Blackjack card counting is inextricably linked to the names Edward O. Thorpe and Bill Kaplan. In this article, you’ll learn how the blackjack card counting strategy works, which counting systems are most commonly used, and what casinos do to make blackjack card counting as difficult as possible for players at secure non‑GamStop bingo platforms.
The Beginnings of Card Counting
Card counting itself is considerably older than any of the best online blackjack casinos without GamStop. It is relatively undisputed that the American mathematics professor Edward Oakley Thorpe is considered the inventor of this very special blackjack strategy. Thorpe first presented his concept to the public in 1961.
This was the first time a game concept was used based on simple mathematics, allowing players to beat the dealer. Edward O. Thorpe published a book titled “Beat the Dealer” in 1962, which was republished in an expanded edition in 1966.
In the 1980s, the so-called MIT Blackjack Team was founded by JP Massar and Bill Kaplan. The latter became famous worldwide through the Hollywood film adaptation of 21. They trained students enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the art of card counting and successfully ransacked casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City for years.
How Blackjack Card Counting Works at Non GamStop Casinos? – Basic Knowledge
In principle, anyone can learn to count cards in blackjack. The strategy is based on a fairly simple and logical assumption. The focus is on the ratio of low- and high-value cards in the deck. Edward O. Thorpe based his approach on the assumption that:
- The more low-value cards in the remaining deck, the higher the dealer’s chances of winning.
- The more high-value cards in the remaining deck, the higher the player’s chances of winning.
To make it as easy as possible for blackjack card counting strategists, Thorpe divided the cards as follows:
| Card group with a low value | Card group with a neutral value | Card group with a high value |
| 2-6 | 7-9 | 10, picture cards and ace |
When counting cards in blackjack, you don’t have to remember every single card that’s been played, nor do you have to memorize which and how many cards are left in the deck. When you play blackjack in a live casino and count cards, you can keep track using an extremely simple counting system. Thorpe pointed out
- The numbers 2-6 have the value +1,
- The numbers 7-9 have the value 0 and
- The numbers 10 and the ace are given the value -1.
The lower the number value after a few rounds of play, the better for the player, because the more high-scoring cards are in the remaining deck.
The Different Counting Systems
Over the years, various systems for counting cards in blackjack have emerged. Some are similar or based on the same basic system, while others are based on completely different theories.
We’ll limit ourselves to the five most commonly used strategies. However, you should be aware that these won’t work with animated Hi Lo Blackjack in non GamStop casinos. Just like in a slot machine, a random number generator decides which card is drawn next.
The REKO Counting System
American blackjack player of Japanese descent Kenneth Senzo Usui developed his own counting system, which would become known as the REKO system. Inspired by Edward O. Thorp’s book, Usui began to “perfect” Thorp’s system.
The REKO system was specifically designed by Usui to incorporate the casinos’ countermeasure, the use of multiple decks of cards. The starting point is not 0, but -2. -2 is then multiplied by the number of decks of cards used. Card values from two to seven are considered +1, eight and nine are considered 0, and all high cards are considered -1.
The Hi-Lo Counting System
If you want to learn blackjack card counting, the Hi-Lo version of counting is the ideal starting point. Unlike blackjack betting strategies, it essentially stems from the original counting system developed by Edward O. Thorpe.
The card values correspond to Thorp’s scoring system. Here, card values 2 to 6 also receive a value of +1, 7 to 9 receive a value of 0, and 10 to Ace receive a value of -1. As the name suggests, this system is about determining, as quickly and easily as possible, whether there are more high- or low-value cards in the game.
The Zen Count Counting System
This blackjack card counting system was developed by American professional Hi-Lo blackjack player Arnold Snyder. Snyder has published several books on card counting, explaining how to learn blackjack card counting.
The scoring system used in this scoring method, however, is somewhat more complex than other systems. The cards 2 and 3 are valued at +1, the cards 4, 5, and 6 are valued at +2, the cards 8 and 9 are valued at 0, all cards with a 10 are valued at -2, and the ace is valued at -1.
The Revere Point Count System
This system was also designed by a former professional blackjack player. American Lawrence Revere explains his counting system in detail in his book “Playing Blackjack as a Business”.
With this counting system, you have to memorize a total of four numerical values. The number 2 has a value of +1, the numbers 3 through 6 have a value of +2, the number 7 has a value of +1, the 8 and 9 have a value of 0, and all other high cards have a value of -2.
The Canfield Master System
Caution is advised with this system, as there is a risk of confusion. The Canfield Master Version is something of an evolution of the Canfield Expert System. However, this system becomes less accurate the more card packs are in play.
Here, too, a scoring system is used to determine whether there are more high-value or low-value cards in play. The Canfield Master System’s scoring ranges from -2 to -1 to 0, +1, and +2.
