Omega Card Counting
Omega Card Counting
The Omega II System of card counting, which was developed by Bryce Carlson and published in his 2001 book Blackjack for Blood, is a level two card counting system. This means that it is more complicated than beginning card counting systems like Knock Out or Hi-Lo. However, when used correctly it is especially strong, with a betting efficiency of up to 99%.
The Omega II system is balanced, meaning that it is based around a count of 0 with a negative count meaning that there are more high cards in the deck and a positive count meaning that there are more low cards. The count is more complicated than the traditional -1, 0, +1 system. Cards are assigned the following values:
Omega Ii Card Counting System
- Cards numbered 2, 3 and 7 are assigned a value of 1
- Cards numbered 2, 5 and 6 are assigned a value of 2
- 9s are assigned a value of -1
- 10s, Jacks, Queens and Kings are assigned a value of -2
- 8s and Aces are assigned a value of 0
Though the Omega II system of card counting can be more difficult to learn than simpler card counting systems, it's efficiency makes it well worthwhile. To make the system even more effective you should keep a count of Aces on the side, as Aces are given a value of 0 and do not effect the count. By counting how many Aces have already been dealt vs. how many are still in the deck you can make an even more educated decision about your next play in the game—how much will you bet, will you stand, hit, split or double down?
Omega 2 Card Counting System
Advanced Omega II is a complex system. It is probably not the best place to begin if you are new to card counting. That being said, the Advanced Omega II is one of the most powerful counting methods around and mastering it can lead to huge wins at blackjack. Carlson detailed the entire system in his 2001 blackjack book, Blackjack for Blood. The Omega II Card Counting System in Action You are playing at a table where there are 6 decks in action and two-thirds of the cards have been dealt, meaning there are 2 decks remaining in the shoe. Your current ‘running count’ is +6, so after dividing this number by the amount of decks in the shoe, you now have a ‘true count’ of +3. The Omega II card counting system was made popular in Bryce Carlson's book Blackjack for Blood. It is considered an advanced counting strategy, not suitable for beginners because of its complexity, but accurate. The point values are distributed as per the table. In the 90s, card counting revolutionised the gambling scene once again, by becoming the foundation of a new system called Omega 2, developed by Bryce Carlson. As a representative of unbalanced card counting systems, Omega 2 is known for its precision in determining the player’s advantage. The Omega II counts 12 of the 13 ranks of cards, whereas many simpler counts only count between 8 and 11. Most daunting of all, to be an effective count for the purposes of betting (as opposed to playing your cards), you really need to keep a separate count going of aces.