Knock-Out (K-O) count

The knock-out counting system was devised by Ken Fuchs and Olaf Vancura, and named from their first names K & O. The authors say they devised the system to dispel the myth that card counting ‘requires a mind like Albert Einstein’s, together with a memory tantamount to that of a Pentium computer’ (i, 1998). In blackjack the cards that have already been dealt affect the composition of cards remaining in the shoe, so tracking dealt cards allows the counter to assess the favourability of undealt cards.

As with all card counting strategies, knowledge of basic strategy is absolutely essential. In most cases card counters will still play according to basic strategy, often only adjusting the amount of their bet.

The knock-out card counting system is known as an unbalanced system. This means that unlike with say Hi/Lo or another balanced system, counting through an entire deck of cards would not result in a count of zero. In fact, using the K-O count you would have a count of +4 after counting a deck.

K-O is a single level count, meaning you only need to add +/-1. The problem as I see it with more ‘advanced’ card counting strategies is that if they are any more difficult to use than they need to be, after a long session of play it will become easy to make mistakes. So although other count methods may offer statistically greater benefits to the player, if even a single mistake is made, then these benefits are wiped out. It is for this reason that I recommend the K-O count to all beginning and casual blackjack players. Once any counting strategy has been mastered it is easy to move on to another system if you think this to be necessary.
In order to learn the knock-out count you must first learn the values assigned to each card:

The best way to learn the values is to test yourself with a single deck of cards at home. Turn over each card in turn and mentally keep track of the count. If done correctly a single deck should give a +4 count. Keep trying to increase the speed until you can count the deck in less than 30 seconds. Although this sounds difficult with a little practice this is certainly an achievable target. Once you are proficient try counting two cards at a time or multiple decks. It is best to avoid bad habits early so make sure that you keep a mental tally and do not say the count aloud or move your lips. This is a sure fire way to get the attention of the pit boss in a casino.

In a single deck game we begin with a count of zero and add or subtract the value of each card dealt from this initial count. For multideck games we start with an initial count (IC) other than zero. To calculate the IC we use the following formula:

IC = 4 – (4×number of decks).

The table below shows the IC values for various deck games:

No matter what the IC value, counting through the entire shoe would always give a final count of +4.

Another important value to memorise is the ‘key count’. This is the value at which the player has the advantage (and should therefore up their bet). The key count (KC) is shown in the table below together with the IC values. This table should be memorised, so that whatever type of game you are playing you will know when you have the advantage.