The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. In this series he'll take you through basic strategy, card counting, and bankroll management. Non-counting cards (7, 8, and 9) = 0. Counting cards in blackjack is a simple process that involves assigning a value to each card in the deck. Card counting is the legal technique used by blackjack players to identify the instances when the odds can shift in the favor of the player. Card counting is a strategy wherein players keep track of the proportion of high-value cards to low-value cards remaining in the deck. . You’ll win bets if your final value is closest to 21. Blackjack without card counting generally offers the house roughly a 0. Online Blackjack rules out the Card Counting edge. You Will Get Caught. The Basics of Card Counting. Overview of the High-Low Card Counting System. With practise, a skilled card counting blackjack shark can gain up to a 3% edge over the casino. Counting Cards in Online Blackjack. Whereas blackjack is traditionally played with a single deck, many casinos now offer blackjack games played with more than one deck of cards, and sometimes as many as six or eight decks. Hit. This certainly. In turn, however, the casino can reduce a player’s odds. 2. 4% house edge in six-deck blackjack games, insurance bets only pay out disappointment. In brief, card counting generally doesn’t make much sense in online blackjack. Double soft 18 vs. 2:1 is a better payout. In reality, it’s much more complex than this explanation. It’s a simple yet effective method that assigns a value of +1 to cards 2-6, a value of 0 to cards 7-9, and a value of -1 to cards 10-Ace. When you play multi-deck blackjack, counting cards becomes more challenging just because there are so many cards to keep track of. 05% long term edge and you can imagine how problematic that can be. Card counting is one of the most popular techniques blackjack players use to gain an advantage over the house edge. Here are the basic steps: Assign card values of +1 (cards 2-6), 0 (cards 7-9), or -1 (cards 10-Ace). At this point, his or her running count is “plus-one” (i. Next, The Running Count Starts. My career in card counting began in a church lobby. The true count is calculated by dividing the running count by the number of remaining decks. More advanced techniques like card counting can potentially improve the return-to-player percentage (RTP) further. No strategy - Max bet always or youre a chump. 8. Cards 7 through 9 have a 0, or neutral count. Blackjack is the American variant of popular game Twenty-One, where the player is against the dealer in a draw of cards. The Blackjack 101 - Play Perfect is a basic strategy and card counting trainer. more replies. Numbers 7 – 9: 0. This app also offers a variety of features that can assist players in bettering their blackjack game to shift. By keeping track of the cards that have been dealt, players can make informed decisions about their bets and. Usually, the new dealer is one with experience in this situation. The high/low method of card counting is the most simplistic and widely used way to count cards at blackjack. This Blackjack card. Live Dealer Blackjack. Card counting in blackjack is a much-discussed and often debated topic. High/Low Counting Method. If this happens, you gain the four advantages covered above. According to the existing statistical evidence, players benefit more from high-value cards (10, Jack (J), Queen (Q), King (K), and Ace (A)) than low-value cards (2. When playing online games that use random number generators, card counting is downright impossible. Lets assume you have a running count of +7 and 2 decks remaining. In European blackjack, players can only double down on hands with a value of 9, 10 or 11 whereas, in American blackjack, players can double down on any total. How To Count Cards In Blackjack Full Online Guide. I. That’s mostly because blackjack becomes more likely, and the player gets paid a 50% bonus on every blackjack and also a dealer holding (12-16) will bust every time if the next card drawn is a 10. Verifying the Identity of the Card Counter. Step 1 – Learn the Card Values For the first step, you just have to assign values to the cards. Blackjack is a card game with a maximum player advantage. Card-counting. For example, if there are 8 decks, your count will begin from -16. This is a good exercise to practice at home or waiting for the stop light on the way to work. Here are the 4 steps, broken down. It is designed to help players understand the basics of card counting and employ various techniques and strategies to increase their chances of winning. Learn the card counting techniques in blackjack with our comprehensive guide and play like true professionals from movies. Card counting is a strategy used in blackjack to try to predict whether the next hand is likely to provide the player an edge or disadvantage over the dealer. jeff@jeffknupp. Take a seat with Mr Blackjack and become a. As you go, you will find your own way of counting cards. Nowadays, nearly all casinos that offer LL have a maximum bet of $25 and are fully aware of this card counting vulnerability. Some