1. Nine Count Blackjack Strategy
2. Blackjack Strategy Trainer
3. Blackjack Strategy Chart

• ALWAYS DOUBLE DOWN ON A HARD 11. You’ll always win more money if you double down on hard.
• 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.
• Blackjack Basic Strategy. For Blackjack Basic Strategy the first thing to look at is the tables below. This has details of what you should do to optimize your chances with every version of your starting hand versus the Dealers visible card. It is useful if you can remember this as best you can to give you the best possible advantage against the.

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Card counting is one of those rare gambling strategies that can actually work. Most so-called gambling strategies are just systems relying on the gambler’s fallacy, and in the long run, they fail.

But counting cards actually gives a demonstrable, mathematical edge over the casino.

And the casinos know it.

As a result, they’ve instituted countermeasures to make it harder to get an edge. One of these countermeasures is the use of multiple decks. It’s harder to get an edge when facing eight decks in a shoe.

And the use of those additional decks requires you to convert the running count to a true count. This post focuses on how and why you need to convert the running count to a true count.

But first, I’ll explain some of the basics of card counting.

The process is deceptively simple, but it takes practice and discipline to make any money with it. For purposes of introducing these concepts, I’m going to use the “Hi Lo Count,” which is the most widely used card counting system. It’s also one of the easiest to understand.

If you’ve ever read an actual book about blackjack or counting cards, you’ve probably seen some reference to it. Harvey Dubner first introduced this system in 1963, but it’s as effective now as it was 50 years ago.

Stanford Wong covers the Hi-Lo System in his book Professional Blackjack, and Don Schlesinger goes into more detail about the system in Blackjack Attack. Beat the Dealer by Ed Thorp features a card counting system that’s almost the same as the Hi-Lo System, too.

Being able to convert the running count to the true count is a skill necessary for any counter using any system — but only if they’re playing in a game with multiple decks.

How and Why Counting Cards Works

Most gambling systems involve raising and lowering the size of your bets based on what’s happened on previous outcomes. Most of them don’t work.

Here’s why.

Almost all games feature independent, random trials. The probabilities don’t change based on what happened during the previous trial.

For example, you roll a pair of dice. The probabilities are based on the number of sides each die has.

Once you’ve rolled the dice, and you’re ready to roll them again, the dice still have the same number of sides.

The formula for an event’s probability is the number of ways that event can happen divided by the total number of possible events.

When rolling dice, for example, you have 36 possible outcomes. Only one of those outcomes totals 2, so the probability of rolling a 2 on a pair of dice is 1/36.

If you roll a 2, then roll the dice again, the probability of rolling a 2 on the next roll is still 1/36. It doesn’t go up or down based on what happened on the last roll.

But in blackjack, the probabilities change as the cards are dealt because the number of possible outcomes changes.

• You’re playing blackjack from a single deck. The probability of a card being an ace is 4/52, or 1/13.
• You deal out two hands, and each of those hands has an ace.
• The probability of getting an ace on the next card has changed.
• For one thing, now there are only 48 possible outcomes — that’s how many cards are left in the deck.
• There are also only two aces left in the deck, so the probability of getting an ace drops to 2/48, or 1/24.

There’s a big difference between a 12 to 1 shot at an ace and a 23 to 1 shot at an ace.

Why the Aces and Tens Are Important

I used aces in the previous example, but I could have also used 10s. There are 16 cards worth 10 points in a blackjack deck — four each of 10s, jacks, queens, and kings. The probability of being dealt a card worth 10 is 16/52, or 4/13.

The 10s are as important as the aces, but you’re more likely to get a 10.

Here’s why that’s important.

When you win at blackjack, you get paid off at even money most of the time. The exception is when you have a two-card hand that totals 21.

That’s called a “blackjack” or a “natural,” and that pays off at 3 to 2.

Since the decks are shuffled and randomized, the aces and 10s might be disproportional based on where they fell in the deck. If a lot of the aces and 10s have already been dealt, your probability of getting a blackjack decreases.

