The Zen Count System

Basics of the Zen Count

Like all systems for counting cards in blackjack, the Zen Count rests on the idea that high cards, i.e. Aces and 10-value cards, are more favorable to the player, whereas low cards (from 2s through 7s) are more favorable to the house. Finding out when more high cards are to be expected, the method transforms blackjack from a negative expectation game to a positive EV (expected value) one. In other words, players who manage to apply this system properly in combination with a perfect strategy would be able to increase their theoretical advantage to 1% or even 2%.

Following the method, players assign point values of +/-1 and +/-2 to the different cards in the game. This means that the Zen Count is a two-level system as opposed to simpler methods where the only value is either a positive or a negative 1. Unlike many other advanced techniques for counting cards, the Zen Count does not require keeping a side count for the Aces. Here are the numerical values used for this method:

• 2, 3, 7 – +1
• 4, 5, 6 – +2
• 8, 9 – 0
• 10, J, Q, K – -2
• Aces – -1

How to Use the Zen Count System?

As the structure of the system is fairly simple and there are only a few numerical values that have to be memorized, players should find it relatively easy to apply it in real games. The only thing they need to do is to keep an accurate running count as the cards are being dealt. The count starts from 0 and with every card appearing on the table, players either subtract or add its numerical value.

For example, the cards we are counting are 5, 8, Ace, 5, 2, Jack, 6, and King, which correspond to +2, 0, -1, +2, +1, -2, +2, and -2. The sum, in this case, is +2, which is the running count. However, for the purposes of this particular system, the running count must be transformed into a true count. With this step, players take into consideration the number of decks still in the shoe and as a result, the count becomes more accurate.

To calculate the true count, players simply divide the running count by the number of decks remaining. If, for instance, we have a running count of +6 in an 8-deck game and we estimate that around 6 decks are remaining in the dealing shoe, our true count will be +1. Of course, this is a rough estimate as determining the exact number of remaining decks is virtually impossible.

This is when players can make some adjustments to their play in order to gain a mathematical advantage over the casino. This can be done in two ways – by deviating from the basic strategy when it is required, and more importantly, by changing the bet size accordingly. The idea is to increase the stakes when the cards remaining in the shoe are more favorable to the player. If the cards favor the casino, the bet is reduced to minimize the potential losses.

Of course, when there are more high cards still in the shoe, this means that the odds are good and players should take advantage of them by raising the bets. When the count is low, i.e. when it is less than +2 (-2, -1, 0, or +1), players should stick to the minimum, placing only 1-unit bets. When the count rises to +2, players bet 2 units; when the count is +3, they bet 3 units, and so on. This is a fairly conservative betting pattern, which is suitable even for those who are just starting to use the Zen Count.