How to Count Cards in Blackjack? Hi-Lo Blackjack Strategy

How to count cards in blackjack? Usually when it comes to blackjack application, what we first think of would be the card-counting strategy. Though among all the strategies of blackjack, the one I would recommend is the Hi-Lo Blackjack counting strategy.

How to Count Cards in Blackjack?

It’s a tactic that a lot of the pros are using. Its betting concept is reasonable and the risk analysis is logical as well. That makes it at the top of the list.

It is considered an advanced blackjack strategy since it’s not like the usual ones which only requires us to adapt with the sum of the points.

High-low requires us to include the odds for each card to come and the calculation for all the possible outcomes. Though what exactly are the steps? We will gradually explain it to you in the following paragraphs.

Basic Concepts of the Hi-Lo Blackjack Strategy

Before learning the high-low strategy, we need to have the correct betting concept and an understanding of the game. Here it refers to knowing the correct outcome possibilities.

First, we need to know if the chances for the 52 cards in a deck being dealt are the same. If we increase the deck to 6 to 8 packs of poker cards, would the odds be different?

The answer is no, the size of the decks does not change the odds of the cards might get dealt. Therefore, the event of each card being dealt is independent.

I want to ask you a question here. Under what circumstances would the odds change? In short, it’s right after when the game has started. The odds changed immediately once the first card was dealt.

Say we take the face card for example, there were 10 face cards dealt in the first 10 rounds, then the odds for the card getting dealt afterward must be different.

It would get smaller since the remaining amount reduces. This is the core concept of the high-low counting strategy.

Details of Hi-Lo Blackjack Strategy

Now we know about the odds and the calculation. Let’s apply it to the game. Though we need to be clear about the number logic. The high-low count is as the following.

We categorize the entire deck into three different groups. The first one is the cards 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The second group contains 7, 8, and 9.

The third group contains 10, J, Q, K, and A. We do simple addition and subtraction with these cards. In the first group, we mark it as +1, the second group marks it as 0, and in the third group, we mark it as -1.

Now let’s apply it to the game. The sum of the number indicates the remaining deck cards. A higher sum means more small cards were dealt beforehand, and vice versa.

To the players, if the sum is high, which means small cards were dealt before, then we are at an advantage, if not, then we are at a disadvantage.

Let’s put it into an example. Say the previous cards were 8, 9, 7, 5, J, A, 4, 10, Q, 2, 6, K, J, 10. There were 4 small cards, and 7 big cards so the value is -3.

There’s a small tip here. The game doesn’t wait so we as the player must keep the calculation in mind and do the calculation every time a new card comes out. It would be clearer for us to make decisions afterward.

However, since -3 is at a disadvantage for us, then we should adjust our betting rhythm and keep the betting amount small so that we may keep our observation and keep counting the cards.

How to Increase the Unit Amount with Hi-Lo Blackjack Strategy

When the value turns positive, then it’s in the player’s favor. Though I know you must be wondering, what’s the suitable betting size?

The reason why high-low is the most popular strategy among the players is that it not only reveals the correct logic but also provides us the chance to win the big prize. In short, it tells us when we should bet big.

Nevertheless, this is not complicated at all. Say our advantage percentage was A and the total stake was B, then our betting amount per round should be A*B=C.

This is the most common calculator, though you will need to try it out to know whether or not it’s suitable for you.

That’s all for today. The house advantage decreases from around 3% to 6 % to only 0.5% after the high-low counting was applied.

This means luck does not take a big part in the game anymore. Using this in-game increases our win rate a lot. To win more, one must strive to increase one’s win rate.

Choosing the correct strategy to play blackjack is the only way to accomplish this goal. I hope you’ve all learned the strategy today and be able to use it in your game and boost your profit.