Black Jack Strategy – ‘The Wong Halves System’

blackjack strategy

The Wong Halves System is an advanced card counting system that is used mainly by the pros. Most ordinary people do not use this strategy. The reason for this is that it is quite complex. However, it is still quite interesting to analyze and talk about. The basics of this system will be covered in this article.

How Card Counting Works

The first goal in card counting is to memorize the cards that have already been dealt. That way, a player can know which cards are still in the deck. The movies make this process look glamorous. However, it is quite simple in reality. It simply entails keeping track of the ratio of hog value cards to low-value cards.
The premise of the system is quite simple. In roulette, every time the wheel is spun, the chances of winning are 1 in 37. However, in Blackjack, the odds become better each time that a card is dealt. Thus, your chances of winning improve.

In blackjack, some cards are favorable for a player while others are better for the dealer. It is just a matter of estimating which cards work better for the player. One thing to keep in mind is that blackjack payoff at 3 to 2 when a player is dealt a natural. Thus, the cards that form a natural give the player an advantage.

The only cards that can result in a natural are aces and tens. So when the deck has more of those cards remaining, it makes more sense for a player to bet. When the deck has cards such as fives or deuces, it would not be wise for them to bet. Every card counting system keeps track of the ratio in some way. Normally, the rules of a system are usually quite easy. A player only has to subtract or add one from the count. However, card counting only gives an estimate of the advantage a player has. In a complex system, different values are given to different cards.

About the Wong Halves System

The system differs from normal card counting since it utilizes fractions. Aces are assigned -1, Nines -0.5, Sevens and Deuces +0.5, Sixes, Threes, and Fours +1, and fives +1.5.

The complexity of this system is why few card counters use it today. However, it does provide accurate estimates of the chances of a player winning. The Wong System has been given a betting correlation of 99%. It is one of the highest numbers for a card counting system.

WONG HALVES CARD COUNTING SYSTEM
CARD VALUE COUNT
5 count +1.5
3, 4, 6 count +1
2, 7 count +0.5
8 count 0
9 count -0.5
10, J, Q, K, A count -1

How to Utilize the Count
When using the Wong Halves system, you will have two figures. These are the true count and the running count. The running count is the number that you keep in your head while counting card in your head. The true count is the running count divided by the untouched decks. At the end of it all, what matters is to bet more when the count is high. Additionally, it is important to bet less when the count is low. That way, one reduces their chances of losing money at the casino.

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