By now you've
chosen a counting system that you want to learn and even though
it may be different than the Hi / Lo Count which I'm going to
discuss here, the methods used to learn it are the same. Just
make adjustments where appropriate and you'll do fine, but if
you are confused or don't understand something, then e-mail
me.
The Hi / Lo counting
system assigns a "point" value to each type of card in a deck.
The first step in card counting is to memorize those values.
Here they are
| Card |
Point
Value |
| 2 |
+1 |
| 3 |
+1 |
| 4 |
+1 |
| 5 |
+1 |
| 6 |
+1 |
| 7 |
0 |
| 8 |
0 |
| 9 |
0 |
| 10 |
-1 |
| J |
-1 |
| Q |
-1 |
| K |
-1 |
| A |
-1 |
A bit of simple math
will show you that there are, in a complete deck, an equal number
of "plus"-valued cards and "minus"-valued cards. This is called
a "balanced" count and since all cards are valued either 1 or
0, this is also a "single-level" count.
The Power of
Card Counting
The Hi / Lo count
recognizes that the cards 2 through 6 are of greatest value
to the dealer, since these cards turn the dealer's "stiff" hands
(12 - 16) which s/he must hit into good hands. For example,
a 5 turns a dealer's 12-16 into 17-21, consequently it is the
most important card for a dealer. On the other hand, an Ace
is most important to a player, since it's the key component
to a "blackjack" which pays 3 to 2. So, as "little" cards are
played, they are no longer available to the dealer and since
there are an equal number of plus- and minus-valued cards in
the deck, a "plus" count tells us that there are a higher proportion
of tens and aces left in the unplayed portion of the deck. This
situation is favorable for the player since the chances for
a blackjack have increased and doubling or splitting situations
stand a better chance of receiving a high card.
Of course, a dealer
has the same chance of receiving high cards as you. But remember
that the dealer does not receive 3 to 2 for a blackjack, may
not double or split and must hit 16 or less. Also, as you will
learn in a later lesson, knowing the proportion of 10-valued
cards in the decks gives you the knowledge to make profitable
insurance bets.
Learning The
Point Values
This is the only
exercise you will ever need to learn the point values of your
counting system. It's the one I use when I'm switching counts
for a single-deck game or back again to the one I use for multi-deck
games. Just take a deck of cards and begin turning them over
one at a time and recite the point value of each card. If a
card is a plus-value, I don't say "Plus 1"; I just say "one",
because it implies "plus" anyway. If a card is a minus-value,
I say "M 1", not "minus 1" because it saves a syllable. For
the "neutral" or zero-value cards, I say nothing -- they are
completely ignored for counting purposes with the Hi / Lo system.
So, how does this
look? Here's a quick example
| Ace |
(M-one) |
| 9 |
|
| 5 |
(One) |
| 6 |
(One) |
| 7 |
|
| King |
(M-one) |
| 2 |
(One) |
| 10 |
(M-one) |
Notice that I'm not
keeping track of the cards, but merely stating the point value
of each. You must practice this until you have the point values
firmly implanted in your mind but don't worry, it won't take long.
Single-Card
Countdown
If you feel you
know the point values of each card in your system of choice
by heart, you may now begin to count down a single deck. Simply
remove any three cards without looking at them (to check your
accuracy) and set them aside. Now turn over cards one at a time
and keep a running total of their values. Remember your old
algebra classes? If you add +1 to -1 the result is 0. That applies
here, so keep it in mind as you go through the deck.
Here's an example:
| 1st card |
Ace |
The count:
M-one |
| 2nd |
King |
M-two |
| 3rd |
10 |
M-three |
| 4th |
6 |
M-two (make
sure you know why) |
| 5th |
Queen |
M-three |
| 6th |
5 |
M-two |
| 7th |
3 |
M-one |
| 8th |
6 |
Even (I
don't use "zero") |
| 9th |
4 |
One (again,
no "plus") |
Got it? Good. You're
not very fast yet, are you? Well, don't worry about that; we'll
work on speed later. When you've completed the deck, the count
should be off by the value of the three cards we set aside in
the beginning. Look at those cards, check your accuracy, shuffle
and begin again. Get into the habit of removing three cards every
time you do any counting exercises since they will keep you from
fooling yourself when you make a mistake.
For now the key
is accuracy; keep at this until you can go through a deck three
or four times in a row without mistakes. What you have learned
here is called the "running count". Next time we'll work on
speeding up your ability to count; can you believe I'll have
you zipping through a deck in less than 20 seconds? The babes
really love that at parties...
Good Online Casinos
Homework
Continue testing
yourself on basic strategy by doing the Basic Strategy Reconstruction
and Basic Strategy Decisions exercises. You won't win if
you can't play proper basic strategy.
Begin learning
the point values of your chosen system and when you know them
by heart -- and only then -- start doing single-card countdowns
of one deck.
See you here next
time. Practice!
