Gamblers have been fascinated by card counting ever since Edward Thorp shared his secrets through the 1962 book Beat the Dealer. This advantage-play technique has only gained further popularity over the years thanks to the MIT Blackjack Team’s efforts.

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The KO System is one of the easiest card counting strategies to learn and use. It’s a recommended strategy for beginners because all you have to do is assign a +1, -1 or 0 to each card that is dealt. That’s much easier than using a system like the Zen or Uston Advanced Count, where. Most card counting techniques are based on the -1, 0, +1 system which gives each card of the deck a certain point. Usually the cards from 2 to 6 equal +1, the 7s, 8s and 9s are considered as 0 and face cards and Aces are counted as -1. Card Counting Card counting systems for Blackjack are compared here, along with their Card Values, Betting Correlation, Playing Efficiency, Insurance Correlation, Ease of Use and Type. These terms are defined at the bottom of the page and are used to estimate the effectiveness of a Blackjack card counting strategy.

Card counting is an exciting prospect because you can win lots of money. Both Thorp and the MIT Blackjack Team are prime examples of this.

All of card counting is based on the skill of tracking the ratio of high to low cards. Since Edward Thorp developed his initial card counting system, dozens of other systems have been developed, with varying degrees of difficulty and effectiveness.

But before you start earning big profits like these blackjack legends, you must first choose a counting system.

This is easier said than done, given that there are over one hundred card systems floating around. These strategies differ based on what kind of advantage they give you and how complicated they are.

Obviously, you don’t want to jump into the most difficult system if you’re new to card counting. Instead, a beginner-friendly strategy will help you learn this process with the minimum degree of difficulty.

Keep reading as I cover three of the easiest blackjack card counting systems for beginners. But first, let’s look at the basics behind counting cards.

What’s the General Basis Behind Card Counting?

Many gamblers like blackjack because it offers a chance to use extensive strategy to improve your winnings. Depending on the rules, you can lower the blackjack house edge to under 1% with good strategy.

But the key here is that the casino still has an advantage over those who use basic blackjack strategy. This is where card counting comes into play, because this strategy gives you the advantage and can lead to long-term profits.

The underlying goal of card counting is to find out when the shoe is rich in aces and tens. The reason is twofold:

1 – You have a better chance of getting a natural blackjack payout.

2 – Your odds of quality double-down opportunities also improve.

Another positive product of card counting is that you can find out when the deck is high in low cards (2 – 6) and bet less.

Low cards improve the dealer’s odds of winning. The reason is because the dealer’s score must reach 17, and they have less chance of busting when there are more low cards available.

By keeping track of card values as they’re dealt, you can boost your chances of winning and potentially making big profits.

Of course, tracking cards in a bustling casino environment is easier said than done. This is especially the case when considering that modern blackjack games have six to eight decks in the shoe.

But just about anybody can successfully count cards with enough practice. And you can easily practice by using card counting trainers on websites.

Other ways to practice include dealing shoes to yourself while counting cards, or having a friend deal to you. I like the latter method because it simulates your friend being the dealer and you as the player.

Spreading Bets

Simply counting cards is only part of the equation to making money. You also have to bet more when the count is in your favor to reap profits.

This is referred to as “spreading bets” in card counting. The idea is to start at the table minimum, then increase your wager as the count goes in your favor.

The bet spread occurs between your smallest and largest bets.

Some systems have their own method for how you spread wagers during a favorable count. But the gist is that you must raise your wagers when the deck is in your favor, so you earn more money.

This requires a balancing act because wagering too much will attract the suspicion of casino staff members and potentially get you banned.

Experience and fully knowing your chosen card counting method will help you determine how to best spread bets when you have a favorable count.

3 Systems that Beginning Card Counters should Use

1 – OPP System

I begin with the OPP card counting system since it’s extremely easy to use. In fact, virtually any new blackjack player can quickly learn and understand this system.

The main thing you need to do with the OPP strategy is track low cards. You add one to your count whenever a low card is dealt and subtract one for every hand in play (including the dealer).

Low cards being dealt works to your advantage, because this means there are fewer cards that’ll help the dealer.

Here’s an example of how to use this strategy:

• You start the shoe with a +6 count.
• You subtract one (- 1) for every player dealt into the hand, including the dealer.
• You add one (+1) for every low card that’s dealt.
• The goal is to bet more when the count goes higher into the positives.
• You want to increase your wager when the count reaches +12 or +14.

Here’s an example of OPP in action:

1. A new shoe is being dealt.
2. Your count starts at +6.
3. There are four players, plus the dealer (subtract 5 = count at +1).
4. Four low cards come out during the hand (Add 4 = count at +5).
5. Your next round will begin at +5 (minus number of players in the hand).

