The Card Countingcard & game lab

Blackjack strategy chart & counting reference

  • Follows your rules
  • 4 systems

A rules-accurate basic-strategy chart for hard totals, soft totals and pairs. It follows your table rules (dealer hits or stands on soft 17, double after split, surrender), so every cell is right for your game. Below it are the count values for the Hi-Lo, KO, Hi-Opt I and Omega II systems. New to this? Start with how to count cards or the basic strategy guide, then drill it in the trainer.

Download PDF (standard rules)

thecardcounting.com/reference · for learning and practice

Basic strategy
vs dealer upcard →
Hard totals: your hand down the left, the dealer's upcard across the top
Hand2345678910A
17SSSSSSSSSS
16SSSSSHHSURSURSUR
15SSSSSHHHSURH
14SSSSSHHHHH
13SSSSSHHHHH
12HHSSSHHHHH
11DDDDDDDDDH
10DDDDDDDDHH
9HDDDDHHHHH
8HHHHHHHHHH
Soft totals: your hand down the left, the dealer's upcard across the top
Hand2345678910A
A,9SSSSSSSSSS
A,8SSSSSSSSSS
A,7SDDDDSSHHH
A,6HDDDDHHHHH
A,5HHDDDHHHHH
A,4HHDDDHHHHH
A,3HHHDDHHHHH
A,2HHHDDHHHHH
Pairs: your pair down the left, the dealer's upcard across the top
Pair2345678910A
A,ASPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP
T,TSSSSSSSSSS
9,9SPSPSPSPSPSSPSPSS
8,8SPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSPSP
7,7SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH
6,6SPSPSPSPSPHHHHH
5,5DDDDDDDDHH
4,4HHHSPSPHHHHH
3,3SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH
2,2SPSPSPSPSPSPHHHH
H HitS StandD DoubleSP SplitSUR Surrender
Follows your table rules: Table rules: dealer stands on soft 17 · double after split · late surrender.
Counting systems
Balanced
+1/0/-1. The classic starting system. Convert running → true count by dividing by decks remaining.
  • A: -1
  • 2: +1
  • 3: +1
  • 4: +1
  • 5: +1
  • 6: +1
  • 7: 0
  • 8: 0
  • 9: 0
  • 10: -1
  • J: -1
  • Q: -1
  • K: -1

All four counting systems at a glance

Each system as a plain table you can copy. Open one to see its values.

Hi-Lo

Balanced, +1/0/-1. The classic starting system. Because it's balanced, a full deck counts to zero — divide the running count by the decks remaining to get the true count you bet and deviate on.

Card rank → count value in Hi-Lo.
A2345678910JQK
−1+1+1+1+1+1000−1−1−1−1
KO (Knock-Out)

Unbalanced — no true-count conversion needed. Because it's unbalanced, a full deck doesn't count to zero — you act on the running count against a key count, with no true-count division needed.

Card rank → count value in KO (Knock-Out).
A2345678910JQK
−1+1+1+1+1+1+100−1−1−1−1
Hi-Opt I

Balanced, ignores aces. Slightly stronger play accuracy. Because it's balanced, a full deck counts to zero — divide the running count by the decks remaining to get the true count you bet and deviate on.

Card rank → count value in Hi-Opt I.
A2345678910JQK
00+1+1+1+1000−1−1−1−1
Omega II

Level-2 counts (+2/-2). Highest power, hardest to run. Because it's balanced, a full deck counts to zero — divide the running count by the decks remaining to get the true count you bet and deviate on.

Card rank → count value in Omega II.
A2345678910JQK
0+1+1+2+2+2+10−1−2−2−2−2