Other Counting Systems
During the thirty-odd years since the first viable counting system was introduced, dozens of “new and improved” counting systems have been offered for sale to unsuspecting blackjack players eager for easy winnings. Each additional system sported a slightly different variation of the original Hi-Low model. Each promised more simplicity, accuracy, or playing efficiency than the one before. Averaging $200 to $300 apiece, they all incorporated nearly the same basic counting practices that Thorp, Dubner, and Braun introduced. In researching the material for this blog, several of these highly touted “miracle” systems were purchased for review. Not surprisingly, none turned out to be better than the original Hi-Low.
One early “advanced” system offered for sale at $1,000 merely assigned different card point-values to be counted as follows: Aces = 10 each; 9s and 10s = 5 each; 5s = +10 each; 2s, 3s, 4s, 6s, and 7s = + 5 each; 8s alone were ignored as neutral. This was obviously a cumbersome system to employ for an entirely negligible advantage over the tried and true Hi-Low. The values following would serve the same purpose and be much simpler to tally: Aces = 2 each; 9s and 10s = 1 each; 5s = + 2 each; and 2s, 3s, 4s, 6s, and 7s = +1 each; 8s ignored. Even this simplification would not be worth the extra mental effort involved. Be happy if you were not one of the poor unfortunates who shelled out big bucks for this system.