This is referred to as an “unbalanced” counting system because the count doesn’t end at zero when the shoe has been dealt. Going further, you don’t have to account for how many decks are in the shoe with an unbalanced system.

This differs from the Hi-Lo strategy (discussed next), where you must factor in the remaining decks to determine your “true count.”

Another great thing about the OPP system is that you don’t have to track high cards (A to 10) or neutral cards (7 to 9). Instead, you simply count low cards and subtract the number of players/dealer at the start of each hand.

The only downside to OPP’s simplicity is that it’s less accurate than the other systems I’m going to cover. Nevertheless, it can give you an edge on the casino.

2 – Knockout (KO) System

The KO system is more complicated than OPP because you also need to track high and neutral cards. Another difference is that the low card category includes 7.

Here are the different card groups and how you assign them values:

• Low cards (2 to 7) = +1
• Neutral cards (8 to 9) = 0
• High cards (A to 10) = – 1

You need to track every card with this system – not just the low ones like with OPP.

Another difference between KO and OPP is that there’s no preset starting count (+6) at the beginning of a shoe. Instead, your count begins as soon as the first card of a shoe is dealt.

Here’s an example of the KO in play:

• Ace is dealt (count at – 1).
• 2 is dealt (count at 0).
• 7 is dealt (count at +1).
• 8 is dealt (count at +1).
• 4 is dealt (count at +2).
• Jack is dealt (count at +1).
• Count = +1.

This is another unbalanced system because there are a greater number of low cards than high cards. Therefore, you don’t need to convert to a true count with KO.

The lack of a true count makes KO simpler than the Hi-Lo system that I’ll cover next.

Another benefit of KO is that it’s more accurate than OPP. This gives you the perfect blend of simplicity and accuracy.

But this also leads to downsides, including that KO is more complicated than OPP and less accurate than Hi-Lo.

3 – Hi-Lo System

This card counting strategy is similar to KO, because you need to track low, neutral, and high cards. But the two key differences are that 7 is neutral, and you need to differentiate between a running and true count.

Here’s how you assign values to each group of cards:

• Low cards (2 to 6) = +1
• Neutral cards (7 to 9) = 0
• High cards (A to 10) = – 1

The Hi-Lo is what’s known as a “balanced system,” because the count will always reach zero by the end of the shoe.

The reason why Hi-Lo is balanced and KO isn’t is due to the 7 being neutral. This means that an equal number of cards are high (5) and low (5) with the Hi-Lo strategy.

Given that Hi-Lo is balanced, you also have to account for the number of decks remaining in the shoe. Going further, you must convert your running count into a true count.

Here’s an example:

• Your running count is +8.
• There are four decks remaining in the shoe.
• This makes your true count +2 (8/2).

You use your true count to determine how much you’ll spread your bet by. Here are the guidelines for spreading your wagers with the Hi-Lo:

1 – Determine a unit size (e.g., $25).

2 – Figure out your true count (e.g., +4).

3 – Subtract one from the true count (4 – 1 = 3).

4 – Multiply this number by your unit size (25 x 3 = 75).

5 – Your bet should be three units, or $75.

The Hi-Lo is definitely tougher than KO and OPP due to the added steps. But from an overall perspective, Hi-Lo is relatively easy when compared to the dozens of other counting systems available.

Other Easy Card Counting Systems for Beginners

Ace/Five Count System

Ace/Five is a simple strategy that only requires keeping track of 5-value cards and aces. You add one for every 5 that’s dealt, and subtract one for every ace.

The goal is to get a positive count of +2 or higher. You double your bets at this point, while only wagering the table minimum when the count is +1 or lower.

Here’s an example:

• Ace is dealt (count at – 1).
• 2 is dealt (count at – 1).
• 5 is dealt (count at 0).
• 9 is dealt (count at 0).
• 5 is dealt (count at +1).
• Count = +1

Given that Ace/Five only requires you to track two card values, it’s similar to OPP in terms of simplicity. But like OPP, this strategy isn’t as effective as some of the other systems discussed here.

But if you’re just a casual blackjack player who wants to gain a bit more of an edge, then I recommend trying Ace/Five.

Red Seven System

Red Seven was developed by blackjack legend and card counter extraordinaire Arnold Snyder. This system works similar to KO and Hi-Lo, except that there’s a special distinction made for red and black 7s.

Here are the basics of Red Seven:

• 2 to 6 = +1
• Red 7 = +1
• Black 7 = 0
• 8 to 9 = 0
• A to 10 = – 1

You can actually switch the counts for the red and black seven – it makes no difference. But the key is that you do make a distinction between the colors.

