Card counting is a system that experienced blackjack players use to get a profitable advantage over the casino. There are many individual “counts” or systems. Many of them are named after colorful professional gamblers from times past.

1. Speed Counting Blackjack
2. Blackjack Counting Game

🎓Blackjack Apprenticeship's 'Blackjack & Card Counting Trainer Pro' is the best way to master card counting so you can bring down the house! Blackjack Apprenticeship trains card counters who have. A blackjack game in progress Card counting is a casino card game strategy used primarily in the blackjack family of casino games to determine whether the next hand is likely to give a probable. In Blackjack, it is favorable to the player when there are more Aces and 10 Value Cards (10’s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings) remaining in the shoe. So card counting is simply using a system to keep track of.

The 2008 movie “21” bought card counting to the attention of the general public. It followed the true story of members of the MIT blackjack team as they won millions from casinos in LasVegas. This movie also highlighted the key challenge faced by card counters. To make a profit using these systems, you need to bet significantly more when the odds turn in your favor. Casinos are aware of this — and will quickly ban players they believe are counting cards.

This page has everything you need to know to get started with card counting. Below you will find the basics of how it works. Famoussystems, the ideal games for counters and how online blackjack can help you learn to count are also covered below.

How to count cards in blackjack

Blackjack is a game of incomplete information. Players act based on their own two cards and the single dealer up-card. Players must risk busting in many situations, even though the decisions are mathematically correct.

Small cards are the enemy of blackjack players. Values of two through six can make for the trickiest decisions. In fact, if you remove any significant number of small cards from the shoe, blackjack not only becomes easier, the player gets a mathematical edge over the house.

This is where card counting comes in.

Counters track the proportion of small cards to face cards and aces. At a certain point, the deck turns “positive.” The higher proportion of face cards means every hand played will generate long term profit for the player — not the house. This is because profit comes from doubling, splitting and hitting blackjack (natural21). All of these are more frequent when there are more high cards in the shoe.

To take advantage of this edge, counting players must boost their bet size. Without this bet size boost, money spent playing while waiting for the deck to turn positive would cancel out any wins.

There are multiple factors that affect whether a specific game is a candidate for card counting. The number of decks of cards in play, the rules on splitting and doubling down, and how the dealer reacts to a soft 17 all come into play. To get the best from counting cards, you need to find the games with the lowest house edge.

Level 3 card counting systems & true count explained

Card counting systems have three levels of complexity. The simplest systems are Hi-LoCounts. You count low cards as +1 and high cards as -1. The higher the count, the bigger the proportion of high cards to low cards.

Advantage players will increase their bets once a specific count is reached. To be sure that they have an advantage, they need to translate the current total into the “true count” first. This involves dividing the count by the number of decks still in play. If the count is +10, with five decks remaining in a six-deck shoe, then the “true count” is 10/5 = 2. This means games like double-deck blackjack are better for counting. Players do not need to play through those first decks in the shoe while waiting for the true count to be positive.

Level two and level three counting systems are more accurate. They assign +2 to some cards and +1 to others. This splits the twos and sevens from cards three throughsix, with some systems also counting nines differently. There are systems with separate counts for aces. Your bet sizes need to increase in line with the positive count — for example adding a unit every time the true count increases by two points.

If you are new to cardcounting, then a simple Hi-Lo Count is the place to start. Once you have mastered keeping track of the count while playing each hand perfectly and chatting with the other players, you will be ready to move to the next level.

Examples of card counting systems

The systems below range from level one to three. These are five of hundreds of possible systems, giving you an overview of how different systems vary in their complexity.

