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Hi-Opt II Card Counting System

Hi-Opt II is a balanced level-2 count. 2, 3, 6 and 7 are +1, 4 and 5 are +2, ten-value cards are -2, and 8, 9 and aces are 0. Like Hi-Opt I it leaves the ace out of the main count and uses a separate ace side count for betting.

Level
2
Balanced
Yes
True count
Yes
Difficulty
Hard

Hi-Opt II Card Values

Cards Tag Per deck
4-5 +2 8 cards
2-3, 6-7 +1 16 cards
8-9, A 0 12 cards
10 -2 16 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.

Ace side count

Aces count 0 in the main count. Keep a separate ace side count and adjust the count for betting when aces are rich or poor.

How to Count Hi-Opt II

  1. Start at 0 after every shuffle.
  2. Keep a running count. Add each card's tag as it is dealt. Count in pairs where you can: a card tagged +2 and a card tagged -2 cancel to 0.
  3. Convert to a true count. Divide the running count by the decks remaining in the shoe. A running count of +6 with 3 decks left is a true count of +2. Base bets and deviations on the true count.

Practice the conversion with the true count drill, and read running count vs true count for the theory.

Published Efficiency

Measure Hi-Opt II Hi-Lo
Betting correlation 0.91 0.97
Playing efficiency 0.67 0.51
Insurance correlation 0.91 0.76

Widely published values from standard comparison tables, such as those by Arnold Snyder, Stanford Wong and the Wizard of Odds, not results from our own simulations. Figures are for the main count without the ace side count. See the full comparison.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • The highest published insurance correlation here (0.91) and a playing efficiency of 0.67.
  • Balanced, so the true count works at any shoe size.
  • Weights the 4 and 5, the cards whose removal helps the player most, more heavily.

Cons

  • Two-level tags plus an ace side count is a heavy mental load.
  • Its betting correlation (0.91) trails Hi-Lo unless the side count is used for betting.
  • Marginally more accurate than Hi-Lo on paper, but the extra load causes more errors in practice.

Who Hi-Opt II Suits

Experienced counters, mostly in single- and double-deck games, who already count Hi-Lo flawlessly and want better playing decisions.

Usually credited to Lance Humble.

Practice Hi-Opt II

Count a real shoe with Hi-Opt II tags at the dealing speed you choose.

Start the Hi-Opt II Drill

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hi-Opt II worth learning over Hi-Lo?

For most players, no. Its gains show up mainly in playing decisions, which matter most in hand-held games. In shoe games the betting correlation drives results, and the extra mental load of level-2 tags plus an ace side count raises the error rate.

How does the ace side count work?

You keep a separate tally of aces seen and compare it to the number expected for the cards played. When aces are rich, you adjust your count upward for betting; when they are poor, downward. Playing decisions use the main count alone.

Do I still need a true count with Hi-Opt II?

Yes. It is balanced, so divide the running count by the decks remaining, the same way you would with Hi-Lo.