Ace Tracking
Learn the Most Popular Card Counting System - Hi-Lo
Lesson description
Ace tracking is an essential skill for card counting. Learn how this technique will help you identify when you have the advantage in the game with Mr Blackjack.
Similar to the rock counting story we discussed in the last video, we can apply the same principle to the all-important Ace. The Ace is the most valuable card in the deck for the player. If all the aces are gone, your ability to make blackjack is zero and the 3:2 payout advantage is gone.
Ace tracking is important to card counting because they help you determine your advantage in the game.
First off, you must know how many decks are in the shoe so you know how many Aces should be in play. We know that in a six-deck shoe there are four Aces per deck, making 24 Aces in total.
This way, you can tell that if you have gone through a hefty portion of the shoe and a few Aces have appeared, you will want to increase your bet.
This will help you maximize the potential profit on any given hand, based on not only the count but also the possibility of making blackjack.
A good indicator is that if on the first hand four Aces come out with five players at the table, that is way too many Aces.
The same goes the other way; if you are playing with four other players and you haven’t seen any Aces in three hands that have been dealt — you know the Aces are coming. It’s all about probability.
For those of you that listened in math class, you now get to apply what you’ve learned and you can make money while doing it.
What this lesson covers
- How Ace tracking works
- When Ace tracking gives you an advantage
- How it helps you when counting cards
Meet Mr Blackjack
With a career spanning two decades, Mathieu Blake knows his way around a blackjack table. He's taught and entertained over 100,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel . In this series he'll take you through basic strategy, card counting, and bankroll management. Take a seat with Mr Blackjack and become a winning player.
Card Counting
Card Counting 101
Ace Tracking
Learn the Most Popular Card Counting System - Hi-Lo
The Math Behind Card Counting
Single Deck/Multi Deck Card Counting - How to Determine the True Count
Bet Spread in Card Counting
How the Casinos Beat Card Counters
Can You Count Cards at Online Casinos?
Is Card Counting Illegal?
Top Card Counting Exercises - Learn Card Counting, Fast
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FAQs
- What is Ace tracking in blackjack?
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Ace tracking means you monitor the number of Aces in the shoe in blackjack. This tactic tells you how many chances you have left in the game to make blackjack.
- Is Ace tracking and Ace sequencing the same thing?
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While they have similar names and focuses, tracking and sequencing have different functions. Ace tracking is keeping count of how many Aces are in the deck so you know your chances of hitting blackjack. Ace sequencing is a form of shuffle tracking, and tries to predict when an Ace will be dealt by following what 2-4 cards preceded it.
- Do casinos ever remove Aces from the shoe?
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There are only two occasions when casinos might remove Aces: in a blackjack variant or if they’re cheating. If a casino surreptitiously removes Aces and tens this is called ‘shorting’ the shoe. Casinos already have the advantage so it is unlikely they would short the deck.
- What is an Ace when counting cards?
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Under the Hi-Lo counting system, an Ace is -1.
- What is the Ace Five-Count?
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Ace Five-Count is a simplified card counting system. Instead of counting all cards in a blackjack game, you only count Aces and 5s. Aces are worth -1 and 5s +1. When a new shoe begins the count starts at zero. If the count is greater than or equal to two, you double your wager. If the count is less than or equal to one, keep to the minimum bet.
- Do Aces change value when card counting like they do in blackjack?
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An Ace always has a value of -1 when card counting using the Hi-Lo system. This doesn’t change, as the removal of the Ace from the shoe has a negative affect on the count.
- When does Ace tracking work best?
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Ace tracking is most effective in blackjack games where the shoe is played through. As you come towards the end of the shoe and few Aces have been dealt, you have better odds of getting blackjack.