Part III: Business & Regulation · Gambling Mathematics & Probability

31. Omega II System

Blackjack Math

The Omega II is a multi-level (Level 2), balanced card counting system developed by Bryce Carlson and described in his book “Blackjack for Blood.” It assigns more granular point values than Hi-Lo: 2 and 3 = +1, 4-6 = +2, 7 = +1, 8 = 0, 9 = -1, and 10-Ace = -2, providing a more precise measure of deck composition at the cost of increased complexity. With a betting correlation of 0.92 and playing efficiency of 0.67, Omega II offers superior playing efficiency compared to Hi-Lo, though its lower BC means it is slightly less effective for bet sizing without an ace side count. Surveillance teams are less likely to encounter Omega II counters than Hi-Lo counters, but should be aware that players using multi-level systems may exhibit more sophisticated play.

In practice

An ace side count is recommended with Omega II to improve betting correlation from 0.92 to 0.99. The system is similar to the Zen Count and Canfield Master systems. Omega II is a balanced system, requiring true count conversion.

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