Counting In Black Jack
Counting In Black Jack
Simple card counting systems for beginners include the Hi-Lo strategy, the Red Seven count and Knock-Out Blackjack, also known as the KO system. The Hi-Lo strategy is employed by first of all assigning values to each of the cards in the following way; deuces to sixes +1, sevens to nines 0, 10s to aces -1. The Basics of the Speed Count. Blackjack writers tell us that the average hand of blackjack is 2.7 cards, meaning more people take three cards than two. Since there are just 5 “small” cards for every 13 “big” cards in a 52-card deck, we get an average of 1.03 “small” cards for every hand of blackjack played–about one card per hand. Card counting is an advantage-play method that helps you determine when the blackjack odds are in your favor. It involves tracking cards as they come out of the shoe and assigning them point values. The running count helps you figure out when the shoe is rich in aces and 10-value cards. Card counting is a method used by blackjack players to get an advantage over the casino. Essentially, counting cards in blackjack involves assigning values to every card dealt out. By keeping a running count, you can assess whether the.
The Ten Count System was the first of it’s kind. It was the first mathematically proven system that blackjack players could use to take back the casino edge. In fact, it improved the house edge from 6 percent in the house’s favor, to about 1 percent in favor of the player.
Unfortunately, you’re not going to find the Ten Count System talked much about today, let alone used. That’s because the system is viewed as primitive and unnecessarily complicated to use. That may be true. However, we think that it’s still worth looking at the Ten Count System in more detail. Think of it as a history lesson.
The Ten Count System was created by Edward Thorp. He’s held many titles over the years including mathematician, professor, hedge fund manager, author, and yes, a blackjack player.
Edward Thorp was known for many things. He created the first wearable computer in 1961, which he used to predict the outcome of roulette games. He also wrote the book Beat the Dealer in 1962, which sold over 700,000 copies and put him on the New York Times bestseller list.
Thorp was known in many casinos, too. So known, in fact, that he was frequently banned from casino properties. The casinos couldn’t keep him away, though, no matter how hard they tried. He used disguises to get past security and take the casinos for thousands of dollars. Thorp didn’t do it for the money, though, or so he claimed. For him it was all about the science and ideas.
He later used these ideas to create the Ten Count System, which paved the way for other blackjack strategies including the Hi/Lo Count.
How to Use the Ten Count System
First off, keep in mind that the 10 Count is irrelevant in today’s games because it was created for single deck games. Most casinos nowadays use multiple decks.
The premise to this strategy is like all others — each card is given a value, and a count is kept throughout the game. You’ll use this count to determine when and how big to bet. Here are the values that you assign each card:
- A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 = Count +4
- 10, J, Q, K = Count -9
For example, say you tracked the following hands:
3, 5, K, J, A, 2, 3, 3, 8, 9
The values would be:
4, 4, -9, -9, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
When you add these up you would get +14. However, you’ll want to keep a running count because you won’t have time to add everything up once all the cards have been dealt.
In regards to betting, the higher the positive number the more 10-point cards there are in the deck. That favors the players, therefore you should bet more money. However, the closer the count is to 0, or if the count is negative, the less money you should bet.
Simple, right?
It’s simple enough, sure. However, the problem with this system as pointed out by Peter Griffin (in The Theory of Blackjack) is that Thorp didn’t account for the removal of each card and the impact it would have on the house edge. So between the accuracy and the newer systems to hit the market, the Ten Count System eventually fell by the wayside.
The system isn’t that hard to learn. You only have to memorize two values, +4 or -9.
The real challenge in using a system like this, like any blackjack system, is keeping track of the count while playing. Dealers are fast, so the cards will be dealt before you know it. Then each player has to act, including you, all the while having to keep track of every hand that is hit, split or doubled down.
To learn the card counting systems experts recommend learning at home first before heading to the casino. You want to practice with a deck of cards first, and should be able to count through a deck as quickly as you can recite the alphabet. Once your speed picks up without affecting your accuracy, you should find ways to distract yourself to mimic a real casino environment.
Older Version of the Ten Count?
While doing the research for the Ten Count System the majority of articles I came across mentioned the system above — apply a value of +4 to all non 10-point cards and a -9 to all 10s. But that didn’t come across as difficult to me. At least no more than the other card counting systems.
However, I came across an article from CasinoDetroit.net [Source: http://www.casinodetroit.net/patterson0302.html]. In this article the author mentioned that Thorp’s system was more complicated than that.
It used to be that you’d have to keep a count of both types of cards — your non-tens and ten-point cards. So in a single deck you’d have 16 tens and 36 non-tens. What you would do is then work your way backward (subtracting 1 from one or the other) as each card was dealt.
After each round was completed, you’d divide the count of non-tens by the number of tens left to get a ratio. This ratio would tell you your advantage over the casino (or lack thereof). Thorp presented a table where you’d plug in your ratio and from that table you’d be told how many units to bet based on a 1-5 spread.