players have attempted to simplify the Red 7 counting system by giving a value of +0. In this respect, it can be said that earning money with blackjack card counting is fraught with a lot of challenges. Ace TrackingCard Counter can teach you various counting systems but defaults to the “High-Lo Count” system that was created by Harvey Dubner in 1963. When using the "plus-minus count," each card has a value. Many of them are named after colorful professional gamblers from times past. With a 3 to 2 payout, that same bet pays off at $150, which is much better. In card counting, the count begins at zero (0). In a nutshell, you are going to assign a value to each card as it comes out of the deck based on its rank. Keep a Running Count. Start by assigning a theoretical value to each card ( +1 for cards numbered from 2-6, 0 for cards numbered 7-9, and -1 for cards numbered 10-A) 2. Even with different counting systems, counting always points in the same direction. Counting cards is a system that experienced blackjack players use to get a profitable advantage over the casino. 2. It is a three-level blackjack card counting technique, which is suitable only for advanced and expert card counters. Using Card Counting in Blackjack. Counting cards changes your play style in certain ways. If you draw a two, a five, and an ace, you’ll have a value of one. This, in turn, increases the players odds at winning, giving the player an edge over the house. This is called the ‘Hi Lo’ method. Casinos lose money if these players count cards, so they will set limits or use techniques to block players from counting, like shuffling the deck more frequently. Card counting values. High-value cards (10s and Aces) are favorable for players, while low-value cards (2-6) favor the dealer. The fewer number of decks used in a blackjack game, the less powerful the REKO system becomes. In blackjack, a standard 52-card deck is used. Jones is featured prominently in the 2011 award-winning. Bear in mind a more conservative bet spread also means your winnings will be smaller. In this system, cards from 2 to 6 have a value of +0. 300% up to. - 0: cards with value 7-9. This is called a “balanced” count. This Blackjack Card Counting method tells the player what cards are predominantly remaining in the deck, High cards or Low cards. Choose a Back-Spotter to watch the tables from afar. When the counter knows the odds are in his favor, he will bet more, and adjust his playing strategy to stand, double, and split in some plays where basic strategy says to stand. Watch Online Gambling's video guide to Bet Spread in Card Counting from our Blackjack Academy video series, presented by Mr Blackjack. The Speed Count in blackjack is an interesting enough card counting system that completely eliminates the need to account for both high cards and low cards. Learning Card Counting Is Easy. Wong Halves. Those sections are hard hands, soft hands, pairs, and surrendering. How to win at blackjack | 11 Tips for success | PlayOJO. If a dealer spots you counting, they will likely speed up the deal and start a conversation to distract you. With balanced counts, the counting begins with the value of 0 and if the player goes through a deck, or multiple decks, of cards. In this video, Colin walks you thr. 5, 8 is 0, 9 is -0. Cards 2 to 6 have a +1 count, cards 7 to 9 have a 0 or neutral count, and cards 10 through Ace have a -1 count. Starting Count While most card counting systems have your running count start with 0, the Knock-Out (or KO) system has different starting counts for how many. Card counting in Blackjack is almost a buzzword in the gaming community. Not only did he run a couple of successful hedge funds as a mathematics professor, but he is the father of modern card counting in blackjack and was monetizing an equivalent of the Black-Scholes model in warrants years before the academics published their now world-famous option pricing formula. The probability of this is 4/13, regardless of the number of decks. To do this, card counters keep track of the high and low cards that have been dealt. Counting cards in Blackjack is a mathematical strategy that can help you gain a probable advantage on the next hand to beat the dealer. Using Card Counting in Blackjack. Card counting is not illegal. 2. In both American and European blackjack, online and in brick-and-mortar casinos, the house has an edge. Beginning after the. by Howard Moon (Professional Card Counter). If the card is worth 0, don’t do anything. Learn how to count cards with these 4 simple steps: 1 Start by assigning cards a value of either +1 (cards 2-6), 0 (cards 7-9), or -1 (cards 10-Ace). While it may sound like something straight out of a Hollywood movie, card counting is a legitimate technique that can significantly. For example, the K-O system has a 1 pointCounting cards in blackjack has long been a controversial and misunderstood practice. They then use this knowledge to modify their bets and playing styles. High cards (10 through Ace) are assigned a value of -1. Learning Curve of Card Counting. 