Hi-Lo vs Speed Count: Which is Better?
Card counting isn't about memorizing every card. It's about tracking the ratio of high cards to low cards. But not all systems are created equal. We compare the industry standard (Hi-Lo) with the modern, simpler alternative (Speed Count).
The Contenders
Hi-Lo System
The "Gold Standard" of card counting. Used by the MIT Blackjack Team and pros worldwide.
How it works
- 2-6: +1
- 7-9: 0
- 10-Ace: -1
You must keep a Running Count and divide by decks remaining to get the True Count.
- Extremely accurate
- Widely documented
- Mentally exhausting
- Requires "True Count" conversion (division math)
- Easy to make mistakes
Speed Count
Developed by Dan Pronovost. Designed for ease of use and camouflage.
How it works
- Count pairs of cards.
- Ignore everything except low cards (2, 3, 4, 5, 6).
- Add +1 for every low card.
- Subtract hands played.
No fractions. No division. No rigorous mental math.
- Very easy to learn
- Less mental fatigue
- Harder for casinos to spot
- Slightly less powerful (~90-95% efficiency of Hi-Lo)
- Proprietary system (less free info available)
Our Verdict
For casual, recreational players, Speed Count is the simpler system. The small loss in theoretical accuracy is offset by a big reduction in human error: if you are tired, distracted, or nervous, you will make mistakes with Hi-Lo, and Speed Count is robust enough to use while ordering a drink. For serious play, Hi-Lo remains the standard - it unlocks the full deviation set, it is what nearly every book and index chart is built on, and it is what our drills use by default.
The Numbers, Side by Side
| Metric | Hi-Lo | Speed Count |
|---|---|---|
| Cards you track | All 13 ranks (+1 / 0 / -1) | Only 2-6, plus hands played |
| Conversion step | Divide by decks remaining | None |
| Theoretical edge (6-deck, 1-12 spread) | ~0.5-1.5% | ~0.5-1.4% |
| Time to casino-ready | 100-200 hours | 20-40 hours |
| Supports playing deviations | Yes (Illustrious 18) | Limited |
The efficiency gap is real but modest; the practice gap is enormous. That trade is the entire decision. The edge figures above are rough ranges that depend heavily on rules, penetration, and spread, not results from our own simulations. What we have measured is how much smaller leaks cost: our 10-million-hand simulation shows four common basic strategy mistakes more than doubling the house edge, which is why execution matters as much as the system.
Which Should You Learn?
Pick Hi-Lo if you intend to play seriously for meaningful stakes, want access to the full deviation set, and can commit to months of drilling. The extra edge compounds: on a $10,000 bankroll the difference between the systems is real money over a year of play.
Pick Speed Count if you play recreationally, want a genuine mathematical edge without the study burden, or have tried Hi-Lo and found your accuracy collapsing under table conditions. An edge you can execute beats a bigger edge you cannot.
Either way the path starts in the same place: flawless basic strategy, then the speed count drill to build card recognition (Hi-Lo tags by default, with KO and other systems in the menu). Hi-Lo students continue to the true count drill and the full Card Counting 101 guide.
Weighing up more than these two? Our card counting systems comparison puts Hi-Lo, KO, Zen, Omega II and four other counts side by side, with their tags and published efficiency figures. If Speed Count appeals because it skips the true count, the KO count does the same with a full set of card tags.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Published simulations put Speed Count at roughly 90-95% of Hi-Lo's theoretical win rate under identical conditions. The argument for Speed Count is not raw power but error resistance: a Hi-Lo counter who fumbles the true count conversion under casino conditions can easily perform worse than a Speed Counter executing a simpler system flawlessly.
It exploits a statistical regularity: each blackjack hand consumes about 2.7 cards on average, of which about one is a low card (2-6). Subtracting one per hand played keeps the count anchored to expectation, so a rising count directly signals a shoe that has delivered more low cards than normal, meaning the remainder is rich in tens and aces.
Yes, and it is a common path. The skills transfer: card recognition speed, bet discipline, and bankroll management all carry over. The new work is learning the -1 tags on tens and aces plus true count division. Starting with Speed Count and graduating to Hi-Lo gets you into casinos with an edge months sooner.
Hi-Lo by default. The speed count drill and the card counting trainer build running count speed and accuracy on a real shoe (the name refers to dealing speed, not the Speed Count system), and both let you switch to KO, Red 7, Zen, Omega II and other systems. The true count drill covers the conversion, and the deviation charts are Hi-Lo indices. We do not currently offer a drill for the Speed Count system itself, though the card recognition speed you build carries over.
Train Your Count
Our counting drills default to Hi-Lo, the system behind the deviation charts, and build the card recognition speed either system needs.
Start the Counting Trainer