The Hi-Opt I Count
Updated
Hi-Opt I ignores both the ace and the two, which makes it the simplest count on this page and the least accurate for betting. We computed its betting correlation at 0.878 — against 0.963 for Hi-Lo — from the effect each card has on the game, rather than copying the figure from a book.
- Tags: A 0 · 2 0 · 3–6 +1 · 7–9 0 · 10 −1.
- Betting correlation 0.878, against 0.963 for Hi-Lo.
- Worse than Hi-Lo by 0.085 on betting alone.
- Balanced: a full shoe counts to zero.
How it compares, and how we know
By counting only 3 through 6 against tens, Hi-Opt I focuses on the cards that matter most for how you play a hand. Its weakness is betting: the ace is the single most valuable card to know about, and Hi-Opt I does not track it.
The number that ranks counting systems is betting correlation: how closely the system’s tags track the actual effect each card has on your edge. We computed it rather than copying it — by removing one card of each rank from the shoe, recalculating the entire game, and correlating the result with the tags. The full method is here.
Is it worth switching from Hi-Lo?
No, not on betting alone. Hi-Opt I correlates 0.085 worse than Hi-Lo, and only makes that back through a side count or through better playing decisions.
Who it actually suits: Players who add an ace side count. Without one, its betting correlation of 0.878 is the lowest here and Hi-Lo is simply better.
This is the part the system comparisons usually skip. The difference between counting systems is small. The difference between counting accurately and counting sloppily is not.
Every system, with the numbers
Computed for six decks, dealer stands on soft 17, using the effect of removal for each card rank.
| System | Betting correlation | Balanced? |
|---|---|---|
| Wong Halves | 0.993 | balanced |
| Red 7 | 0.977 | unbalanced |
| KO | 0.970 | unbalanced |
| Hi-Lo | 0.963 | balanced |
| Zen Count | 0.960 | balanced |
| Omega II | 0.921 | balanced |
| Hi-Opt II | 0.914 | balanced |
| Hi-Opt I | 0.878 | balanced |
Keep reading
By Martin Kosek · every number on this site is computed by us, not copied.
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