5 Easy Tips for Winning at Blackjack. You need to convert this “running count” into a “true count” following each hand. See Hi-Lo Lite for example. But casinos have gotten wise to the practice. Then swapping out the shoe on a regular basis is the surest way of ensuring that the use of card counting becomes totally redundant. 0. Inspired by real events and people, 21 is about six MIT students who become trained to be experts in card counting in Black Jack and subsequently took Vegas casinos for millions in winnings. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points. How to use this blackjack calculator. The values of the 5 cards 10, J, Q, K, and A are -1. Compare the. Start by practicing with a fresh deck of cards. In unbalanced strategies early in the shoe, the count will overestimate the true edge, while late in the shoe, the count will underestimate it. Try card counting with numerous blackjack variations at Wild Casino. While dealing each card, add or subtract its point value from the running count. The more aces remain, the higher your chances of getting a blackjack. Counting cards in blackjack is a notorious tactic and a major point of controversy. I dealt blackjack and craps for a few years and it's just absurd the. And in most. Section 5 demonstrates a C++ program for cost-bene t analysis of card counting. With just three of four left in the shoe, it makes a massive difference. The Wong Halves System is a card counting strategy that assigns a value of +1, -1, or +0. You should double down when you have a total of 9, 10, or 11, and the dealer has a low card (2 to 6). Counting Cards as a Team 1. A young Tom Cruise, and Dustin Hoffman give signature performances in this hugely enjoyable classic. Baccarat counting systems focus more on tracking the ratio of high-value cards to low-value cards, while Blackjack systems assign specific values to each card. The Ten Count System was the first of it’s kind. Put it like this: a 6 to 5 payout on a $100 bet is only $120. So, if the player plays six-deck blackjack, this means there are 12 half-decks. Add the value of each card dealt to the count as the game progresses. It is the most widely used counting system for both amateur and professional players because of its power and simplicity. Lets assume you have a running count of +7 and 2 decks remaining. 77%) and lowering the house advantage. Blackjack hard hand example: 5♦5♣. Colin is the founder of Blackjack Apprenticeship. Low-value cards 2-6 have a +1 count, cards 7-9 have a zero count, and cards 10-Ace have a -1 count. The most basic method of card counting is called “Hi-Lo. The odds of a dealer making blackjack are 9:4 yet the payout for insurance bet is only 2:1. The practice isn't illegal, but it can get you blacklisted and possibly banned from the casino if you get caught. Blackjack has always remained an all-time favourite among casino players. If you’re caught card. Select the least talented. In the thrilling world of blackjack, where fortunes are won and lost in the blink of an eye, card counting has long been a strategy employed by astute players seeking an edge over the house. So, by counting cards, you can keep better track of the ratio between low cards and high cards still left. 5. Card counting allows players to bet more with less risk when the count gives an advantage as well as minimize losses during an unfavorable count. Since there are just 5 “small” cards for every 13 “big” cards in a 52-card deck, we get an average of 1. Blackjack's house edge is usually around 0. 5–1% when players use basic strategy. Combined with a 7. , +1 + (+1) + (‒1) = +1). One of the reasons that the casinos started changing the basic blackjack rules is card counting that many people started practicing. 5% advantage. preferred card counting system for many card counting professionals and teams such as the M. $25). The counter continues to add the tags of each card in every hand including the dealer’s hand until the end of the round. Unbalanced counts are often started at a value that depends on the number of decks used in the game. But in a multiple-deck game of blackjack, let’s say eight decks, that’s 31 Aces left instead of 32. Using Card Counting to Maximize Blackjack Payout. Watch Online Gambling's video guide to Bet Spread in Card Counting from our Blackjack Academy video series, presented by Mr Blackjack. Card counting may appear difficult at first, but it is actually quite simple. Img source: lutz-bornmann. Card counting is a method used by blackjack players to get an advantage over the casino. Can you count cards? Is it legal? Is it worth it? All these questions are well covered. A casual conversation led to a meeting which led to joining a team of card-counting parishioners, and together we beat casinos at the game of blackjack from coast to coast for seven years, banked by investors for a million dollars. Hide details. The concept of card counting involves assigning each card in the deck a value such as +1, -1, or 0. Colin has been counting cards for over 15 years, and ran a multi-million dollar blackjack team. When you reach the end of the deck, your running total should equal zero. Here’s a thorough look into this intricate skill: Premise. Card Counting is Tough to Learn. That said, you won’t get anywhere by counting in an online blackjack game. Ace Five-Count is a simplified card counting system. Card counting is a skill which needs to be learnt and if a pit boss in a land-based casino suspects a blackjack player of card counting, he or she will be asked to leave the casino. Single-deck blackjack games are often considered to be favorable for card counting because keeping track of the cards becomes easy when the effect of. The history of Zen card counting system in blackjack. The count in online blackjack. Turn over the cards one by one, adding up the values as you go. The count begins by multiplying the number of decks with -2. Additional comment actions. 