Online blackjack – the star of casino table games – is a game of chance, but there are a number of tips to put in place to dramatically increase your chances of beating the dealer. We have chosen to present you, in more detail, the hi low, since it is the easiest to learn.
Before you start reading our article, here are a few things to remember about hi low:
- The hi low technique is quite legal in online casinos;
- The method is based on counting points, which makes it easy to learn;
- This method can be coupled with the true count for more efficiency;
- This is one of the easiest card counting methods.
Description of the so-called hi-low technique to boost your chances of winning on the tables
Over the years, mathematicians and statisticians have begun to develop many card counting techniques to allow players to reduce the house edge as much as possible. These techniques are numerous: the KO method, the Omega II system, the Wong Halves and the hi low, to name a few.
Thus, the method called hi low blackjack consists quite simply in counting in a mental way the cards which are drawn one by one by the croupier to determine in a general way the value of the cards which remain still in the shoe. Thus, the player will be able to determine at what time of the game, it will be the most judicious to bet. To do this, it is a question of attributing to each card, a number of points:
- Cards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 are worth + 1 point.
- Cards 7, 8, 9 are worth 0 points.
- The 10, J, Q, K and Ace cards are worth – 1 point.
Starting from a count of 0, the player will have to add or subtract the cards dealt throughout the game. If the total is high, it means that the remaining cards in the shoe are big cards, so this is when you need to bet bigger sums. If the total is around 0, it means that the shoe is “neutral”, and that neither the player nor the dealer has an advantage over the game. If the total is low, then the player has every interest in wagering small amounts, or leaving the table.
How to implement hi low blackjack concretely by playing online or on land?
To use hi low, the player must learn by heart the new values of the cards in order to have in mind, at all times, the total number of cards played. For English speakers, this total is called the running count. In addition, to fully master this technique, the player must practice counting cards mentally, without letting anything show on his face. Indeed, although card counting is completely legal, this practice is not very popular with casinos and you will not be safe from being kicked out of a land establishment, if you are surprised. to use this method.
You will therefore need to practice your mental card counting for a long time before practicing hi low at a blackjack table. In addition, you will undoubtedly have to exchange a few words with your neighbors at the table or with the croupier, so you must be trained to count cards and to have a conversation at the same time.
Combine the hi low with the simple technique known as the “real count” and thus facilitate the calculation
As you probably already know, most land-based casinos no longer allow blackjack to be played with a single deck of 52 cards. It is therefore necessary to adapt the previously mentioned hi-low method to this rule, in order to be able to calculate exact probabilities. To know the true count, the player must divide the “running count” by the number of decks of cards that are still present in the shoe used. In the event that your running count is for example + 3 and 3 decks of cards are still in play, your true count would be + 1.
To try to determine the number of decks of cards remaining in the shoe, you can: either base yourself on the number of tricks played, by counting the cards already dealt by the croupier, or try to guess it by analyzing the thickness of the decks of cards remaining in the shoe.