What is True count?
True count is a card counter's running count divided by the estimated number of decks left in the shoe, giving a measure of advantage that is comparable across shoe sizes.
The running count is the cumulative total of card values seen so far. A running count of plus 6 means more when one deck is left than when five are left. Dividing by the decks remaining gives the true count: plus 6 with three decks left is a true count of plus 2.
Counters use the true count to size their bets and to make strategy deviations, such as taking insurance when the true count reaches about plus 3 in the Hi-Lo system. As a rough guide, each point of true count shifts the player's expectation by about half a percentage point.
True count conversion is one of the reasons multi-deck shoes and shallow penetration make counting harder. The calculation is approximate, because counters must estimate the remaining decks by eye.
