Hi-Lo 13 predicts whether the player’s first two cards total above 13, below 13 or exactly 13. It is an optional side bet, not the Hi-Lo card-counting system. Odds apply only to the stated decks, card values and paytable.
Published two-deck model
One documented Microgaming version used two decks. Aces count as 1 for this side bet and ten-value cards count as 10. Hi and Lo pay 1:1; exactly 13 pays 10:1. The main blackjack hand is separate.
Exact two-deck probabilities
Two decks contain 104 cards and 5,356 unordered two-card combinations. Direct enumeration gives 2,500 combinations above 13, 2,408 below 13 and 448 exactly 13.
| Wager | Win probability | Net payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hi: above 13 | 46.676624% | 1:1 | 6.646751% |
| Lo: below 13 | 44.958925% | 1:1 | 10.082151% |
| Exactly 13 | 8.364451% | 10:1 | 7.991038% |
The values depend on drawing two cards without replacement from a full two-deck shoe. Another deck count, ace rule, threshold or paytable changes them.
Not a counting system
The ordinary Hi-Lo count assigns tags to ranks to estimate the richness of undealt cards. Hi-Lo 13 instead resolves a wager from a two-card total. Sharing the words “Hi-Lo” does not make the side bet dependent on a running count, true count, penetration or bet spread.
Before wagering
- Confirm the deck count, ace value and paytable.
- Check whether the virtual shoe resets after every round.
- Keep side-bet expected loss separate from the main blackjack return.
- Do not use these percentages for another version.
Further reading
Side bets increase total exposure. Set affordable limits before play.
