About card counting
There are a number of card counting blackjack systems available out there. The card counting systems discussed here may look complex to you at first glance but don’t give up. When you’ll use a system for some time, it will become a second nature for you to count cards.
Hi/Lo System
It is the most popular card counting blackjack system out there. It’s simple to understand and easy to apply. This system classifies the cards in a deck as positive, neutral, and negative and assigns a value of +1, 0, and -1 to them, respectively. The cards from 2 to 6 are counted as positive cards; the cards from 7 to 9 are counted as neutral cards, and the cards from 10 to Ace are counted as negative cards.
Some Blackjack players add or subtract 2 instead of 1. You, however, should adopt the system which is easier for you to implement.
KO System
KO or knockout is another popular card counting blackjack system among Blackjack players. It is based on the Hi/Lo system. Unlike the Hi/Lo system, it counts 7 as a positive card and assigns a value of +1 to it. Therefore, it makes card counting a bit easier than the Hi/Lo system.
Hi-Opt I System
Hi-Opt I system, or Highly Optimum 1 system, is an advanced card counting system. It is based on the Hi/Lo system, but with further rules and different card values, it makes card counting in blackjack a lot more accurate than other card counting systems. Since it fetches optimum results, it requires more attention at counting the cards.
The Hi-Opt I system counts 2, 7, 8, 9, and Ace as neutral and assigns a value of 0 to them. The cards ranked 3, 4, 5, and 6 are considered positive cards and are assigned a value of +1. Rest of the cards, including 10, Jack, Queen, and King, are assigned a value of -1 and are considered negative cards.
Hi-Opt II System
Hi-Opt II system, or Highly Optimum 2 system, is a refined version of Hi-Opt I card counting system. Like Hi-Opt I, this system is meant for advanced players. However card counting may get a bit complex if you follow this system for Blackjack.
Cards ranked between 2 and 7 are considered positive but are assigned different values. The 4s and 5s are assigned a value of -2 whereas 2s, 3s, 6s, and 7s carry a value of +1. The 8s, 9s, and Aces are considered neutral and they don’t carry any value. The 10s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are considered negative and carry a value of -2.
Spend some time on casino card counting systems and find out which system works best for you. You should be able to perform calculations in a jiffy though, if you don’t want other players and casinos to see you counting cards.