This sounds significantly harder than the system I described above (and the one you find one every blackjack website online). If this was the original system I could definitely see why it was quickly improved on, and eventually replaced.
Books That Teach the Ten Count System
If you want to learn more about the Ten Count System you can’t go wrong with the original: Beat the Dealer. You can pick up the blackjack book for $5 to $20, in paperback or hardback, at Amazon.com. Although the Ten Count is out of style, there are plenty of lessons to learn in this book, as well as cool stories to read from Thorp putting all of his strategies into action. You can read about how he got his $10k bankroll, how he bet hundreds of dollars per hour and winning $17,000 in a matter of hours. All in all, there’s definitely good entertainment value here, and all for the price of a couple lattes.
Written by: Heather Ferris – An experienced Las Vegas blackjack dealer.
Ever since Edward Thorpe exposed the game in 1962, Blackjack has increased in popularity as a game of cat-and-mouse. Thorpe’s basic strategy, as well as his Ten Count system, was what pushed that pebble over the hill creating this huge snowball effect of card counting that we know today. Players have numerous systems to choose from and which one you adopt depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. The Hi-Lo count is an easy strategy to learn; is recommended for most situations and will be the system we will be focusing on in this article.
Step 1: Assigning Card Value
The first step to learning the Hi-Lo count is to assign value to the cards. Each card has a specific value that must be memorized. All ten value cards including the Jack, Queen and King, plus the Ace are all valued as negative one (-1). Sevens, eights and nines are valued as zero, or even and twos, threes, fours, fives and sixes are valued as one (+1). By valuing the cards in this manner it makes card counting much easier and obtainable for the average person.
Blackjack Card Counting Values
Homework 1: Identify Card Value
Many hours of at-home practice are required when learning how to count cards. The first homework assignment is to be able to quickly identify the card value without any hesitation. Take a single deck of cards and run through it until you’ve correctly identified the value given to each individual card. For example, when using the Hi-Lo system, if you see a Jack then the correct answer would be Negative One (-1). Keep practicing until you’ve run through an entire deck without making a mistake. This is also a good warm-up exercise to use before card counting.
Identifying Card Counting Values
Step 2: Counting Cards
Now that you know the value of the cards it’s time to count them. It’s better to start the count after the dealer has shuffled the deck and a new round begins. Card counting is not the same as memorizing the deck. The player is mentally keeping track of the ratio of high to low cards. The player will start at zero and add or subtract the value of the card as they are seen there by creating a tally or a running count of the deck. If the count is high, the remaining deck will have a lot of 10’s in it making the situation more favorable for the player. If the count is low, the remaining deck will have more numbers in it making the situation more favorable for the casino.
Running Count while playing blackjack
Homework 2/3: Learn to keep a running Count Of Cards
The second homework assignment is to be able to accurately keep a Running Count of the cards. With a single deck in hand, start at zero and total the values of the cards. You know you’ve succeeded if you hit zero or Even by the end of the deck. If you can do this 9 out of 10 decks then you’re ready to move on.
The third homework assignment is the same as the second however instead of counting one card at a time, now count two. A good card counter will count down a single deck in 20 seconds with one error or less.
Starting a running count
Ending a running count
Step 3: True Count
Now that we can count the cards, what do we do with this information? A count system provides three critical pieces of data. When to bet more, when to deviate from basic strategy and when to take insurance. When making a wager or deciding whether to take insurance professional card counters convert the running count into the True Count. The true count is the actual count or value of the deck when the player is making a decision. You’ll need to convert your running count into a true count on all multi-deck games. However, single deck games will always give you a true count. In order to calculate the true count the player would need to divide the running count by the number of decks remaining. For example, if the running count is +9 and there are 3 decks remaining then the true count is +3. +9 divided by 3 is +3. If the running count is +8 and there are 2 decks left then the true count is +4.
True Count formula
Homework 4/5: Estimate Decks Left & Calculating True Count
The fourth homework assignment is to be able to accurately recognize how many decks are left in the shoe and to use that information to calculate the true count. Buy a shoe and several decks of cards. Place one deck in the shoe in order to get a feel for what that looks like. Then increase it to two. Keep repeating this step until you’ve seen all 8 decks. Complete this exercise several times until you feel comfortable identifying the number of decks in a shoe. In order to test your knowledge, ask a friend to set up the shoe, then enter the room and try to correctly identify how many decks are in the shoe.
The fifth homework assignment is to be able to successfully calculate the true count using your newfound skill. A good way to practice this is to ask that same friend to come back and deal a mock game of blackjack for you. Calculate the true odds in your head and then check the deck and use a calculator to verify if you’re correct.
