The hilo strategy was later refined by julian braun, published by edward thorp and refined again by stanford wong. Highlow card counting strategy introduction by the wizard of odds. In the knockout card counting ko count system, as explained in the book knock out blackjack, all card values are the same as in the hi low system, except for the value of the 7. For instance, the hilo system subtracts one for each dealt 10, jack, queen, king or ace, and adds one for any value 26. Hilo card counting system blackjack betting strategy. He was a founder and manager of the church team, a successful blackjack card counting team based in seattle, washington which won approximately 3. If possible having them listed in importance would be helpful as well. Hi opt 1 is similar to the hi lo count developed by edward o.
This article will teach you how to count cards using the hilo method. The most popular counting system used today and one of the easiest to learn is the hilo system. The hi opt 2 counting system is a balanced system, meaning youll endup with a count of zero at the end of the deckshoe. The hilo counting system is one of the easiest card counting systems to learn for blackjack. Values 79 are assigned a value of zero and therefore do not affect the count. This is meant as an advanced tool, for those who have mastered basic strategy and are looking to perfect their card counting skills. Jun 08, 20 this system was first introduced in 1992 under name all sevens in the book of british blackjack. This system was first introduced in 1992 under name all sevens in the book of british blackjack. Hilo card counting system is considered to be one of the easiest blackjack systems which was created specially for new comers and intermediate players of blackjack card game. And the hi lo system is one of the oldest ones around. Similarly to the hi lo counting system, here too players assign points to different types of cards. Some blackjack books give rigid rules on how this should be done. This video shows you how to use the hilo system for card counting.
Jess marcum was one of the first people to realize that it was possible to beat the house using the technique of card counting, decades before the advent of computers, in 1949. The hi lo strategy was later refined by julian braun, published by edward thorp, and refined again by stanford wong. Stanford wong blackjack card counting software and advice. The highlow system is considered a levelone count, because the running count never increases or decreases by more.
Published in professional blackjack, pi yee press, 1975, rev. The hilo strategy the hilo strategy is one of the most popular card counting strategies, as well as one of the easiest to learn. A term coined by don schlesinger used to describe the top four surrender plays that vary from basic strategy based upon the hilo counting system. What that means is that if you go through an entire deck of cards, and you count each card correctly, your final count should be 0. They introduced the first rudimentary system of cardcounting in their book playing blackjack to win 92 pages, 1957 five years before edward o. Blackjack card counting the ultimate blackjack strategy. It is sometimes also known by another name, the einstein count. With hilo, the most common card counting system, the card values are as follows. Hi opt i blackjack counting system blackjack hi opt i count. It does require a higher level of counting skill, though, making it a better option for more advanced blackjack players. List of full indexes for hi lo counting strategy blackjack.
This counting system is usually used by all blackjack teams, and it is based on the main principle of card counting. Interestly enough, despite the limited value of reveres book today it was the bible of counting in the early 70s, the revere point count in the book is an excellent count, as good as any level2. Short for highly optimum,the hi opt 1 system was first developed by charles einstein in 1968. Card counting systems may have existed before thorps hi lo method came onto the scene, but they were rudimentary and rarely publicized. Hiopt i a simple, level 1, balanced strategy developed by lance humble and carl cooper. We are proud to present our second online blackjack trainer with the added ability to assist in learning the art of card counting, this is our first. The shuffling action by a cheating dealer which preserves the original order of the cards or some prearranged order. Jones is featured prominently in the 2011 awardwinning documentary, holy rollers. But keep in mind, the illustrious 18 was based solely off the hi lo system. This is a number that tells the ap the correct point at which to diverge from basic strategy.
A brief essay on which count system blackjack players should use. Arnold snyders hi lo lite card counting system and rounded indices get virtually. Hilo has been the gold standard of card counting systems for many years. The hilo lite or, why all those index numbers you learned never really. Hilo the hilo also called highlow strategy is a level i, balanced strategy optimized for betting originally created by harvey dubner in 1963. Hi opt 1 card counting highly optimum card counting. He developed his thoughts to such an extent that he was the first man banned from the casinos for.
Created by harvey dubner, this is a great strategy for beginning to intermediate blackjack card counters and if you can do the simplest of math then you can use it to improve your blackjack success. You need to keep practicing your card counting with a deck of cards until you can consistently obtain a. The hilo system isnt the best for informing changes to your basic strategy decisions, but thats not where most of your edge comes from anyway. The hilo strategy was later refined by julian braun, published by edward thorp, and refined again by stanford wong. If you count through a deck of cards using this system accurately, you should end with 0. If not, which system is better for multideck games in ac or las vegas hiopt i, hiopt ii, omega 2, etc. Here in blackjack forum, for the first time ever, is my complete hilo lite system. Even experienced advantage gamblers like david sklansky recommend using the hilo system for counting cards in blackjack. Here in blackjack forum, for the first time ever, is my complete hi lo lite system. The hilo blackjack card counting system uses a running count, meaning that step 2 is to start at 0 after having taken your seat and placed your initial bet. How to count cards using the hilo method card counting. The scientifically devised unbalanced ko count can be used profitably anywhere blackjack is played. How to use the hilo system to count cards in blackjack and get an edge over the.