2. You start with 0 and you count what cards are out of the deck. When you’re dealt a blackjack 21, it’s customary to pay out 3:2 or 2:1. All you need to do is divide the running count by. Cards 10 to Ace: -1. 4 How to Count Cards with 1 Deck; 5. Meet Mr Blackjack. It’s also not like he’s winning multiple. How The MIT Blackjack Card Counting Team Beat The House The solution was simple yet costly. Golf Tournament Formats, Side Games and Golf Bets. This counting strategy requires you to break cards down into different groups and assign them point values as follow: Low cards (2 through 6) = +1. Nevertheless, that is not the strategy that the casinos are happy with. Keep a ‘running count’ (more on that below) of every card dealer’s value. The counts for each value should be intuitive, effectively mapping the number of times we had seen that card before the current hand began. For example, there is a +1 count for cards 2 through 6, a 0 or neutral count for cards 7 to 9, and a -1 count for cards 10 through Ace. Winnings are, of course, the most significant advantage of card counting. +1 is for 2 through 6, 0 for 7-9, and -1 for 10s and Aces. Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes. Believe us when we say it is much better to have the dealer on your side. Card counting is a technique used to track the ratio of high cards to low cards in the deck. Offers a range of sweeps games. For example, let’s say you are playing a decent counting game and your hourly EV is $25 an hour. Though card counting is not illegal, it is often difficult to be executed successfully, especially with multiple decks of cards as used in modern blackjack. Bear in mind a more conservative bet spread also means your winnings will be smaller. This is the correct answer. There are a few ways to calculate true count in blackjack. The chart below provides you with an easy reference for how to count cards using different card counting systems. With a career spanning two decades, Mathieu Blake knows his way around a blackjack table. The counter would add one, for the three card, add another one, for the six card, and subtract one, for the 10 card. Best blackjack card counting strategies Hi-Lo Counting System (For beginners) This is a counting method developed by Harvey Dubner in 1963. When losing, you should keep betting one unit at a time, trying to recuperate your losses steadily. The underlying principle behind card counting is that a deck rich in tens and aces is good for the player, a deck rich in small cards is good for the dealer. To do this, card counters keep track of the high and low cards that have been dealt. With a 3. Cards 10 to Ace: -1. You’ll feel that the. Most blackjack charts are split into four sections, like the one you see below. Card counting in blackjack can be done by players using the following 3 easy steps: First, each card should be assigned a value, according to the plus-minus count. From here, you count every card that comes out of the shoe. See moreCounting Cards as a Team 1. 9 is counted as -0. 1. Assign A Value To Every Card. The range of these values is a function of the number of decks in the Blackjack shoe, which is commonly six. Assign a tag of +1 to every 2-6 ranked cards and a tag of -1 to every 10-A and tally up by the number to keep track of cards. A deck of cards is not random number generator. Double Deck Blackjack or “Pitch” is a 2-deck variant allowing participants to pick up cards dealt face-down. The simplest way is to simply subtract the total number of face cards from the total number of cards dealt. As the cards are dealt, the player keeps. In Caribbean stud poker, for example, the house edge is 5. Step 1: Card Values. How to Count Cards in Blackjack. However, a book, Blackbelt in Blackjack – written by. Zen Count. Step 2: Learn how to count cards in blackjack. The more important reason, however, is that when you split aces there is a better than average chance that you will receive a ten-valued card on one or both of them. 2- The count. Also, make sure your return has a. Card counting is a common way for players to attempt to cheat the system when it comes to the popular casino game Blackjack. True count is an essential concept in blackjack card counting. Card counting values. 47 for his Benchmark Rules, which are six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, no double after split, no re-splitting aces, no surrender. Asymmetric systems, such as the Knock Out system (KO), are designed to eliminate the proper value of the cards (more in step 3). 