True Count example with 2 decks
Step 4: Deviations or Indices
Typically, the house edge for blackjack is roughly around 0.5% however it is possible to bring that number all the way down to Even or 0% if Edward Thorpe’s basic strategy is used. That’s why it’s incredibly important to know blackjack strategy by heart. This guide tells players what actions to take during specific situations. We’ve provided several blackjack strategy charts for single deck, double deck and multi-deck shoes as well as for games where surrender is available. Card counters will follow basic strategy the majority of the time. In order to achieve an advantage over the house, counters must know when to deviate from basic strategy. These deviations, or indices, must be memorized and used according to the true count. We have provided a simple chart outlining these indices. This chart will tell you when to deviate from basic strategy. For example, when looking at the cross sections for TT vs. 6 we see +4. This means when the true count is greater than +4 the player will deviate from basic strategy by splitting instead of standing. If we go to 13 vs. 2 we see -1. This means when the true count is less than -1 the player will deviate from basic strategy by hitting instead of standing.
Examples of Basic Strategy Deviations for card counting with Hi-Lo count
Blackjack Strategy Cards:
Card Counting Blackjack Game
Homework 6/7: Memorize Basic Strategy & Deviations from the Indices Chart
The sixth homework assignment is to memorize basic strategy. You can learn via the classic techniques or, depending on your learning style, you can learn by simulating a hand of blackjack with a deck of cards. This may be more helpful to some people rather than writing the answers down on a sheet of paper. You know how you learn so do what is most comfortable for you. Either way the blackjack strategy should be practiced until it can be recalled instantaneously. The seventh homework assignment is to memorize all of the deviations from the indices chart provided. Create home-made flash cards, writing out the same chart over and over again until it is memorized. These are all classic techniques that will help with learning these deviations. If possible, have a friend deal you a mock blackjack game as you use your newly acquired skills.
Step 5: Bet Spreads
Bet spreads and bankroll requirements are two more tools that are critical to a card counters’ success. Bet spreads is when the player raises or lowers their bet based on the count. A small spread would be 2 to 4 units while a large spread would be 8 to 16 units. Card counters raise their wager when the true count is positive and lower their bet when the true count is negative. Bet spreads are mainly used on multi-deck games and are not typically used on single-deck games. A large bankroll is also needed in order to weather any losing streaks. If the player spreads between $100 and $300 then a bankroll of $20,000 will be needed. If they spread between $5 and $10 then a $2,000 bankroll will be needed. As you can see, with the amount of time, effort and cash investment needed this can quickly become a serious hobby. Card counting can increase the excitement of blackjack as players have fun testing their skills against the house.
Here is a quick overview of popular blackjack card counting methods. There are options for both the beginner and the advanced player.
Hi/LoCount – This is our recommended card counting system outlined above which gives you many of the advantages of other counting methods without the steep learning curve.
Hi Opt 1 System – This was developed by Charles Einstein in 1968. This is similar to the Hi / Lo System except that 2s and aces are assigned a 0. This makes the system more accurate, but at the cost of being more difficult because you need to keep an ace side count.
Hi Opt 2 System – This adaption of the Hi Opt 1 System was created by Lance Humble in the 70s. It’s more accurate than it’s predecessor, but it’s even more difficult because you need to keep a side count for 8s and 9s, too. That’s on top of needing to keep a true count (for multiple decks).
Card Counting In Black Jack
KO System – This system was developed by Ken Fuchs and Olaf Vancura in 1998. The KO is considered an unbalanced system, because +1s are assigned to 7s, making the overall count end at +4 when you go through an entire deck (instead of 0).
Uston Advanced Count – This system was developed by Ken Uston. It’s considered one of the most accurate card counting systems, but also one of the most difficult to learn and use. The UAC assigns a -1, 0, +1, +2, or +3 to each card. You also need to keep a side count for aces.
Zen Count – The Zen Count was created by Arnold Snyder. This balanced system assigns -2, -1, 0, +1 and +2 to each card. You will also need to figure the true count (before betting). You can learn more about the Zen Count on the Blackjack Forum, or in the book, Blackbelt in Blackjack.
Omega II Count – This was first published in Blackjack for Blood, written by Bryce Carlson. Players will want to figure out the true count, but keeping a side count isn’t necessary (but it is more accurate). This system assigns the values -1, 0, +1 and +2 to each card.
10-Count – The 10-Count was created by Edward Thorp. No one uses it anymore, but that doesn’t make it ineffective. Thorp tested it in Vegas and won more than $11,000 in a weekend. It paved the way for the systems used today, too.
Wong Halves Count – This was created by Stanford Wong, and was first introduced in his book, Professional Blackjack. It is a difficult, yet accurate system to learn and use. This system assigns -1, 0, +0.5, +1 and +1.5 to each card. You also need to figure the true count.
Red 7 Count – This system was developed by Arnold Snyder. Players will need to keep an Initial Running Count (IRC), which starts with -2 for every deck in the game. For example, one deck would be -2, 4 decks would be -8, etc. Then you start counting from there. You can learn more about this system in Blackbelt in Blackjack.
Counting In Black Jack