• Hi-Lo Count: This is a balanced count and is the first system that new counters use. You add one to the total for each card value from two through six — and subtract one for 10s through aces. Seven, eight and nine are neutral. You then divide this count by the number of undealt decks and round up as needed. You should increase your bets when the count is positive — betting more the larger the positive number that you count. The advantage of the Hi-Lo system is simplicity. Compared with other blackjack counts, Hi Lo card counting does lackprecision.
• Hi-Opt1 and 2: These systems were developed by LanceHumble, though they can be traced back to the 1960s. There are many more“neutral”cards compared to the Hi-Lo Count. Hi-Opt 1 uses aces, twos, sevens, eights and nines as zero for the count. Three, four, five and six are +1, and 10s through kings are -1. This system works best for single deckgames. Hi-Opt 2 makes 10s through kings -2 on the count, with +2 for fours and fives, +1 for twos, threes, sixes and sevens. Aces, eights and nines are neutral. These are accurate systems, though with single deck games rare (and closely watched), it can be difficult to find a suitable game to use them.
• Ace-Five System: You will need to double your bet repeatedly as the count increases to make the Ace-Five System work. This is a simple count, involving only aces andfives. Every time a five is dealt, you add one, and every ace you see removes one. When the count is +2, you double your bet. Increasing it again for every +2 that gets added. If the count reverts to +1 or less, you go back to your initial bet size. The key advantage of this system is the simplicity. The always-changing bet size is likely to attract the attention of casino pit bosses.
• Uston Advanced Count: Ken Uston was a famous card counter, known for his flamboyant lifestyle. His most complex system is the “Uston Advanced Count.” Aces count as zero in this system. Fives are +3; 10s through kings are -3; nines are -1; twos and eights are +1; and threes, fours, sixes and sevens are +2. As with the other systems, you increase your bets in line with how positive the count gets — keeping the number of decks in mind. This system is designed to work best with a separate count of theaces. The complexity means that it is for experienced card counters only.
• KO Counting System: This system works like Hi-Lo, with an extra feature involving the insurance against dealer blackjack bet. It counts cards two through seven as +1, eight and nine as neutral and 10 through ace as -1. You should increase your bet at +2 or more (based on the true count). At +3 or greater, the insurance side bet becomes profitable and should be taken.

Which blackjack games are best for card counting?

Big casino resorts in Las Vegas, AtlanticCity, downtown Detroit and elsewhere run a wide selection of blackjack games. At the lowest buy-ins (typically $5 and up per hand), the rules give the casino a huge edge over theplayers. Examples include paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 for blackjack, limiting doubles after splits and having the dealer hit on soft 17. These unfavorable rules can easily boost the house edge to 3% or even more. With six or eight decks, getting a true count can be difficult.

Contrast this with the best games. An ideal setup is a single deck game, with liberal splitting/doubling rules, dealer standing on soft 17, late surrender and 3:2 for blackjack. With a house edge of 0.5% orless, these games are restricted to the high-limit rooms. This type of game is most likely to be closely monitored. Suddenly increasing your bet would be an instant trigger for experienced casino staff to watch closely.

Successful counters look for games with the lowest natural houseedge. They know the basic blackjack card counting strategy perfectly, so as not to give any edge back to the casino in the form of mistakes. If you do not know how to adapt blackjack strategy to subtle differences in the rules, then you are not yet ready to learn card counting techniques.

Is counting cards illegal in the US?

Counting cards is legal, unless you are using a mechanical or electronic device to help you keep track of the cards. Casinos do not want card counters in their games. People who are suspected of counting will be asked to leave the casino. Repeat offenses can see players banned — with trespass laws coming into effect if they attempt to return.

In 1979, Ken Uston took a casino in Atlantic City to court, challenging its right to ban “skilled” players. The court found in his favor. Rather than banning players, AC casinos now implement measures to stop card counting from working. They include regularshuffling, limiting players to flat bet sizes on each shoe and not allowing players to join a game mid-shoe.

Elsewhere, casinos will quickly ban players caught counting. This was the reason that the MIT team played in pairs. One player (betting small) would keep count, then signal to the big bet player when the count was positive. This player could then join the table, betting big amounts, while the original counter continued with smaller bets.

