For decades, card counting in casino blackjack has held an almost mythical allure – the idea that with enough skill, practice and mental acuity, one can gain a mathematical edge to consistently beat the house. This tantalizing prospect has been glorified in pop culture through films like 21 and Rain Man.
As professional casino games specialists, we have had many readers ask if card counting really works, and whether it’s possible to implement in casinos today. So in this detailed guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about this art in blackjack.
Understanding Card Counting
Many newcomers to blackjack may have heard about the concept of “card counting” but don’t really comprehend what it entails or how it works in practice. So before getting into specific strategies and systems, it’s useful to clarify the underlying concepts.
Explaining the Concept
In simple terms, it involves keeping a running tabulation of the high and low cards being dealt out in blackjack to derive the composition of remaining ones.
- Low cards (2-6) are assigned a value of +1
- Mid cards (7-9) are neutral or 0
- High cards (10-Ace) have a value of -1
As each card appears, the counter calculates the cumulative score or “running count”. This can determine when the shoe has an abundance of high value cards remaining compared to low ones, signaling an advantageous situation for the player.
How It Works in Practice
Skilled players leverage their running count calculations to vary their betting spread. When the running count is positive, implying more high value cards left, the bets grow larger.
Conversely when running counts fall negative, bets shrink because low value cards dominate the remaining shoe. By adjusting betting this way, players offset losses from cold decks and maximize profits in hot decks.
Popular Card Counting Systems
While the concept of counting itself is simple, executing it successfully depends greatly on the system being used. Over past decades, many prolific blackjack players and mathematicians have developed systems of varying complexity and effectiveness.
| System | Difficulty | Accuracy | House Edge Reduction |
| Hi-Lo | Easy | High | Medium |
| Omega II | Hard | Very High | High |
| Hi-Opt I & II | Medium | High | Medium |
| Wong Halves | Hard | Very High | High |
| Red 7 | Easy | Low | Low |
| Knock-Out (KO) | Easy | Medium | Medium |
| Zen | Medium | Medium | Medium |
As the table shows, while Hi-Lo is the simplest and most beginner-friendly system, advanced systems like Omega II and Wong Halves offer greater accuracy and potential to overcome casino house edges. The following explains each in more depth:
Hi-Lo System
The Hi-Lo system, a “balanced” strategy, aims for a zero-sum outcome when all cards are dealt. Here’s how it works: Low cards from 2-6 are +1, 7-9 are 0, and high cards from 10-Ace are -1. The counter keeps a “running count” by adding or subtracting card values as they’re revealed. It reflects the remaining card composition. To make betting decisions, players calculate a “true count” by dividing the running count by the estimated decks left. A higher true count signals a favorable situation, prompting increased bets.
Omega II System
Developed by Bryce Carlson, this multi-level system assigns different point values to various cards, enhancing its effectiveness. Cards 2, 3, and 7 contribute +1, while cards 4, 5, and 6 hold a value of +2. Conversely, the 9 carries a -1, and face cards like 10, King, Queen, and Jack are marked as -2. Aces and eights are neutral, counted as zero.
Hi-Opt I & II Systems
Developed by Arnold Snyder, the Hi-Opt systems build upon the simple Hi-Lo by assigning specific values to every card rather than groups. Two variants exist:
Hi-Opt I
- 3-6: +1
- 10, J, Q, K: -1
- A, 2, 7-9: 0
Hi-Opt II
- 2, 3, 6, 7: +1
- 4, 5: +2
- 10, J, Q, K: -2
- A, 8, 9: 0
The key advantage of Hi-Opt is enhanced precision through per-card tags versus broader categories. This leads to extremely accurate true count conversions.
Wong Halves System
A brainchild of Stanford Wong, this is among the most complex systems taught to elite players only. It implements half-integer values on top of whole integers:
- A, 10, J, Q, K: -1
- 9: 0
- 8: -0.5
- 5: 1.5
- 3, 4, 6: 1
- 2, 7: 0.5
The fractional values allow fine-tuning of card counting calculations. But the tradeoff is substantially increased effort to accurately tally half-points for each card dealt.