21: Directed by Robert Luketic. It followed the true Suppose the first player has a 3, 6, and 10 for a total of 19 and decides to stand. This will help with the minus count in blackjack. In section 4 we present our model of the costs involved with card-counting. Use a single deck of cards. This in theory makes it harder for card counters to keep track of the running total. Whatever perfect blackjack strategies you’re using for card counting simply won’t work. If the table doesn’t allow surrendering, then hit. Card counting is a technique used by skilled blackjack players to gain an advantage over the casino. Section 6 o ers possible expansions on the subject of Blackjack and card counting, such as false signaling, team strategy, and absent-mindedness. In blackjack, players can count cards by following three simple steps: The first step is to assign a value to each card based on its plus-minus count. 8. Thankfully, the casino employees are generally all completely incompetent at their jobs at just about every level. 5 and 10, J, Q, K, A are -1. Best Picture 1989 Oscar winner. Step 1: Decide what each card is worth. Learn about popular and alternative card counting systems like the Hi-Lo, Hi-Opt I, and Zen Count. Counting cards is simple, but can take time to master. When you see a 10 or a face card, subtract one from the count. These values allow the players to maintain a running count according to the cards dealt so far. 1. Mike Aponte, former member of the infamous MIT Blackjack Team, takes us through the com. Card Counting. The average live dealer blackjack game features somewhere between 35% and 50% penetration. In case your running count is negative, you should simply put a negative sign to. There are an equal amount of -1 and +1 cards in the deck. On the whole, the purpose of counting cards is to see what remains in the shoe. Single-Deck Card Counting. In a given round, the player’s ultimate goal is to get a hand that’s higher than the dealer’s (without being higher than 21, or "busting"). While dealing each card, add or subtract its point value from the running count. This article was published on December 5, 2021, and last updated on December 3, 2021. The principle is simple. 5 and 10, J, Q, K, A are -1. All card counting systems give a points value to each card in the deck. 5. Now that you know the basics around how card counting works, here is a short step-by-step guide on how any given round of Blackjack: If a card has a value 2-6 then add the tag +1 to them. Except, a "blackjack" is the highest hand. 17: The Ace-Five card counting method; 18: Basic strategy exceptions for three to six cards; 19: Blackjack splitting strategy when a back-player is betting; 20: Blackjack doubling strategy when doubling after splitting aces is allowed; 21: Details on the Wizard’s Simple Strategy; Miscellaneous. The count would then be on 2 because 4 is a low card. They then use this knowledge to modify their bets and playing styles. Whenever you end up winning a whole unit, you would restart the system and go back to betting your initial unit. In a nutshell, you are going to assign a value to each card as it comes out of the deck based on its rank. We will discuss the fundamental principles behind card counting, delve into various advanced card counting systems such as the Hi-Lo System, Hi-Opt I System, KO System, Omega II System, and Zen Count System, and explore strategies for maximizing your advantage, such as bet sizing, deviation from basic strategy, insurance betting, and side counts. Blackjack and card counting are synonymous thanks to Hollywood depictions in films like Rain Man and 21. You should count your blackjack points and points of the dealer. Card counting is a blackjack strategy used to determine whether the player or the dealer has an advantage on the next hand. I found his matrix for APC but it seems to talk about a "running count. This step-by-step guide shows you exactly how card counting in blackjack works from start to finish. Card counting can give the player an edge of up to about 2%. dealer’s 2. True Count; Live Online Blackjack Card Counting; Blackjack Card Counting Apps; Is Counting Cards Illegal in the US? » What is Card Counting in Blackjack? The primary objective in this intellectual battle is to defeat the dealer by landing equal or closer to 21. Here’s how to approach the matter: Assign a value to each card in the deck. T, the Hyland, and the Church. Low cards count as +1, middle cards count as 0, and the big cards count as -1. To learn how to count cards, try the blackjack tutorial, game, practice and drills at CV Blackjack Card Counting Software. Card counting, as a blackjack strategy, might appear to be a simple one but in an actual game of blackjack, it is very hard to master the skill of card counting. Split 7s against a dealer 2-7. One student, played by Jim Sturgess, did use his blackjack winnings to fund his way into Harvard. Cards 10 through ace have a -1 count. 