Card counting is quickly gaining in popularity. Movies like 21 have made the simple concept more mainstream and have introduced this "gamblers' secret" to the public. While not everybody might be able to keep a running count, those who can will be able to make large amounts of profit, every time they visit the casino.

There are many different card counting strategies. Many of them are based on the basic KO card counting strategy. While that strategy is effective and easy to follow, more advanced players require something that is a little more accurate. This is where the Hi Opt 1 card count strategy comes into play. It is a little different and requires a little more concentration to implement, however the results are a lot more accurate and can drastically increase your winning percentage.


Here is the basic premise of the Hi Opt 1 strategy:

Whenever a two, seven, eight, nine or an ace is dealt, you add nothing to the overall count. When a three, four, five or six is dealt, you add 1 to the count. When a ten, jack, queen or king is dealt, you subtract one from the count. That's all there is to it.

Let's have a look at how this works in practice. Here is an example round of blackjack with five players and a dealer. What would the count be?

Dealers Hand: Ace – 5

Player 1: Jack – 2

Player 2: 7-2

Player 3: 10-5

Player 4: Queen – King

Player 5: 6-8

If you said the count was +3 you are wrong. The count is actually -1. This hand has a +3 total and a -4 total, which equals out to -1. This would be a bad time to increase your bet size.

If you know anything about basic card counting, you know that this strategy is a little different than most other strategies. Usually, all high cards lower the count and all low cards add to the count. So, why does an ace not add anything to the count?

One of the main advantages of this system is that it takes into account hand combinations, not just hand totals. Other systems look for decks that have many high cards left in the shoe. While this system works similarly to that, it looks for cards that are statistically more likely to be advantageous to you. This means that the results are more accurate and your winning percentage will be higher.

It is important to note that you have to restart the count after the deck is shuffled. A lot of people forget this and it really diminishes the effectiveness of this system. It is also worth noting that this system works better with blackjack variations that use a higher amount of decks, and not single decks like Super Fun 21. In games where the deck is shuffled every hand, this system is rather ineffective. Undoubtedly, the best way to learn is to try it out yourself. Head over to the blackjack tables and give the Hi Opt 1 strategy a try!

More Card Counting Systems:

Blackjack Hi Opt 2 Card Count
Blackjack KO Card Count
Hi-Lo Count