Using card counting systems such as Hi/Lo is just a small part of the equation. You also need to keep track of how many decks are left in the shoe. It is preferable, for example, to have a total of +14 when there are 2 decks left than if there are 4.

To get the "True Count" you need both the Hi/Lo total and a rough idea of how many decks are left in the shoe. Let's say you have +6 after the two first rounds of a six-deck game. Your true count should be 1 (because 6 divided by 6 is 1). If, on the other hand, you have +12 when there are 2 decks remaining, your true count should be +6.

The simplest way to keep track of how many decks are left is, of course, to use your eyes. This should tell you roughly how many decks there are. Another way is to keep track of how many games you've played at the table. To make it simpler, assume that each player uses 3 cards in each game. If there are 5 players, this means 15 cards are used each round. When you have played 4 rounds you will have used one deck, give or take a few cards.

What's the point of using True Count? Well, the bigger the True Count value, the greater the player's advantage. When the shoe is newly shuffled the casino has a 0.5% advantage over the players. With each +1 added to the True Count, the players get an extra 0.5%. This means that when the True Count is +3 you will have an advantage of 1%.

Once you have a percentage advantage over the casino, it's time to raise your stake. Use the following table to see by how much you should increase your bet compared to when you started. Let's say that you started out by betting $10; when your true count is +6 you should be betting $40.

True count of +2 or +3: double your normal bet
True count of +4 or +5: 3 times your normal bet
True count of +6 or +7: 4 times your normal bet
True count of +8 or more: 5 times your normal bet