BLACKJACK Card Counting Strategies

By taking note of the cards already dealt, you can estimate the relative proportion of each type
of card remaining, for example whether there are more Aces or less Aces than normal. If
you look at the right types of cards, you can figure out how much the remaining deck favours
you or favours the dealer.
If the deck favours you, then bet a lot of money. If it favours the dealer, then bet as little
as you can get away with. But you have to hide the fact that you are counting cards.
Casinos make up their own rules, and one of them is that if they suspect you are counting
cards, you can't play (or at least can only play with modified rules that remove your
advantage).

*Disclaimer* If you gamble using any of the strategies suggested here, you do so entirely at your
own risk. I accept no responsibility for any consequences that may result through applying the
information presented here.
You have been warned!

Hi-Opt-1 Counting Strategy

Luckily, counting strategies do not mean you have to keep a total of each rank of
card that has appeared. The Hi-Opt-1 strategy uses two classes of cards :

High cards (10, J, Q, K)
Low cards (3, 4, 5, 6)

It turns out that if there are more 10,J,Q,K cards left to be dealt than 3,4,5,6 cards, the
deck is in your favour. However, if there are more 3,4,5,6 cards, the deck is in the casino's
favour.
To use Hi-Opt-1, take note of all the cards as they are dealt, and keep a running total of high
cards versus low cards :

+1 for each 3,4,5,6
-1 for each 10,J,Q,K

A positive count is good for you because it means there are proportionately more high
cards left. A negative count is bad because it means there are more low cards remaining.
To work out how much the count influences the outcome, you need to know how many
cards are left to be dealt. The fewer cards left, the more significant a positive or negative
count is.
You need to calculate a "True Count", which is the running total divided by the approximate
number of decks (lots of 52 cards) left to be dealt.
Each "True Count" unit influences the expected return by approximately 0.5%.
This is what my simulations calculated :
True Count Return ---------- ------ -3 -2.32% -2 -1.62% -1 -1.12% 0 -0.67% +1 -0.12% +2 +0.38% +3 +0.83%

When the True Count is +2 or more, you can expect to win more than you lose, and should
bet high. When +1 or lower, you will lose more than you win, so should bet low.
The deck is also influenced by the number of aces and sevens remaining. Aces are good
for you, whereas sevens are bad. To use this information, you need to keep side counts
of these cards.

Aces Side Count

Aces remaining to be dealt are good for you.
To keep a side-count of the proportion of aces left in the cards to be dealt, note
how many aces have appeared so far, and work out if it is higher or lower than
expected.
You should see 4 aces for every 52 cards. If no aces appear, you know the
remaining cards contain 4 extra aces. Similarly, if you see 8, you know the remaining
cards contain 4 fewer aces.
Divide the excess/deficit by the number of decks remaining, to get a True Count for aces.
Each True Count influences the outcome by approximately 0.7%.
True Ace Side-Count Influence ------------------- --------- -2 -1.4% -1 -0.7% 0 0 +1 +0.7% +2 +1.4%

Sevens Side Count

Sevens remaining to be dealt are bad for you.
You can keep a similar side count for sevens in the same way you do for Aces, although each
True Count unit for sevens only has about 0.7% influence.
True Seven Side-Count Influence --------------------- --------- -2 +0.6% -1 +0.3% 0 0 +1 -0.2% +2 -0.4%

Combining Counting Strategies

Obviously, keeping multiple side-counts is more complicated than maintaining a single
running count. Keeping a single count can be complicated enough, especially as you
keep having to do normal totalling on your own hand anyway as you play.
Because the effect of the Hi-Opt-1 count and the Aces side-count are very similar, a
simple strategy is to add the number of excess Aces remaining (or subtract the deficit
of Aces) to the Hi-Opt-1 running count before dividing by the number of decks left to
be dealt. This will give an aces-influenced True Count.
If you want to keep a side-count of sevens as well, then subtract half the excess of sevens
remaining (or add half the deficit) to the running count, before deriving the True Count.
A +1 True Count represents a game that is just about even. The amount of bet does not
matter too much.
A +2 True Count (or more) represents a game in your favour. Bet high.
A zero or negative True Count represents a game in the casino's favour. Bet low.

