A balanced card counting system is any system where the point values assigned to the cards balances out. That is, you have as many negative values as positive values. When you count through an entire deck using a balanced system, you start your running count at zero. You expect to end your running count at zero. If you do not reach zero, then you have mis-counted. The oldest and most popular balanced system in the Hi/Lo system.

The drawback to balanced systems is that you must divide the running count by the number of decks remaining to get a "true" count. You wager according to a true count. Any positive value in the true count indicates an advantage for the player. The higher the positive count, the better the advantage. Calculating the true count introduces two additional steps. One, you must perform division on the running count at all times, in your head. Two, you must accurately estimate the number of decks remaining in the shoe.

How do you estimate the number of decks remaining in the shoe? First, you must know the number of decks the dealer started with in the shoe. Second, you must accurately estimate the number of decks in the discard pile. You practice estimating the number of decks by looking at a stack of face down cards. After some practice, you should become proficient at estimating the number of cards in a pile. Finally, you subtract the remaining decks from initial number of decks to find the decks remaining in the shoe.

Sounds like too much to do? Imagine doing it while trying to keep an accurate count. Plus, you have the dealer pacing the game and he's not going to wait for you do estimation and division.

Fortunately, there are unbalanced systems. An unbalanced system is a system where the point values do not balance out. When you count through an entire deck with an unbalanced system (and started a running at zero), you would not end a zero. Examples of unbalanced systems include the Red Seven Count and the KO Count.

Most unbalanced systems begin at an "Initial Running Count" or IRC. Starting at an IRC other than zero means that the unbalanced system will finish at zero. Using an IRC also means that zero is the pivot point at which the odds change to favor the player. Using an IRC guarantees that a positive count still signals a player advantage.

The main advantage to an unbalanced system is that you don't need to convert the running count into a true count. An unbalanced system eliminates the division and decks estimate of a balanced count.

The drawback is that unbalanced system sacrifices some accuracy to achieve simplicity. One must remember that a simple system counted correctly is better than a complex system counted incorrectly.