Red 7 System
Geared for beginners, the Red 7 exclusively assigns values of +1, 0 and -1. It simply looks at the color for the 7 card – red 7s get +1 while black 7s are 0. All other low, mid and high cards follow the standard Hi-Lo system. Simple yet less accurate.
Knock Out (KO) System
The KO system is another simple Hi-Lo variant that was published in a book titled Knock Out Blackjack. It diverges from Hi-Lo with these values:
- 10, J, Q, K, Aces: -1
- 2-7: +1
- 8, 9: 0
So the only change is that instead of a value of 0, the 7 card gets +1 here. This results in the count not necessarily equaling 0 when all cards are dealt. But it’s still easy to use for beginners.
Zen System
Yet another balanced system for beginners, Zen uses these tag values:
- 2, 3, 7: +1
- 4, 5, 6: +2
- 8, 9: 0
- 10, J, Q, K: -2
- Ace: -1
When the true count sinks to 0 or below, the Zen system dictates that players bet the table minimum. Bets then incrementally rise by 1 unit for every true count point above 0. The simple whole integer values make it a descent entry-level system before attempting more complex approaches.
Advanced Techniques
So far we have covered various systems to manually count as an individual. However skilled professionals use additional advanced tactics and strategies to enhance profits. These include team coordination, single deck mastery and tips to hone overall prowess.
Team Strategies
Inspired partly by Ken Uston’s books, blackjack teams or investor groups began forming in the 1970s and 80s to leverage profits and avoid detection. The most famous were the MIT Blackjack Team and Tommy Hyland’s crew.
The model essentially has players take on specialized roles:
- Spotter – Primary counter sitting at tables tracking the counts
- Controller – Receives signals from spotter to coordinate the team
- Big player – Sits down for brief periods to place big bets when counts are signaled to be high
With coordinated timing and distraction plays, such teams operated successfully for years before casinos began upping surveillance and countermeasures.
One Deck vs Multiple Decks
Simply put, counting cards with just one deck blackjack gives substantially easier mental calculations on the fly as the single deck concentration directly translates into the true count without normalization.
So new counters should start off with single deck games to grasp and cement the fundamentals. This mastery then aids the transition to multi-deck shoes using conversion ratios to arrive at an accurate true count.
Is It Legal?
There are in fact no specific laws making the actual act of card counting illegal either in international jurisdictions. However, land-based casinos across the globe still consider it grounds for getting players barred if they employ the technique.
As private establishments, casinos reserve the right to allow or disallow patrons they deem potentially disruptive or unprofitable to business. Skilled advantage players lower revenues, so casino corporations frown upon the practice and take measures to prevent card counters from playing.
That said, individual counters who do not utilize electronic tracking devices or external assistance are generally safe from legal repercussions. Just the probability of getting listed in casino black books or gambling self-exclusion registries if caught.
FAQs
Is card counting still possible or have casinos eliminated the edge?
While increasingly difficult due to added decks and tech surveillance, single deck blackjack still offers profitable counting potential if properly executed. Mastering skills and avoiding detection is key.
Can you successfully do this online?
Unfortunately with automatic card shufflers in internet blackjack RNG systems, it is rendered virtually impossible now. Some live dealer games may offer limited scope.
What tactics do casinos employ to prevent this action?
Continuous card shufflers, limiting table time of big winners, using multiple decks, barring suspected counters and enhanced surveillance via technologies and personnel.
Is it possible to make money with this skill these days?
For the very skilled playing flawlessly, profits still await through blackjack. But expectations need to be pragmatic – card counting is hard work for moderate returns. Outsized payouts mostly belong in Hollywood fiction now.
Can people of average intelligence learn this skill?
Basic strategies consist of keeping track of numerical values in relation to the cards dealt.. With diligence and practice, most novices can move towards competence and consistency in maintaining accurate counts.
Will card counters always win at blackjack?
No – there exist inevitable hands where probability fails to pan out favorably. And casino countermeasures increasingly slim counting advantages. Persistence through variance is key, but continuous winning streaks remain a pipedream.