Snyder did this so he could create an imbalanced system that was easy to use with no true count involved. But he also wanted to make Red Seven more accurate than KO (black 7s being neutral).

Red Seven is great if you hate converting your running count to a true count, but still want the accuracy of a balanced system.

The downside to this strategy is that it’s almost as complicated as the Hi-Lo, yet you only get 80% of the same accuracy.

Ten Count System

Edward Thorp introduced the Ten Count System when he wrote Beat the Dealer in the sixties. Although not as accurate as modern strategies like Hi-Lo, the Ten Count gets the job done in certain situations.

The catch, though, is that Ten Count is designed specifically for single-deck blackjack games. And unfortunately, quality single-deck blackjack with 3:2 natural payouts are a rarity today.

Nevertheless, Ten Count is a good system to use when acclimating yourself to card counting. Here are the basics of this strategy:

• A to 9 = +4
• J to K = – 9

This is noticeably different from the three systems that I covered above. But Ten Count is still relatively easy for beginners to use.

Here’s an example of how you can implement the strategy:

• 5 is dealt (count at +4).
• 6 is dealt (count at +8).
• K is dealt (count at -1).
• 8 is dealt (count at +3).
• 3 is dealt (count at +7).
• Count = +7

Unlike some systems, Ten Count doesn’t have a defined amount where you begin increasing your bet by X amount. Instead, Thorp leaves it up to players to decide how much to increase or lower their bets by.

I suggest spreading your bets by five units or more when you have a favorable count of at least +2.

The advantage of Thorp’s system is that it’s easy. You only have to track two card groups and use two numbers for the count.

The downside is that this strategy is poor for multi-deck games.

All blackjack tables featured single-deck games in Thorp’s early blackjack days. Therefore, he didn’t account for the effect of removing aces from a six-deck shoe.

Lumping aces into the low card group is fine in single-deck blackjack because it doesn’t have as big of an impact. But this miscalculation plays a bigger role in the four-, six-, and eight-deck games of today.

Again, Ten Count is fine for practicing card counting. But it doesn’t apply to the modern blackjack world.

Is Card Counting Illegal?

A popular misconception is that card counting is illegal. This has been fueled by Hollywood movies like 21, where card counters act like their lives depend on not being detected by the casino.

The truth is that counting cards isn’t illegal. But casinos may ban you from their establishment if they think you’re a successful counter.

The easiest way for casinos to root out a card counter is by their betting patterns. For example, moving from a $10 minimum bet to $500 later in the shoe looks very suspicious.

Some players camouflage their counting efforts through the following ways:

• Make an occasional strategy mistake.
• Dress to blend in.
• Act like they increase and lower bets based on superstitions.

It also helps to research casinos to find out how tolerant they are towards card counters. Some casinos don’t sweat counters as badly as others.

Do You Have to Be a Genius to Count Cards?

The 1988 film Rain Man created the perception that you need to be a mathematical genius to successfully count cards. But as you may have gathered from these simple systems we covered above, this isn’t accurate.

Raymond Babbitt (Dustin Hoffman) kept track of every single card while counting in Rain Man. But you only need to keep a running tally of the card values to give yourself an edge.

As I mentioned earlier, nearly anybody can learn to count cards – especially with the systems covered above. Furthermore, you don’t need to be a genius to keep an accurate count.

Conclusion

The nice thing about card counting is that it’s not as difficult as most players think. You can quickly learn one of the systems that I discussed above and use it to give yourself an advantage.

How big of an edge you gain depends upon the exact strategy you choose. My favorite is the Hi-Lo, due to its combination of simplicity and accuracy.

But you may ultimately choose a system like OPP, KO, or Ace/Five because you just want an easy way to count cards.

Whatever the case may be, I highly suggest that you use one of the strategies covered here to give yourself an easy introduction to the card counting world.

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Former mathematics professor Edward Oakley Thorp brought card counting to modern Blackjack in 1962, when he published his book, 'Beat the Dealer.' Thorp's book included what was then considered a revolutionary innovation, the Ten Count system.

Although it has been succeeded by other methods since it was introduced, Thorp's Ten Count System is regarded as the first mathematically proven system for card counting made available to the general public. Thorp wasn't the first to employ card counting for blackjack, nor was he the first to attempt to apply mathematics to the probabilities of blackjack. However, his Ten Count System undeniably blazed the trail for those who followed him in developing other card counting methods.

Some gambling experts consider Thorp's Ten Count not to be strictly a card-counting method. Instead, Thorp's system succeeds in mathematically shifting the winning probability from 6 percent in favor of the house to about 1 percent in favor of the player – a monumental accomplishment in the history of U.S. casino gambling. Most modern card counting techniques are typically some variation of Thorp's method.