A decision every card counter faces is which count system to use. In my opinion, the best introductory treatment is in professional blackjack by stanford wong. I have racked my brain trying to decide if i want to learn the ko count or the highlow. This relatively simple system allows a player to track the cards, and change his betting patterns to take advantage of counts that were in his favor. Thorp first outlined the hi lo card counting method in his breakthrough 1962 book, beat the dealer. May 26, 20 and the hi lo system is one of the oldest ones around. If you know how hi lo works, you will be able to use the red 7 immediately. I have been playing blackjack for about a year now and i have been counting cards for most of that time.
Blackjack apprenticeship teaches you how to beat the blackjack. The first is betting correlation, which is how much betting correlate to the count. The hilo system is a very common blackjack card counting system that. How to count cards in blackjack and bring down the house. It uses a simple onelevel count where the ace is reckoned where the ace has a value. This is meant as an advanced tool, for those who have mastered basic strategy and are looking to perfect their card counting skills under the adjust rules menu you may select the rules of the game, deck penetration, table limits, as well as. This is useful to know, if anything, so that when you practice counting you know youre doing it right. How to compare blackjack card counting systems, with a. Hi opt 1 is similar to the hilo count developed by edward o. Because of this fact, the hilo card counting system is known as a balanced card counting system. There are many valid counting systems that keep a side count of aces, but no counting system counts the 6 as a neutral card. Hi opt 2 certainly isnt the first system you should learn, and i recommend starting from the hilo system and then possibly trying out hi opt 2. The knockout cardcounting system eliminates the mountain of mental arithmetic necessary to win at blackjack.
What is the most popular blackjack card counting book to read. But the book which made this system really popular and brought it to masses knockout blackjack. So if one is using another counting system like unbalanced, or even a level 2 balanced, the index numbers will be totally different. Hilo system of card counting blackjack card counting. Colin jones is a blackjack card counting expert, teacher, and entrepreneur. Introduction to the highlow card counting strategy wizard. Under the adjust rules menu you may select the rules of the. Introduction to the highlow card counting strategy wizard of odds. One of most popular card counting systems is the hi lo system. The first system is the standard hilo count system.
Of course, if you wanna find out full list of indexes, wongs book professional blackjack are recommended which includes all the index numbers mentioned as well as surrender indexes in it. The knockout card counting system eliminates the mountain of mental arithmetic necessary to win at blackjack. The hi lo lite blackjack card counting system blackjack forum. The hiopt card counting system was developed by julian braun and lance humble and published in humbles the world greatest blackjack book. May 17, 2020 we are proud to present our second online blackjack trainer with the added ability to assist in learning the art of card counting, this is our first. In summary, the best blackjack card counting system for you, whether the red seven, advanced red seven, ko, hi lo, zen, or some other count, will depend partly on your current abilities as a card counter and partly on the games you actually play in. Interestly enough, despite the limited value of reveres book today it was the bible of counting in the early 70s, the revere point count in the book is an excellent count, as good as any level2 count available. Introduction to the highlow card counting strategy. Las vegas, atlantic city, mississippi, riverboat casinos, native american casinos, the bahamas, and on cruise ships. Here is an email from a green chip member that expresses the quandary i hope you can help me.
Unbalanced cardcounting system is a system that uses the count of a cards one by one as they are dealt and is used in a 1deck blackjack game. Professional blackjack by stanford wong is one of the best blackjack books ever written with a great explanation and charts for both the most widely used counting system in the world in hi lo and probably the most powerful or very close to the most powerful systems ever devised in the halves count, a must have for any serious player for sure. Aug, 2019 the hi lo count is the most widely written about, and in my judgment, the most commonly used card counting strategy. Blackjack card counting ko hilo shuffle tracking methods. It has since been discussed by just about all the major blackjack writers. Thorpe formally proposed one in beat the dealer, 1962. Here is an email from a green chip member that expresses the quandary. However, the problem with coming up with a best card counting system is that you can always come up with a better card counting system. Each card is assigned a specific point value in the hi lo system. The hi lo high low system is one of the easier and more popular card counting systems for blackjack. The goal of a card counting system is to assign point values that roughly correlate to a cards effect of removal eor.
