Blackjack Hi-Lo = Hi energy consumption, Lo output in Blackjack and Spanish 21 Shoe Games

Where is the problem?
Hi-Lo is one of the earlier card counting systems invented when pitch-game blackjack was still the standard. It is okay for up to 4 decks when casinos switch to shoes. For 6 decks, it's already a stretch. For 8 decks, 'Hi-Loing" could be an all-night-long exercise without any meaningful betting opportunity in sight. The problem is true both in blackjack and in Spanish 21.

Example:
If a blackjack shoe has only 4 decks, a running count of +3 at the end of the 1st deck would give a 3/(4-1)=1 Hi-Lo true count of +1, thus giving card counters a level playing field against the casino from that point on if the dealer stands on soft 17 (S17). Good betting opportunities may show up any time. But when the shoe has 8 decks, a +3 Hi-Lo running counts at the end of 1st deck, the true count becomes 3/(8-1)= 0.43 only. The house edge is still not totally erased even for S17 blackjack, let alone H17 blackjack.

Play Smarter, Not Harder. That's What Card Counting Is All About!

 

Well, well, well, 8-deck shoe is more tiring to count for sure, but that happens to every card counting system, not just Hi-Lo. Right?

Yes, but you can pick a system that does away with counting the useless low cards. So, there will be "Hi'ing", but no longer "Hi-Loing" when you wait for the high counts to show up and jump into actions.

 

Sorry folks, like Moraine, you might have invested weeks or months practicing "Hi-Loing" before you felt that you had become combat-ready as a Hi-Lo counter/warrior in casino. Or you might have even paid thousands to enroll in a Hi-Lo academy or boot camp just to learn the right Hi-Loing technique from a Hi-Lo guru.

But this is the harsh truth: You could have saved your precious time and money, and could have done just as well or even better if you had learnt a simpler card counting system like X-Count, which only counts the 10-valued cards, or AceMT, which only counts Ace and the 10-valued cards. The total time needed: 10 or 20 minutes at most?

Any doubt? Just try to count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . in your head and to see if you need additional exercise to learn how to count the number to 20 for one deck, 40 for two decks, 80 for four decks, 120 for six decks, and 160 for 8 decks.

 

Sorry folks, like Moraine, you might have invested weeks or months practicing "Hi-Loing" before you felt that you had become combat-ready as a Hi-Lo counter/warrior in casino. Or you might have even paid thousands to enroll in a Hi-Lo academy or boot camp just to learn the right Hi-Loing technique from a Hi-Lo guru.

But this is the harsh truth: You could have saved your precious time and money, and could have done just as well or even better if you had learnt a simpler card counting system like X-Count, which only counts the 10-valued cards, or AceMT, which only counts Ace and the 10-valued cards. The total time needed: 10 or 20 minutes at most?

Any doubt? Just try to count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 . . . . in your head and to see if you need additional exercise or training to learn how to count the number to 20 for one deck, 40 for two decks. 80 for four decks. 120 for six decks. and 160 for 8 decks.