The Hi-Lo system in detail

Hi-Lo is the most-used counting system in the world. Every other system is a variation on this one. If you learn it well, you can sit down at any blackjack table in any casino and know exactly when you have the edge. The tags: - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 → +1 - 7, 8, 9 → 0 - 10, J, Q, K, Ace → −1 As cards leave the shoe, you add their tags to a running count. A running count of +5 means five more low cards have left than high cards — the remaining shoe is rich in 10s and Aces, which is where the player gets paid. True count = running count ÷ decks remaining. Without dividing, the running count is meaningless because +5 in a 6-deck shoe (true count ≈ +0.83) is barely positive, while +5 with one deck left (true count ≈ +5) is very positive. The whole game: ramp your bets up as the true count rises. Most counters bet 1 unit at TC ≤ +1, 2 units at TC +2, 4 units at TC +3, etc. The exact ramp depends on bankroll and heat tolerance.