Learning how to beat the dealer

Ed Thorp's path to the Ten Count system came by way of MIT, gambling forays in Las Vegas and connections with colorful gamblers.

Thorp earned a master's degree in physics and a doctorate in mathematics from UCLA. He taught mathematics at several top-rank universities including UCLA and MIT. He also has taught courses in 'quantitative finance,' the basis of his later business ventures.

While a professor at MIT, Thorp met Claude Shannon, with whom he went on to develop what's believed to have been the first wearable gambling computer in 1961-62. Thorp also used the IBM 704, an early mainframe computer, to calculate winning probabilities while developing his mathematical theories on Blackjack.

The professor's theory underlying Beat the Dealer, which led to his invention of the Thorp Ten Count, was based on a 1956 paper written by J. L. Kelly Jr. Kelly wrote a formula to determine the optimal amount in a series of gambling wagers. This formula, subsequently known as the Kelly criterion or Kelly strategy, eventually proved to be one of the most accurate over the long run for predicting probabilities in gambling and in some investments as well. Thorp presented the practical application of the Kelly strategy in a 1961 speech to the American Mathematical Society, and then in his 1962 gambling book Beat the Dealer and his 1967 investment book Beat the Market.

How Edward Thorp's Ten Count System Works

The key to Thorp's Ten Count is the way it determines the ratio of high cards to low cards in the deck by designating a value for each card in a Blackjack game using a single deck. The following table explains the original ratios of Thorp's Ten Count:

The mathematics of Thorp's system have consistently proven sound. However, what the Ten Count doesn't do – as with all blackjack card counting methods -- is predict the sequence in which cards are likely to be played. Thorp's method provides a slight advantage for a single deck game, but has little application in the multi-deck blackjack games now common in most casinos.

Deciding to test his theory at casinos in Reno, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas, Thorp was bankrolled in his experiments by professional gambler Manny Kimmel, a former bookie. Kimmel put up $10,000 – an enormous sum in the early 1960s – so that Thorp could play blackjack in Reno and Lake Tahoe using his method. Thorp's mathematical formula was verified by his winnings, which totaled $11,000 for one weekend of play.

Venturing into Vegas

Thorp then moved on to the big time, playing blackjack at casinos in Las Vegas. His initial efforts in Vegas could have been more lucrative had not his winning ways attracted the attention of casino security. He was expelled from several establishments after he tested his method, won large sums, and became a marked man. In order to continue testing his Ten Count system, Thorp began donning disguises, such as false beards and wraparound eyeglasses.

News of Thorp's accomplishments spread like a lucky streak throughout the gambling world, resulting in his writing Beat the Dealer. The book sold 700,000 copies, becoming a New York Times best-seller and turning Thorp into a celebrity among blackjack players. Beat the Dealer also made history in the world of academic research, since it was one of the few publications in which theoretical research went directly to the public without the typical academic peer review. Beat the Dealer also documented the first time that a computer was used as an aid to gambling.

The publication and sales success of Beat the Dealer terrified casino owners so thoroughly that the Las Vegas Resort Hotel Association changed the standard rules of Blackjack in an effort to thwart card counters who used Thorp's Ten Count system. The new rules forbade players to re-split aces into separate hands, and imposed a new limit restricting the 'double-down' bet only to hands totaling 11. Players were so outraged by these rule changes that they left the blackjack tables in droves. Within three weeks, the casinos were forced to revert to the original rules, lest their blackjack profits disappear entirely. However, casinos also switched from one-deck games dealt by hand to blackjack using four decks dealt from a device called a 'shoe.'

Trumping the Ten Count System

Finally, in 1966, Edward Thorp managed to trump his own Ten Count system with the help of a young computer whiz named Julian Braun. Together they applied Thorp's theory to a new card counting technique called the Hi-Lo Count, unveiled in a revised edition of Beat the Dealer. Today Hi-Lo is considered one of the best single-level methods for beginners to learn blackjack card-counting strategy

Over the years, the former professor has amassed a considerable fortune applying his mathematical theory to both gambling and investments. For many years he wrote columns for The Gambling News that were collected into a book, The Mathematics of Gambling, in 1984. Today he is founder and CEO of Edward O. Thorp Investment Strategies based in Newport Beach, California.

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What's more, Thorp's original Ten Count system earned the former professor a secure place in the annuals of gambling. In 2002, Edward O. Thorp was among the first seven inductees into the Blackjack Hall of Fame housed at the Barona Casino in San Diego, California, which has awarded him lifetime free room and meals – provided he never plays in the casino.

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