Hi/Lo Count

If you have not already done so we recommend reading our card counting overview before reading about any specific count strategy.

While there are numerous card counting systems available to players, the Hi/Lo system is undoubtedly the most popular. Hi/Lo is easy to learn and relatively easy to use in a casino situation. Also known as the plus/minus system, the strategy is basically a simplified version of Edward Thorps famous ten-count. Hi/Lo was the counting system employed by the MIT blackjack team, as well as the movie 21.

Hi/Lo is a balanced level one count. Being a balanced count means that conversion between running count and true count is required. This is done by dividing the running count by the number of decks remaining in the shoe. If all cards from the shoe were dealt the running and true count would be the same, zero.

The first stage in learning the Hi/Lo count is to learn the card count values:

We can divide cards into three groups; low, medium and high value cards. In a standard 52 card deck there are 20 small cards (2-6), 12 medium value cards (7,8,9) and 20 high value cards (10-Ace).

As will all counting strategies, the more low value cards that have been dealt, the better the player’s odds of winning any hand. This is because with high value cards to be dealt your first two cards will be stronger, you will get blackjack- and the dealer will bust more often.

Once you have committed the card count values to memory you should practice counting down a deck at home. Shuffle the pack and turn over the cards one by one keeping a running count. Don’t worry about the true count conversion at this point. Focus on accuracy before speed. Check that your count is zero at the end of the pack every time you count. Once you can accurately count a pack try to increase speed. A good rule of thumb is to be able to count down a pack in less than 30 seconds.

Remember that counting at home is very different to counting in a casino situation. To emulate the distractions of the casino at home, play loud music while counting, or try to have a conversation. While this will undoubtedly be difficult, mastering this is absolutely vital for success in the casino where the dealer or pit boss may be talking to you during the game.

When you can successfully count down one pack, add more and more packs until you reach casino shoe levels – 6 to 8 decks. With time and practice you will have good accuracy, speed and you will not be easily distracted.

When converting the running count to true count many players estimate the number of decks to the nearest half deck. With practice you will become fairly accurate in estimating the number of remaining decks in the shoe. When starting out with Hi/Lo it is acceptable to estimate remaining decks to the nearest full deck. You establish the number of decks remaining by looking at the discard pile. Practice at home by stacking x number of decks or half decks. Practice until you become accurate. You then subtract the number of decks on the discard pile from the number of decks you started with to establish the number of decks remaining in the shoe.

The card counters real advantage comes from being able to increase their bet when the count is favourable. The ideal betting spread will depend on the number of decks but a real advantage can be had in a double deck game using a 1-6 spread, and a six deck game with a 1-12 spread. The table below outlines the ideal bet to place depending on decks and true count:

Here are a few things to remember when using a counting strategy:

• Keep focused. If you fail to count even just one or two cards your presumed edge will be inaccurate.
• Casinos do not deal through the entire shoe. Counters have the biggest advantage towards the end of the shoe and casinos know this. Deck penetration can be as low as 60%.
• Practice to become more accurate. If you round the dealt cards to whole decks try to get accurate to half or quarter decks. Also practice to increase counting speed.
• While the maths of counting is easy, many counters simply cannot concentrate in casino conditions. Noise, other players, security, chatty dealers… practice, practice and more practice is in order to overcome these issues.
• Never sit down at a table in the middle of a shoe if you plan to count. You have no idea of the value of the cards that have been dealt and therefore no way to know what’s remaining.

Probably the most important aspect of card counting is to be confident with whatever strategy you use. Statistical advantages of one system over another are incredibly small. Please read about other card counting methods and choose a strategy that suits you. If you find estimating the number of remaining packs or making the true count conversion difficult, you may like to try an unbalanced system such as the knockout count.