But if you have a higher-than-usual proportion of aces and 10s in the deck, your probability of getting a blackjack increases.

If you bet more when you have a better probability of getting a 3 to 2 payout, you’ll wind up with a mathematical edge over the casino.

And counting cards enables you to track that ratio.

How and Why to Use the Hi-Lo Count as a Beginner

The Hi-Low Count, or the High-Low Count, assigns a value of +1 to the lower-valued cards in the deck and a value of -1 to the higher-valued cards in the deck. Mid-sized cards have a value of 0.

As you see these cards get played, you adjust the count according to which cards have already been dealt.

• When you see a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, you add 1 to the count.
• When you see a 10 or an ace, you subtract 1 from the count.
• For counting purposes, you ignore the 7, 8, and 9.

This gives you an idea of your edge at any given time, until the casino dealer shuffles the cards back in the deck.

When the count is positive, you have a proportionally higher number of favorable cards in the deck.

When the count is 0 or negative, you have a proportionally lower number of favorable cards in the deck.

You raise the size of your bets when the count is positive.

You bet your minimum when the count is 0 or negative.

It’s almost just that simple, too.

You’ll find different guidelines for how much to bet based on the count, but the easiest system I learned was to start with a single unit — your minimum. Then decide what your betting spread will be, keeping in mind that the bigger the spread is, the more aggressive you’re being.

The more aggressive you are, the more likely you are to catch heat from the casino.

Then you add the count to 1 to decide the size of your bet.

• You’re playing at a table with a minimum bet of $5.
• You decide you’re going to use that as your base betting unit, and you’re going to have a betting spread of 1 to 4 units, based on the count.
• You’ll be betting in amounts of $5, $10, $15, or $20 — 1 unit, 2 units, 3 units, or 4 units, respectively.
• When the count is 0 or less, you’ll bet $5.
• When the count is +1, you’ll bet $10.
• When the count is +2, you’ll bet $15.
• When the count is +3 or higher, you’ll bet $20.

This works fine as long as you’re playing in a game being dealt from a single deck.

But if you’re playing in a game being dealt from multiple decks in a shoe, you need to know how to convert the running count to the true count.

Converting the Running Count to a True Count

Converting the running count to a true count isn’t as hard as many people think. It’s just a matter of estimating how many decks are left in the shoe. You divide the running count by the number of decks left to get the true count.

Most people get hung up on being too accurate. All you need is an estimate. Rounding off is your friend here.

Take a look at the example below.

The running count is +9, and you estimate that there are four decks left in the show.

9 divided by 4 is 2.25, but you can just round that off to 2 and make your decisions based on a true count of +2.

You’ll find card counting systems which eliminate the need to convert to a true count, but I don’t think they’re necessary. If you’re able to keep up with the running count accurately, you’re also smart enough to convert that to a true count.

Another advantage to doing the true count conversion is that it reminds you to start over at 0 when the dealer reshuffles the cards. One time, I was drinking while I was counting cards, and I was also chatting with my wife while we were playing.

I bet according to the count, even though the dealer had already shuffled.

Your edge is too small when counting cards to let small mistakes like this slip into your game.

The counting systems that eliminate the need to convert into a true count are usually unbalanced systems. They have a different number of positive and negative values, so if you counted through a single deck, you’d wind up with something other than 0.

With these other counting systems, you’ll also often start your count with a number other than 0. This is to compensate for the number of decks in play.

In these unbalanced systems, you have to jump through so many hoops that you’re better off just doing the true count conversion.

• With the Hi-Lo System, a single deck of cards has 24 cards worth +1 and 24 cards worth -1.
• They even out.
• But with an unbalanced system, you might have 24 cards worth +1 and 26 cards worth -1.

Count through a deck with this system, and you’ll end up with -2 instead of 0.

Why the Number of Decks Matters

When I first learned about card counting, I couldn’t figure out why the number of decks would matter. After all, the ratio of aces and 10s to the other cards is the same regardless of how many decks there are, right?

