The full guide
Put the lesson into practice
Build the count one visible card at a time, then practise the conversion without mixing conventions or guessing hidden cards.
Memorise the three groups
For Hi-Lo, 2–6 are +1, 7–9 are 0, and 10/J/Q/K/A are −1. The value assigned for counting is not the card’s blackjack point value. An ace still behaves as 1 or 11 in a hand even though its Hi-Lo tag is −1.
Begin at the shuffle
Start a new complete shuffled deck or shoe at a running count of zero. Add each exposed card once. A standard complete deck has twenty positive tags, twelve zero tags and twenty negative tags, so counting all 52 cards correctly returns to zero. That is a useful error check for a practice drill.
Convert using remaining decks
Divide the running count by estimated decks left, not the original number of decks. For example, +8 with four decks remaining gives +2. If only two decks remain, the same running count gives +4. Do not increase confidence in a result merely because the arithmetic is precise while the deck estimate is poor.
Choose a convention and keep it
Index tables can use different rounding, truncation and deck-estimation conventions. Near a threshold, mixing them can change the chosen action. Read the reference’s method and apply it consistently. For learning, show the unrounded quotient before deciding how the chosen index system represents it.
Separate accuracy from speed
First complete a deck accurately at a comfortable pace. Then practise pairs of exposed cards and interruptions while checking against the known total. Reset a drill when you lose the count instead of inventing a recovery. Correct observations are more important than a fast but unreliable number.
Try this next
- Name each tag without hesitation.
- Add only exposed cards, once each.
- Check a full-deck drill returns to zero.
- Estimate decks remaining before conversion.
Common questions
Do neutral cards count as unseen cards?
Their tag is zero, but they are still removed from the shoe and affect how many cards remain.
Is running count the same as true count?
Only in the particular case of one deck remaining. In general, true count adjusts the running count for estimated remaining decks.
Keep learning
References and scope. Rules and strategy depend on the game. Worked examples on this page illustrate their stated assumptions; they are not forecasts or claims of casino testing.
Can you explain the difference between a running count and a true count?