benjaminW
09-06-2009, 06:20 AM
The Hi-Lo blackjack card counting system, also known as the High/Low system or the Plus/Minus system, was created by Harvey Dubner. Dubner simplified Dr. Edward Throp's groundbreaking system, the Ten-Count, to make it easier for players to use at an actual table. The Hi-Lo card counting system is a card counting strategy designed for use by beginning and intermediate blackjack players. This is the easiest card counting system to learn and is generally recommended for blackjack players who just play here and there, on the side, and aren't full time players.
Due to its ease of use, the Hi-Lo (High/Low) card counting system is the most common weapon of choice used in blackjack teams. The reasoning is because the system works well to the stiff learning curve of a multilevel blackjack team.
The Hi-Lo count is easy to learn. Any player who can add 1 and 1 together, is a strong candidate for mastering the Hi-Lo counting system. First, you'll need to learn the respective value for each card in a deck:
2, 3, 4 , 5, 6 - Count +1
7, 8, 9 - Count 0
10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace - Count -1
As you can see, there are separate groups of card values. The 20 small cards (2-6) are counted as plus 1 as they are played. The 12 middle cards (7-9) are considered neutral cards and do not change the count as they are played. The 20 big cards (10-Ace) are counted as minus 1 as they are played. This system is considered to be a balanced system because if you counted down every single card in a 52 card deck, you would end up with a count of 0.
The Hi-Lo card counting system is almost like a game of tug-of-war, where each different card is changing the count one way or the other. It's an ongoing battle between the high cards and the low cards to control the card count. You are rooting for the under dog, because the more smaller cards that are played, the higher your odds of winning are. When less smaller cards are in the deck, you have better chances of being dealt blackjack, the dealer busting, or just getting strong starting hands.
When you first sit down at a blackjack table, that is using a new full shoe of cards, the count at the table starts at 0. From the initial 0 count, you will be adding 1, subtracting 1, or adding 0, for every single card that is dealt. If you accidentally miss cards that are dealt and your count gets off, you can shift your odds of winning without your knowledge.
Due to its ease of use, the Hi-Lo (High/Low) card counting system is the most common weapon of choice used in blackjack teams. The reasoning is because the system works well to the stiff learning curve of a multilevel blackjack team.
The Hi-Lo count is easy to learn. Any player who can add 1 and 1 together, is a strong candidate for mastering the Hi-Lo counting system. First, you'll need to learn the respective value for each card in a deck:
2, 3, 4 , 5, 6 - Count +1
7, 8, 9 - Count 0
10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace - Count -1
As you can see, there are separate groups of card values. The 20 small cards (2-6) are counted as plus 1 as they are played. The 12 middle cards (7-9) are considered neutral cards and do not change the count as they are played. The 20 big cards (10-Ace) are counted as minus 1 as they are played. This system is considered to be a balanced system because if you counted down every single card in a 52 card deck, you would end up with a count of 0.
The Hi-Lo card counting system is almost like a game of tug-of-war, where each different card is changing the count one way or the other. It's an ongoing battle between the high cards and the low cards to control the card count. You are rooting for the under dog, because the more smaller cards that are played, the higher your odds of winning are. When less smaller cards are in the deck, you have better chances of being dealt blackjack, the dealer busting, or just getting strong starting hands.
When you first sit down at a blackjack table, that is using a new full shoe of cards, the count at the table starts at 0. From the initial 0 count, you will be adding 1, subtracting 1, or adding 0, for every single card that is dealt. If you accidentally miss cards that are dealt and your count gets off, you can shift your odds of winning without your knowledge.