Counting systems for blackjack are among the most popular card strategies. After all, it makes sense. Each card player would like to have an advantage against the casino.
Recently, we introduced one of the simplest counting systems (the Hi-Lo system). However, there exist many other solutions and systems. Some are even directly based on Hi-Lo. And Red Seven, which we'll discuss today, is one such system.
A blackjack strategy suitable for beginners
The principles of the system are similar to other simple systems. It is based on counting so-called High cards (10 and higher) and Low cards (9 and lower). Red Seven uses the following point values:
- Cards valued 2 to 6 have a value of +1
- Cards valued 8 and 9 have a value of 0
- Cards valued 10 to ace have a value of -1
You might have noticed that we didn't say what to do with sevens. That's what makes Red Seven different from the others. This system is one of the few that also differentiates between colors. Red sevens have a value of +1 (like low cards), while black sevens have a value of -1 (like high cards).
How to eliminate the unbalance of the Red Seven
More experienced players will have already noticed that Red Seven is one of the so-called unbalanced systems. These are characterized by the fact that if you sum all the cards in the pack, you cannot get 0.
However, this can also be easily balanced. When you start the game, simply don't count from 0 but start with a number which equals the total number of card packs in the game multiplied by minus two. That means that if there's a single pack in play, start with -2. If two packs are used then start with -4, if three are used then -6 and so forth.
Playing based on the Red Seven system
How to actually use the numbers to estimate the game is up to you; similarly as with other simple counting strategies there are several rules to follow, and higher sums represent a better situation for you – meaning that you should increase your bets. On the other hand, if the sum is low then the dealer enjoys, the advantage and your winning chances are lower, meaning that you shouldn't bet as much.
But you should enjoy the fact that you can play with a system, even though it's just a simple one for now. We'll introduce more complicated ones later on.