This is true before you deal any cards, yes. With eight decks, you have 32 aces and 516 totals cards, which is still 1 in 13.

But the ratios change as the cards are dealt, and with more cards in the deck, the ratios are different.

• You’re playing in a single-deck game, and all four aces have already been played.
• Your probability of getting an ace is now 0.
• Later, you’re playing in an eight-deck game, and you see four aces come out.
• Your probability of getting an ace isn’t 0, because there are still 12 aces left in the deck. The probability isn’t as good, but it’s not 0, either.
• That’s why the number of decks matters.
• The numbers you’re using to divide by when determining the ratio are bigger.

Changing Your Basic Strategy Based on the True Count

Changing the size of your bets isn’t the only way to get an edge when playing blackjack. Skilled counters also know when to deviate from basic strategy.

In blackjack, there’s a correct mathematical play in every situation. That’s the play with the best expected return. In some situations, the expected return is negative no matter which choice you make. In those situations, you want the expected return that’s the least negative.

The first and easiest basic strategy deviation for the card counter is insurance. Basic strategy says you should never take insurance. After all, it’s a sucker bet.

But when the true count is +3 or greater, insurance becomes a positive expectation bet.

That’s because as the ratio of high cards changes, the dealer has a better probability of getting a blackjack, too. When that probability gets high enough, insurance becomes a positive expectation bet.

When you have a hard 16 versus a dealer’s 10, you also have a strategy change to consider. The correct strategy play is to hit because of the likelihood that the dealer has a high total. You’re still likely to bust, but it’s still the correct play.

But if you’re counting cards and the count is positive, you should stand instead of hitting. Even a slightly higher positive count results in a higher probability of busting with that extra card.

When you have a hard 15 versus a dealer 10, you also have a basic strategy adjustment to make, but you only make the adjustment if the true count is +4 or higher. This is another hand where you would normally hit if you’re following basic strategy.

Nine Count Blackjack Strategy

But if the count is +4 or higher, you’ll stand instead.

If you’re following basic strategy, you also know that you never split 10s.

But if the dealer is showing a 5, and if the true count is +5 or more, the correct play is to split those 10s. That’s because you have such a high percentage of getting an ace or a 10 as your next card that it’s worth your while to get two really strong hands into play against the dealer.

After all, the dealer has a lousy hand with that 5 showing.

A pair of 10s versus a dealer 6 is the same, but the true count only has to be +4 to split instead of +5.

If you have a hard 10 when the dealer is showing a 10, you’ll deviate from basic strategy if the true count is +4. Normally, in that situation, you’d hit, but if the count is this positive, you’ll double down instead.

If you have a hard 12 versus a dealer 3, you’ll deviate from basic strategy if the true count is +2 or higher. Ordinarily, you’d hit this hand, but if the count is this positive, you’ll stand, hoping that the dealer will bust when she gets a 10.

A 12 versus a dealer 2 is the same thing, but the true count needs to be +3 or higher before you deviate from basic strategy.

If you have an 11 versus a dealer’s ace, you’ll deviate from basic strategy when the count is +1 or better. Normally, you’d hit this hand, but when the count is positive, you’ll double down.

If you have a 9 versus a dealer 2, you’d usually hit, but if the count is +1 or higher, you’ll double down.

Those are the ten most important basic strategy deviations based on the true count. You can find more basic strategy deviations by searching for phrases like “Illustrious 18” and “Fab 4.” (The “Fab 4” describes when you should surrender based on the count.

Conclusion

Counting cards can be a lot of fun and can get you an edge over the casino.

But if you’re playing in a game with multiple decks, you’ll need to know how to get the true count.

Luckily, it’s easy to do.

You just divide the running count by the number of decks left in the shoe.

And don’t forget, an estimate is all you need. You should just round off.

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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.

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.

Blackjack Strategy Trainer

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.

Blackjack Strategy Chart

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.

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.