What card counting system does the trainer use?

Hi-Lo: 2 to 6 count +1, 7 to 9 count 0, and tens and aces count −1.

How do you work out the true count?

Divide the running count by the number of decks still to be dealt. +6 with three decks left is +2.

How fast should I be able to count?

A good target is a full deck, cards in pairs, in under 25 seconds with the right count at the end.

Is card counting illegal?

Counting cards in your head isn't cheating, but casinos can refuse to let you play if they think you're counting.

Blackjack Card Counting Trainer

Speed Cards at a time How many cards

Cards will flash up here. Keep the Hi-Lo count in your head: 2 to 6 is +1, 7 to 9 is 0, tens and aces are −1.

Your score

Running count drills right–

Fastest perfect drill–

True count answers right–

Hi-Lo values

+12 3 4 5 6

07 8 9

−110 J Q K A

True count = running count ÷ decks left to deal. Casinos round it different ways, so we accept rounding down or to the nearest whole number. Practice only: the score stays in this browser.

This blackjack card counting trainer deals cards at the speed you choose and asks for the running count at the end. It uses Hi-Lo, the count most players start with, and it’s free to use as often as you like. A second tab drills the true count, the step where most new counters slip.

Blackjack card counting trainer: the Hi-Lo values

Every card gets one of three values:

2, 3, 4, 5, 6: +1
7, 8, 9: 0
10, J, Q, K, A: −1

Add them as the cards come out. 5, K, 3, 9, A, 6 runs +1, 0, +1, +1, 0, +1, so the count is +1. A full deck always comes back to zero, which makes a 52-card drill a nice check on yourself.

Running count drills

Choose 10 or 20 cards, or a full deck, and a speed from a slow 2 seconds a card down to 0.3 seconds. You can also have the cards come out two or three at a time, which is closer to watching a real table, where you cancel pairs like a 5 and a king instead of counting each one.

When the drill ends, type the count. Get it wrong and you see the count after every card, so you can spot exactly where you drifted. Beginners usually start at 1.2 seconds a card. Once 20 cards at 0.5 seconds feels easy, try groups of two.

True count practice

The running count means more when fewer decks are left. True count = running count ÷ decks left to deal. A running count of +6 with three decks to go is a true count of +2. The same +6 with six decks left is only +1.

The quiz gives you a running count and a picture of the discard tray in a six-deck shoe. Estimate the decks left, divide, and answer. People round in different ways, so rounding down or to the nearest whole number are both accepted.

Before you take it to a table

Counting only pays off on top of perfect basic strategy, so drill that first with the blackjack trainer and the strategy chart. Even then the edge it gives is small and swings a lot. The blackjack calculator shows the house edge you’re starting from. Counting in your head isn’t cheating, but a casino can still refuse your bets or ask you to stop playing.

This is a practice tool. Counting doesn’t make blackjack a sure thing. BeGambleAware.org is free and confidential if it stops being fun.