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Selecting which counting system you will learn and use is a very personal decision. Each player must be comfortable with his choice, not merely accepting recommendations made by various pitchmen trying to peddle their wares. The reader is encouraged to explore systems other than the Hi-Low and to reach independent conclusions. After all, the study of blackjack is a completely open-ended pursuit, and no single counting system holds all of the cards (excuse the pun). Most players continue to search for ever-increasing advantages over the casinos. The selection of the right system for you, however, is far too important a decision to be left to chance. Here are four factors worth considering:
1. Exactly how serious are you about winning? How much time, money, and energy are you willing to expend learning to implement the specific counting system of your choice?
2. Is the system graduated to allow sequential stages of successful playing as you learn it?
3. Is the system authentic and reliable? Is it backed by reputable research? Has it proven itself over the years? Or is it some fly-by-night fast-buck artist’s scheme?
4. Is the system practical for your use under actual casino conditions? There’s no point trying to master one that is too complex or that provides only mediocre results.
There is a point for most players where the law of diminishing returns sets in. This occurs when it simply isn’t worth learning a slightly more efficient system either because of its cost or because it may be extremely tedious and cumbersome to use. Some are so mentally exhausting that they drain the enjoyment from the game, and all for negligible gain.
This chapter provides the necessary information for you to choose one of the simplest and best systems currently available. The Hi-Low system outlined earlier is sanctioned by five of the most respected names in blackjack research: Thoip, Braun, Dubner, Revere, and Wong. Although simple to learn and implement, Hi-Low is one of the most efficient counting systems ever devised when used with its appropriate MBS. I highly recommended that you master the Hi-Low system first, even if you decide to adopt a possibly more powerful counting strategy at some later date. The Hi-Low meets or exceeds all of the relevant criteria regarding the selection of a counting system.
Some systems are so very complex that they are impractical for actual casino use. Only those players who aspire to be truly dedicated professionals should even consider the most comprehensive and efficient systems whatever they may be. Remember that the “absolute best” system, if such a thing exists short of incorporating the use of a computer right at the table, will necessarily be extremely difficult to master and use. Furthermore, it will be only very slightly better than several very good systems (like Hi-Low) that are relatively easy to employ. What most people fail to realize is that their overall playing advantage differs by less than 1 percent between any good system and the most efficient ones. The differences in total dollars earned for the players are negligible.
An old English expression, “Penny wise, but pound foolish,” springs to mind here. Is it worth it to you to learn plays that you will be required to make less than once every thousand or more hands? Probably not. The final consideration that you must come to grips with is this: Dozens of extra study hours, or more realistically study weeks, are required to master any of the more complex counting systems. You must decide if the additional effort involved justifies the extremely slight monetary advantages that they may provide for you. Spending hundreds of dollars to purchase a more complicated counting program (that you may not be able to actually use anyway) in order to win a few extra cents over the years, seems a questionable plan at best.
You have all of the essential elements of the Hi-Low counting system in your hands at this moment. By all means, investigate other systems if you wish to satisfy your curiosity, but learn this one first just in case you never get around to examining another. The Hi-Low has more power than anyone could ever hope to use in a lifetime, and I recommend it as the best overall blackjack card-counting system in existence.

Hi-Low Counting Practice Exercise 1 The Running Count
Each question represents the various hands obtained at the table, by yourself, by other players, and by the dealer Some are busts, as in real life. Carry over the RC from one question to the next, just as you would in the normal round-to-round play of any game. For optimal learning, cover the RC answer column until after you have finished counting each round; then you can immediately confirm the correct RC.

Hi-Low Counting Practice Exercise 2 The True Count
Carry over the RC from the end of one question to the next, just as you would in the round-after-round play of a shoe game. Then apply the new “Decks Unseen” number to determine the correct TC at the end of each question, always rounding off the TC to the nearest integer (round halves up).
The RC is always the only number you need to remember from one question (round) to the next, since the “Decks Unseen” arbitrarily changes for this exercise.
If you want to place bets of appropriate size, it is absolutely essential that you learn to calculate accurate TC’s quickly. With a little practice you can learn to do the arithmetic almost automatically. You will notice that positive TC’s are always larger than RC’s in single-deck games, because you are dividing by less than 1. In multiple-deck games where the shuffle card is placed more than a deck from the end of the shoe, TC’s will always be less than RC’s, since you will be dividing by numbers greater than 1. (Of course, just the opposite occurs with negative counts.) Remember to retain the plus or minus signs in your answers. To make sure you understand the concept and can do the proper calculations, try this short TC practice exercise:

Hi-Low Counting Practice Exercise 3 The True Count
To determine the TC at any point in any game, divide the RC by the number of unseen decks remaining to be dealt. Always round off TC’s, rounding up exact halves to the nearest whole integer
Remember that TC’s are only approximations at best, since you always need to estimate the number of remaining decks. For more accurate TC’s, you may want to use a more exact number for the unseen cards, by guessing them to the nearest half-deck or even quarter-deck. For example, in the last line of the exercise above, if you figured there were 3 1/4 decks remaining instead of 3; 8 X 4/13 = 32/13, i.e., 26/13, which rounds off to 2 instead of 3. This degree of precision requires more math ability, and for most players the gain is not worth the mental strain involved.