High Opt 1 Card Counting System

The High Opt 1 system is one of the High Optimum card counting systems and is more advanced than basic card counting systems like Hi Lo or KO Count. It will take more effort to master. The big advantage of the Hi Opt 1 system, however, is that this system is more precise and its true count reflects your advantage over the house more accurately. This allows you to make more informed and thus more profitable bets. The Hi Opt 1 card counting system is also referred to as the Einstein Count, and is intended for experienced players only.

The High Opt 1 system is very accurate, but is more difficult to use than it seems.

The Running Count in High Opt 1

You can calculate the Running Count as shown in the following table:

high opt 1 card count values

A 2 is considered a neutral card and does not affect the running count. The other low value cards from 3 to 6 are considered positive with a value of +1. The middle cards 7 to 9 are considered neutral again, and do not effect the count. The high cards 10, Jacks, Queens and Kings are considered negative with a value of -1. The Aces, then, are considered neutral again. The Hi Opt 1 system is a balanced system, so counting all the cards in a deck will add up to 0. The Hi Opt 1 system is also a level one system, which means that any single card never changes the running count by more than a value of 1.

Using Hi Opt 1 – Don’t forget to convert to the True Count

As you see, the Hi Opt 1 count isn’t complicated from a mathematical perspective, but you will definitely need to focus your attention to what’s happening at the table when playing Blackjack and using this system. A hand with a 4 and a 9? That will be a positive value, +1. A hand with a Jack and a 2? That will add up to a negative value of -1. You will also need to convert your running count to the true count by dividing your running count by the number of decks not yet played (read more about this conversion in our general card counting section). These calculations should come natural to you and that will take time, but for many advanced Blackjack players the Hi Opt 1 counting system is their system of choice to beat the House at Blackjack because of its high accuracy.