With my formulation of the unbalanced true count in mid 1996, there was no longer the. Its understood that you should stand stay, dont ask for more cards when holding a total of 19 or more. In professional blackjack by stanford wong, table a1 page 255, wong gives these indices for singledeck blackjack h17 using the hilo card counting system. Professional blackjack by stanford wong is one of the best blackjack books ever written with a great explanation and charts for both the most widely used counting system in the world in hilo and probably the most powerful or very close to the most powerful systems ever devised in the halves count, a must have for any serious player for sure. A term coined by don schlesinger used to describe the top four surrender plays that vary from basic strategy based upon the hi lo counting system. If youre looking for a good, relatively easy to use system, this may fit the bill.
Feb 09, 2010 the basic hi lo system of counting cards. He was a founder and manager of the church team, a successful blackjack cardcounting team based in seattle, washington which won approximately 3. Card counting methods are measured using a few metrics. The brh counting systems arose out of my attempt to find an alternative system to wong halves, which has the same or better betting efficiency, combined with the ease of use and convenience of an unbalanced count. But keep in mind, the illustrious 18 was based solely off the hilo system. Blackjack card counting the ultimate blackjack strategy guide.
Card counting is a casino card game strategy used primarily in the blackjack family of casino. How to count cards using the hilo method card counting trainer. It was then further refined by stanford wong and published again in the book professional blackjack. In this article, i assume that you understand how to use strategy indices, convert running count to true count per deck, etc. The easiest cardcounting system ever devised by olaf vancura and ken fuchs. Revere hilo system blackjack and card counting forums. Before you can understand which method is the best, you have to understand how methods are measured. Hilo the hilo also called highlow blackjack strategy is a level 1, balanced strategy optimized for betting originally created by harvey dubner in 1963. Hi opt i blackjack counting system blackjack hi opt i. The goal of a card counting system is to assign point values that roughly correlate to a. The reason the player who can properly count cards is feared by the casino is simple. Bryce carlson developed this and wrote a book about card counting back in 1992. A brief essay on which count system blackjack players.
The highlow was first introduced in 1963 by harvey dubner 1. This relatively simple system allows a player to track the cards, and change his betting patterns. In this system, the seven is considered a low card and thus a positive valueunlike the hi low system where it is a neutral card. Colin jones is a blackjack cardcounting expert, teacher, and entrepreneur. Online gaming gambling books recommended by professional gamblers.
The casinos initial countermeasure, switching from handheld single decks to fourdeck shoes, worked until thorp brought out a second edition of beat the dealer, with his hi lo counting system, which was effective against any number of decks. Misinformation about card counting abounds in books, magazines, on the internet. It is a more robust system with a greater potential profit than the acefive system. Card counting systems hilo count the hilo count may be the most widely known count in blackjack, and is a count that most serious card counters have used at one point or another. Hi lo card counting system for playing live blackjack. Blackjack card counting how to count cards with our free. As the dealer deals cards at the table you need to watch as to exactly what cards are being dealt from the deck, and count as according to the above chart. His 1962 book, beat the dealer, outlined various betting and playing strategies for optimal blackjack play. I have chosen to focus on the hi lo count as i feel it to be the best balance between power and simplicity and it has the greatest durability for extension to more powerful strategies. In cv, wongs hilo strategy is used as published in professional blackjack, pi yee press, 1975, rev. The hi lo strategy the hi lo strategy is one of the most popular card counting strategies, as well as one of the easiest to learn. Hilo card counting system blackjack hilo count system. You need to keep practicing your card counting with a deck of cards until you can consistently obtain a final count of 0. Blackjack card counting system the hilo blackjack system.
The system is a good first system to learn because it is easy but effective. The hi lo count is the most widely written about, and in my judgment, the most commonly used card counting strategy. Aug 01, 2005 if not, which system is better for multideck games in ac or las vegas hi opt i, hi opt ii, omega 2, etc. Most simulations and studies are based on this count. One of most popular card counting systems is the hilo system. I love the game and plan to play semiprofessionally, but here is my problem. Transcript of mathematics and card counting in blackjack richcasino best casino bonuses the best online casinos for usa players mathematics and card counting in blackjack steven vosko what is blackjack. Balanced cardcounting system is a system that applies the method of unbalanced card counting and modifies it according to the number of decks used in the game. Robert griffin was a young private investigator who arrived in las vegas in 1963 right after ed thorp published beat the dealer, which introduced card counting the casinos initial countermeasure, switching from handheld single decks to fourdeck shoes, worked until thorp brought out a second edition of beat the dealer, with his hilo counting system, which was. The house edge in the game is destroyed when the shoe is rich in face cards. This is probably the most used counting strategy in existence. For instance, the hi lo system subtracts one for each dealt 10, jack, queen, king or ace, and adds one for any value 26. What is the mathematics behind card counting in blackjack. The book included a simple counting system to keep track of the ratio of high to lows cards in a deck.