo, you change your running count as every card is dealt.

Hi-Opt I

The Hi-Opt I is a balanced card counting blackjack system. That means if you counted every card in the deck, the count would be 0. It varies slightly from the Hi-Lo count system in that any 2 or ace adds zero to the count.

Hi-Opt II

Hi-Opt II is a more advanced version of Hi-Opt I, developed by Lance Humble and Julian Braun. It assigns higher value to low cards like the 4 and 5 (+2 to the count instead of +1), and subtracts more (-2) for the 10, J, Q and K.

The Hi-Opt II is considered to be harder to implement than Hi-Opt I. But it’s also judged to be a more accurate and efficient counting system. That’s why many professional card counters use Hi-Opt II still.

KO

The “Knockout Count” system is virtually identical to the Hi-Lo system, but any 7 adds +1 to the running count. You also adjust your starting count according the number of decks:

  • 1 deck: Starting count of -2

  • 2 decks: Starting count -4

  • 3 decks: Starting count -8

  • 4 decks: Starting count -12

  • 5 decks: Starting count -16

Omega II

Omega II is very similar to Hi-Opt II in that it assigns higher values to low cards like 3, 4, 5 and 6. However, in this system, any 9 subtracts -1 from the count.

Red 7

The Red 7 system is easy to learn. It has identical point values to the Hi-Lo, but you add +1 to the count when you see a red 7.
You also adjust your starting running count depending on the number of decks. In this case, use the same starting counts as for the KO system.

Halves

The Halves, or ‘Wong Halves’, system is a difficult card counting system with complex point values.
Instead of whole numbers, you assign half-points to different cards. The Halves plan has been proven to be one of the most accurate counting systems in Twenty-One.

Zen Count

The Zen Count is a balanced counting system that is similar to Omega II. It’s a Level 2 system aimed at moderately experienced counters.

The Zen Count assigns a positive running count to low-value cards and a negative one to high-value cards. The values are staggered, so that 2 and 3 get +1, but 4, 5 and 6 receive +2. 10, J, Q and K receive -2.

Like the Hi-Lo system, aces are accounted for in the running count. You add -1 to the count when an ace appears.

You can try out any of the systems we’ve just discussed in our blackjack counter above. It’s the perfect risk-free way of figuring out which system suits you best.

How to Pick Your Card Counting Strategy

Knowing how to count cards in blackjack is the easy part. Choosing the right blackjack strategy is harder.

When deciding upon a good strategy at the blackjack table, you need to factor in these considerations, along with your own personal experience:

Back-Counting – Is it a Good Idea?

Back-counting is also known as “Wonging”, from Stanford Wong, one of the pioneers of blackjack card counting.

With back-counting, you don’t play at the blackjack table yourself. Rather, you observe the other players, counting cards as they appear. You then sit down at the table when the count is in your favor.

Wonging is a good strategy for blackjack at live dealer casinos too. You are allowed to watch a table before choosing when to take your seat. You have the advantage of saving your bankroll until the count is high enough to play.

Counting Cards – Our Top Takeaways

Card counting isn’t for everyone. But if you want to learn how to count cards, follow these simple rules.

Card Counting FAQs

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