Card counting in other casino games

Very few casino games use a shoe containing several decks of cards. Casino poker variations like Caribbean stud or Ultimate Texas Hold ’em have a continual shuffle system, where a fresh shuffled deck is used for each hand. Baccarat does use a shoe, though it is not suitable for counting due to the complex scoring rules. Edge sorting is used in baccarat, though it is considered illegal in many jurisdictions.

This leaves blackjack variations like Spanish 21 and Free Bet Blackjack as the only candidates for card counting systems. Many variations of blackjack have a higher house edge than the main game. Spanish 21 removes 10s from the deck — starting the count on a negative.

Experienced advantage players use card counting to beat optional side bets. This requires a separate understanding of how each side bet works, with a counting system developed separately. Separate aces counts in blackjack can determine when the insurance against dealer blackjack bet becomes profitable.

Is it possible to count cards online?

Online casinos in regulated states have both live dealer and software-based blackjack options. They also have a range of games with different rules and side bets. Add in the game variations based on the 21 concept — and you will find a wide array of choices.

Advantage play through card counting is not possible at online casinos. Software based games use random number generator software to shuffle the cards for every hand. This means no count is possible. Live dealer games that are dealt in real time use eight deck shoes. What they do differently from brick and mortar casinos is reshuffle after around half of the cards are dealt. This makes it hard to spot situations where there is a positive true count. Add to this software that will instantly detect the bet sizing changes associated with counting.

What you can effectively do online is practice your counting skills. There are live dealer rooms at many of the biggest online casino brands, including Golden Nugget and BetMGM. You can enjoy a game and learn to keep score of the count while you play. Starting with simple systems like Ace-Five and Hi-Lo is ideal — you can move on to the more advanced systems as you gain experience.

Speed Counting Blackjack

If you live in a state with legal online casinos, make sure you keep a close eye on the casino bonus and promotion offers. You never know when a bonus aimed at blackjack players will become available.

Wrapping up: Card counting in blackjack

Card counting has been a part of blackjack since the1960s. Famous players including Humble and Uston published books on beating the house. Many of them are now considered among the classics of gambling literature.

Counting cards in blackjack gives you an edge over the house when there are relatively more high cards in the deck. This takes advantage of the player’s option to split, double down and to take insurance against dealer blackjack. Counting systems are graded into three levels, depending on their complexity. More complex systems are more accurate — though harder to use.

There is an Achilles’ heel for card counters. To make your knowledge of the count profitable, you need to significantly boost your bet sizes when the odds are in your favor. These bet size increases are a flag to casino staff to watch your play closely — which leads to card counters being banned. Card counting is not illegal, unless you use a device to help you keep track.

Online casinos are the perfect place to practice your card counting skills. You will not be able to get an advantage from them — as safeguards are in place. Live dealer casinos show a real table, making this the ideal way to find the right card counting system for you ahead of your next visit to a brick and mortar casino.

Counting your cards while playing Blackjack is NOT illegal. Although the casino has the right to ask you to leave if you get caught.

Counting cards is one of the most infamous blackjack strategies. Contrary to popular belief, counting cards does not require memorizing every card that has been dealt in a game of blackjack. Rather, card counters simply keep track of the ratio of high cards to low cards that are in the deck and place their bets accordingly.

There are varied methods and strategies of counting cards, all of which have been employed by players to determine which favors them most. The simplest card counting systems employ easy math, and the systems assign the number -1 to aces, face cards and 10s, +1 to low cards and 0 to medium value cards. As these cards are dealt, the player keeps track in his head.

Running Count and True Count

Keeping a track of the numbers of cards that have been dealt is what is commercially known as the running count. Every time a card is laid down, you either add the assigned value or subtract it from the running total. If the assigned number is 0, then of course, nothing changes. As this amount changes, most players will wager higher amounts when the card count is higher than +3 and lower amounts when it falls below this value. This is due to the fact that the higher the number, the more 10s, face cards and aces there will be in the deck, and the more opportunity to create a blackjack.

