Hi Lo Card Counting Strategy for Blackjack

A strategy for raising one's chances of winning in blackjack is through card counting. With the use of mathematical simulations, it has been determined that the higher the value of the remaining cards, the higher the chance of the player winning. In the same way, the lower the value of the remaining cards, the higher the chance that the dealer wins.

Players get the upper hand if they use card counting to determine if there are more higher-value or lower-value remaining cards. This strategy does not mean memorizing all cards that have been distributed already. Doing so is next to impossible. There is a system called the Hi Lo Card Counting System that can be used as a strategy to increase the chances of winning in blackjack.

Under the Hi Lo System, all cards will have point values of +1, -1 or 0. Cards two, three, four, five and six will have a value of +1. If the lower value cards are dealt earlier, then that means that the higher value cards are still in the deck. This scenario favors the player. Thus, these cards are assigned a value of +1.

The cards Jack, Queen, King and Ace will have a value of -1. If the higher value cards are dealt earlier, then that means that the lower value cards are still in the deck. This scenario favors the dealer. Thus, these cards are assigned a value of -1.

The remaining cards, seven, eight and nine, are considered neutral cards and will have a 0 value.

As each card is dealt, add the point values in your mind. This count is called the "running count." To practice, one can try counting with a single deck of cards. At the start, it is natural that the counting will be slow. But as one gets more practice, the speed will definitely improve. To further enhance this strategy, a player may practice counting with some noise. The television or radio can be turned up for this purpose. When blackjack in a casino, a player can be easily distracted from doing proper card counting if there's a noise on the other table.

The next step in this interesting blackjack strategy is to factor in the number of decks of cards being used. Most casinos now implement multi-deck blackjack sessions for the sole reason of distracting players from card counting. By looking at the discard tray, estimate how many decks have already been dealt. Using this information, estimate how many decks are still remaining. Divide your running count by the quantity of remaining decks. This is now your "final count." The final count will be your indicator on how much you should bet in blackjack. If it's a negative, keep your bets to a minimum. If it's a positive, you can bet higher. The higher the final count, the higher you can bet because this means that the chance of winning is also increasing.

This blackjack strategy of Hi Lo Card Counting takes some practice. But with diligence, one can easily learn how to do it fast and right, thus effectively increasing one's chances of going home with bigger winnings.