Ace-Five Card Counting System
Ace-Five is the simplest count here: +1 for every 5, -1 for every ace, and 0 for everything else. It targets the two cards that matter most for a basic strategy player: removing 5s helps you the most, and aces make the blackjacks that pay 3:2. It is balanced, and it is normally used for betting only, off the running count.
- Level
- 1
- Balanced
- Yes
- True count
- No
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ace-Five Card Values
| Cards | Tag | Per deck |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | +1 | 4 cards |
| 2-4, 6-10 | 0 | 44 cards |
| A | -1 | 4 cards |
"10" means every ten-value card: 10, J, Q and K. Add the tags over a full deck and you get exactly 0, which is how you check your practice runs.
How to Count Ace-Five
- Start at 0 after every shuffle.
- Keep a running count. Add each card's tag as it is dealt. Count in pairs where you can: a card tagged +1 and a card tagged -1 cancel to 0.
- Bet off the running count. Raise your bet as the running count climbs and return to the minimum when it falls.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Only two ranks to watch, so it is fast to learn and easy to run while playing casually.
- Balanced: a full deck of four 5s and four aces sums to 0.
- A useful first step for players who have never counted before.
Cons
- Ignores most of the cards, so it captures far less information than Hi-Lo or KO.
- Designed for betting only; it does not support playing deviations.
- We have not found a standard published efficiency figure we could confirm, so we list none.
Who Ace-Five Suits
Casual players who want a small, low-effort improvement on flat betting, or anyone wanting a first taste of counting before learning Hi-Lo or KO.
Practice Ace-Five
Count a real shoe with Ace-Five tags at the dealing speed you choose.
Start the Ace-Five DrillFrequently Asked Questions
It can shift the odds in favorable spots, but it tracks only two ranks, so it captures much less of the available edge than a full count like Hi-Lo or KO. Treat it as a stepping stone rather than a professional system.
The 5 is the card whose removal helps a basic strategy player the most, because it turns dealer stiffs into strong hands. The ace is the card whose removal hurts most, because it makes blackjacks. Tracking just those two catches the biggest single-card effects.
The count is balanced, so a true count is possible, but the popular way to use it is off the running count alone: raise your bet as the count rises and go back to the minimum when it falls.