--- title: 'Most Players Get the True Count Wrong — Make Sure YOU Know!' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=5cUXJLg3K3I' video_id: '5cUXJLg3K3I' date: 2026-08-12 duration_sec: 986 channel: 'A1 Blackjack' --- # Most Players Get the True Count Wrong — Make Sure YOU Know! > Source: [Most Players Get the True Count Wrong — Make Sure YOU Know!](https://youtube.com/watch?v=5cUXJLg3K3I) ## Summary This video is a practical guide to calculating the true count in blackjack card counting. The host plays through a six-deck shoe, pausing at various points to challenge viewers to compute the true count based on the discard tray. The video concludes with a verification of the running count and reveals the correct true counts for self-assessment. ### Key Points - **True Count Definition** [00:28] — The true count is the running count divided by the number of decks left to be played. Example: running count +10 with 5 decks left gives a true count of +2. - **Discard Tray Tracking** [00:44] — Card counters track the discard tray to estimate how many cards are left in the shoe, which is used to calculate the true count. - **Practice Exercise** [01:36] — The host plays basic strategy without deviations, ensuring the focus remains on counting. Viewers are asked to note the true count at eight or nine points. - **Verification of Count** [14:48] — At the end, the running count is verified against the discard tray. The host notes that if the running count is off, the true counts will be too. - **True Count Applications** [16:15] — True counts inform betting and playing decisions, including deviations. The host recommends Casino Supply for practice equipment with a discount code. ## Transcript for you where we're going to be playing through [music] a six deck shoe. You can because every time one of those cut cards comes out, it's going to be current true count is. At the end of this video, I will reveal those get started, what is a true count? Well, we have our running count, of course, plus one, 7, eights and nines [music] are worth zero, and then our 10 valued cards and aces are worth minus one. That's our running count. We keep track [music] gets played. U the true count, however, is going to be that number, the running count, [music] divided by the number of decks left to be played. All counter will do is they'll keep track every time a card goes into the discard tray, they will notice how many cards are in there and they'll use that information to figure out how many cards are left in the shoe. For example, if there is a full deck in the discard tray and we're playing a six deck game, well, that means there's five decks left to be played. And so, I would divide by five. Take my running count, divide it by five, and that would be the true count. For example, if the true count or if the running count was plus 10, and there's five decks left, 10 / 5, that would give me a true count of plus two. I'm not going to be your job. But I'm going be playing basic strategy with these three players. And I'm playing two chips each. Just red, green, and black. Doesn't matter a whole lot. I do have a discard tray camera over here in the corner though for you, so you can keep track and get a a good eye as to what the discard tray is doing and get a good accurate true count as we play. You guys think, eight or nine of these different um true counts. So, you can write those down on a piece of paper. I will give you those answers at the end of this will still count. Otherwise, you guys will still count. Otherwise, you guys ready? Get set. Let's count. Heat. All maybe write down on a piece of paper what is the current true count with the here in the discard tray along with the number of cards that are left to be [music] played. I'll let you figure that out and then we're going to keep going. again, write down maybe next to number two on your piece of paper, what is the two on your piece of paper, what is the current true count right now. the way, I'm not using any deviations as I'm not counting. I'm just playing basic strategy. So, if you see something that should be a deviation, that's probably All right, that said, what is the current true count? Now, this is going current true count? Now, this is going to be number three. All right, let's keep going. Heat. be number four on your sheet if you're keeping track. What is the current true keeping track. What is the current true count now? playing H17 as well. So that's why [music] we hit that last one. Um, all right. What's the true count now? It's going to be number five. Keep going. See if this guy can stay in the game here. the true count now judging by the discard tray? This should be number six on your piece of paper. All right, keep going. right, number seven. What's the true count now? [music] last true count here? Go ahead and write that down. And I think we have probably one more hand to finish this out. hand to finish this out. There it is. There's the real cut card. those. All right, let's check out our actual All right, let's check out our actual count here and then I will uh show you those true counts on the screen after this. Remember, this plus the burn card should be the opposite of what our count currently is if we're correct. If you're not correct, you might want to rewatch this because your true counts probably also are not correct. So, just uh kind of keep that [music] in mind uh kind of before I reveal what those are. That way, it's kind of a good point to go right, let's count up. See what we got here. We have 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 2 3 2 1 0 D1 0 D1 0 D1 D2 D1 D2 D1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 one zero 0 D1 D2 D1 D2 D1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 one zero and the burn card D1 one. So this was minus one. We should have ended at a count of + one. So again, if you were go back to the beginning before I reveal the true counts for you, which I'll put the true counts for you, which I'll put on the screen now. want to practice on your own with chips, felt, cards, discard trays, things like that. If you go to Casino Supply, use code A1BJ. You get 10% off your entire to practice with. Again, that's casinosupply.com. able to get all of those true counts correct as you were marking them down. Remember, true counts help us inform our bets as well as our playing decisions like that. In fact, if you want to learn more about deviations, you can check out more about deviations, you can check out this video right