The next page explains how to avoid being detected as a card counter

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	By taking note of the cards already dealt, you can estimate the relative proportion of each type of card remaining, for example whether there are more Aces or less Aces than normal. If you look at the right types of cards, you can figure out how much the remaining deck favours you or favours the dealer. If the deck favours you, then bet a lot of money. If it favours the dealer, then bet as little as you can get away with. But you have to hide the fact that you are counting cards. Casinos make up their own rules, and one of them is that if they suspect you are counting cards, you can't play (or at least can only play with modified rules that remove your advantage).
	Disclaimer If you gamble using any of the strategies suggested here, you do so entirely at your own risk. I accept no responsibility for any consequences that may result through applying the information presented here. You have been warned!
	Hi-Opt-1 Counting Strategy Luckily, counting strategies do not mean you have to keep a total of each rank of card that has appeared. The Hi-Opt-1 strategy uses two classes of cards : High cards (10, J, Q, K) Low cards (3, 4, 5, 6) It turns out that if there are more 10,J,Q,K cards left to be dealt than 3,4,5,6 cards, the deck is in your favour. However, if there are more 3,4,5,6 cards, the deck is in the casino's favour. To use Hi-Opt-1, take note of all the cards as they are dealt, and keep a running total of high cards versus low cards : +1 for each 3,4,5,6 -1 for each 10,J,Q,K A positive count is good for you because it means there are proportionately more high cards left. A negative count is bad because it means there are more low cards remaining. To work out how much the count influences the outcome, you need to know how many cards are left to be dealt. The fewer cards left, the more significant a positive or negative count is. You need to calculate a "True Count", which is the running total divided by the approximate number of decks (lots of 52 cards) left to be dealt. Each "True Count" unit influences the expected return by approximately 0.5%. This is what my simulations calculated : True Count Return ---------- ------ -3 -2.32% -2 -1.62% -1 -1.12% 0 -0.67% +1 -0.12% +2 +0.38% +3 +0.83% When the True Count is +2 or more, you can expect to win more than you lose, and should bet high. When +1 or lower, you will lose more than you win, so should bet low. The deck is also influenced by the number of aces and sevens remaining. Aces are good for you, whereas sevens are bad. To use this information, you need to keep side counts of these cards.
	Aces Side Count Aces remaining to be dealt are good for you. To keep a side-count of the proportion of aces left in the cards to be dealt, note how many aces have appeared so far, and work out if it is higher or lower than expected. You should see 4 aces for every 52 cards. If no aces appear, you know the remaining cards contain 4 extra aces. Similarly, if you see 8, you know the remaining cards contain 4 fewer aces. Divide the excess/deficit by the number of decks remaining, to get a True Count for aces. Each True Count influences the outcome by approximately 0.7%. True Ace Side-Count Influence ------------------- --------- -2 -1.4% -1 -0.7% 0 0 +1 +0.7% +2 +1.4%
	Sevens Side Count Sevens remaining to be dealt are bad for you. You can keep a similar side count for sevens in the same way you do for Aces, although each True Count unit for sevens only has about 0.7% influence. True Seven Side-Count Influence --------------------- --------- -2 +0.6% -1 +0.3% 0 0 +1 -0.2% +2 -0.4%
	Combining Counting Strategies Obviously, keeping multiple side-counts is more complicated than maintaining a single running count. Keeping a single count can be complicated enough, especially as you keep having to do normal totalling on your own hand anyway as you play. Because the effect of the Hi-Opt-1 count and the Aces side-count are very similar, a simple strategy is to add the number of excess Aces remaining (or subtract the deficit of Aces) to the Hi-Opt-1 running count before dividing by the number of decks left to be dealt. This will give an aces-influenced True Count. If you want to keep a side-count of sevens as well, then subtract half the excess of sevens remaining (or add half the deficit) to the running count, before deriving the True Count. A +1 True Count represents a game that is just about even. The amount of bet does not matter too much. A +2 True Count (or more) represents a game in your favour. Bet high. A zero or negative True Count represents a game in the casino's favour. Bet low.