The true count is used when there are multiple decks in play. Multiple decks were introduced to blackjack to discourage card counters from utilizing such methods, but if you’re aware of the number of decks of cards you’re playing with, the true count is easy to figure out. Simply take the running count and divide it by the number of decks. So, if you have a running count of +6 and you’re playing with two decks, six divided by two equates to three, and this is your true count. Therefore, in this particular example, the advantage lies with the player.

>>Go here to learn more about the difference between a Running & True counting system.

Strategies Used

As mentioned, as the number of the card values dealt gets higher, the player knows there are more high cards in the deck; as the number gets lower the player knows there are more low cards in the deck. The strategy and stakes are adjusted accordingly. Some players like to keep a side count of Aces as well. Simple card counting systems for beginners include the Hi-Lo strategy, the Red Seven count and Knock-Out Blackjack, also known as the KO system.

The Hi-Lo strategy is employed by first of all assigning values to each of the cards in the following way; deuces to sixes +1, sevens to nines 0, 10s to aces -1. Then, start with a running count of zero at the start of the deck. As cards are revealed, add and subtract the assigned card values as described from the running count. For example, if the cards dealt were a 6, a 2, a 9, a Jack and a 4, the running count would be +1, +1, 0, -1, +1, equating to a running count of 2. Divide the running count by the number of decks you’re playing with to figure out your true count. Playing with two decks would mean you’d divide two by two, to receive 1 as your true count. Using this, you can then more strategically place wagers for further rounds.

>>Go here to learn more about the Hi-Lo counting system.

The Red 7 Count, on the other hand, assigns values of +1 to deuces through to sevens, but only to red-suited sevens. Black-suited sevens, along with eights and nines are valued at 0, while everything else above that is -1. Red 7 uses an alternate pivot point to other methods, which is the time when you need to increase your bets to take advantage of a favorable deck. Usually, this would be at +3, +4 or +5, but the count in Red 7 does not begin at zero. The count is figured out by multiplying the number of decks in play by -2. So, in a six deck game, your starting count would be 6 x -2, equating to -12. The pivot is reached in red 7 when you cross over into positive territory. This is what makes Red 7 a more favorable strategy.

>>Go here to learn more about the Red Seven counting system.

Advanced Strategies

Once you become a more experienced card counter you can move on to more advanced systems that allow for a more accurate count. These include Wong Halves, KISS and the Omega II card counting system.

Wong Halves is considered one of the most advanced card counting systems of all. In fact, there are few people who actually use this strategy due to its complexity. Values assigned to cards are as follows; 10s to aces are -1, nines are worth -0.5, deuces and sevens are worth +0.5, threes, fours and sixes are worth +1 and fives are worth +1.5. In comparison to the other strategies, Wong Halves is a whole load of values more to remember. It is, however, a lot more accurate when providing the true count, and therefore, placing higher bets when the cards are in your favor provides a stronger opportunity for profit.

>>Go here to learn more about the Wong Halves counting system.

Omega II offers up a range of value from +1 (given to deuces, threes and sevens), to +2 (fours through to sixes), 0 (for eights and aces) -1 (for nines) and -2 (for 10s to Kings). Like the Wong Halves method, Omega II is a lot more accurate in determining how many cards are left in the decks that will go in your favor. However, because of the vast amount of values, counting is a little more difficult. Furthermore, this method also requires a separate ace count to be tallied. If for example, you’re playing with eight decks and using the Omega II method, this means there are 32 aces available altogether. When you know the deck is rich in aces, you can combine that knowledge with a high positive count to generate outstanding results.

>>Go here to learn more about the Omega II counting system.

Card Counting Awareness

Blackjack Counting Game

It is important to note that while card counting is not illegal it is frowned upon by casinos. This may seem like nonsense to read when playing online casino blackjack games, but live casinos do reserve the right to ask you to leave the table if you are suspected of counting cards. Therefore, mastering the techniques of card counting, regardless of which method you opt to use, is something all card counters should strive towards.