4. • In Halves, the 2 and 7 cards are worth +5, the 5 is worth +1. This first section is an introduction to blackjack and card counting. By monitoring the cards that have. In a typical 6 deck shoe, each additional true count point gives the player a 0. The underlying principle behind card counting is that a deck rich in tens and aces is good for the player, a deck rich in small cards is good for the dealer. Advantage players will increase their bets once a. 2 : to influence or lead by deceit, trick, or artifice. de. This means that when you first sit down at a blackjack table, the count is 0. When combined with basic strategy and deviations, card counting gives players an edge in blackjack. By way of comparison, Stanford Wong, in his book Professional Blackjack (page 203) says the variance is 1. Some casinos have moved this down to 6:5 or 7:5, however, this means you’ll get considerably less money over the long haul. In simple terms, card counting is a strategy used by players to keep track of high- and low-value cards dealt by the blackjack dealer to determine if the dealer or player will have the advantage in the next hand. dealer’s Ace. 2:1 is a better payout. They don’t, however, offer bonus payouts for baccarat hands. It’s a card counting system in blackjack that’s suitable for novices and intermediate players. In blackjack, if you count cards, it's very easy to tell if other players are counting. Colin is the founder of Blackjack Apprenticeship. Last edited: Apr 3, 2008. If you go to the link on my post to WoO article, Wizard states that 40% of the benefit from card counting is from players' ability to stand at higher counts and dealer cannot and will bust more often. Depending on which counting system you are using, this count will fluctuate with every card that is dealt. You’ll only be tilting. You need to watch for and count every card that comes out of the shoe, regardless of. Enhance your game and increase your chances of winning by making informed decisions. And you got 3-8. But while the characters in movies achieve success with a mixture of teamwork and abnormal brain functions, the bulk of card-counting players do so through patience, persistence, and a willingness to play endless hands of blackjack. Every time a big card is dealt, the count decreases by -1. Card counting is a blanket term for all versions of one particular technique used in the game of blackjack (and, less often, in blackjack variants like Spanish 21). Colin has been counting cards for over 15 years, and ran a multi-million dollar blackjack team. . Card counting is the art of keeping track of every card that is dealt to players in a bid to effectively alter gaming strategy to enhance one’s chances of winning. Card counting is a technique used in Blackjack to determine whether the next hand is likely to give an advantage to the player or the dealer. Counting Cards With Python. Sadly, to the best of my estimation, the Speed Count isn’t powerful enough or accurate enough to make it worth your. This page provides a comprehensive guide to mastering blackjack strategy, including essential card counting charts and tables. With a true count of 2, on the other hand, the players advantage is increased by half a percent. While some try to figure. Therefore, the number of times we have seen a card will range from 0 to 24 in our simulations. It can be a hugely lucrative skill to learn and if you take a look, you will find stories of professional card counters who travel the world profiting greatly from. Most memorably, it was notoriously used in Las Vegas casinos by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) blackjack team around 1980 to 1990, where the students walked away with millions of dollars. There are some programs you can use which will count the cards for you, but they are generally forbidden to use. Take a seat with Mr Blackjack and become a winning. Land-based and live casinos can do this by including extra decks. Your running count is a solid +14, which sounds amazing on paper. Here are the full rules of the game. Professional card counters have championed the rights of the blackjack player with some success, claiming that card counting is a skill like any other. Low cards count as +1, middle cards count as 0, and the big cards count as -1. How do you Count Cards in Blackjack? In all card counting systems, the players assign a negative, a positive, and a 0 value to the face and number cards. Card counting may appear difficult at first, but it is actually quite simple. 3 FREE Sweepstakes. It is believed that it gets around 80% of the potential gain that is available from the Hi-Lo Count and other card counting systems that are significantly tougher to master. Card counting is an advanced technique that enables blackjack players to identify the instances when the odds shift in their favor. When halfway through a deck, if your value is high, there are more 10’s, face card, and aces remaining than low cards. The High-Low card counting system was invented in 1963 by a computer scientist and mathematician Harvey Dubner and later perfected by professor Edward Thorp. To get a beginning count you will multiply the number of decks in play by -2.