A typical running count is used with this system and the count starts at zero with one deck of cards. For two decks the count starts at minus four, for six decks it starts at minus twenty and for an eight shoe deck it starts at minus twenty-eight. Cards two through seven accrue a value of plus one, cards eight and nine count as zero and cards ten through ace count as a minus one. Ten through Ace are usually required to give a player a blackjack, so every time one is eliminated from the table your odds of obtaining blackjack therefore statistically go down.
The caveat with the Knock-Out Count system is that unlike many other blackjack systems the deck will always hold a count higher than zero (also known to gamblers as an unbalanced point system), and players should scale their bets accordingly. A good rule of thumb is to increase the size of your bet depending on the number of decks that are in play multiplied by two, as the advantage in this system typically begins when the count is above two. For example, a four deck game would see you increasing your bet size once the count was above eight (four times two equals eight).
As always a good way to learn the Knock-Out system is by practicing card counting at home without real money on the line, and before undertaking in a real casino to understand at least the basics of fundamental blackjack strategy. A true count on a deck of fifty-two cards utilizing the Knock-Out system will always result in a plus four once the entire deck has been run through. For players interested in keeping a running count with multiple decks of cards, it is recommended to divide your true count by the number of decks in play.
