The Unbalanced Zen Count 2 card counting system was developed by George C. and is very similar to Arnold Snyder’s Zen Count system. The basic difference is that the UBZ2 is an unbalanced system, while the Zen Count is a balanced system.
The Unbalanced Zen Count 2 is a level 2, unbalanced system that was actually designed to be a combination of the Zen count system and the Revere Point Count system.
The indices range from -2 to +2, which is why it’s a level 2 system and it’s considered unbalanced because the starting count depends on the number of decks in play. You would start the count by multiplying the number of decks in play by -2, giving you the start number. For instance, in a 6 deck game, your count would start at -12 and go up or down from that point.
It works like that because the effect of a particular card being dealt out of a single dealt is more significant than a card being dealt out of multiple decks. If you think specifically about aces, and 4 aces are dealt out of a single deck, the chances of getting a blackjack drops to 0%, however, if 4 aces are dealt out of 6 decks, you still have chances to hit a blackjack.
What else makes this system difficult is that a true count, instead of a running count is used, making it slightly more difficult. Fortunately, getting a true count is not all that difficult, it’s just one more step in the process.
True count is determined by dividing the running count by the estimate of the number of decks left in the shoe. A true count is designed to give the player a more accurate representation of the remaining cards and how favorable or not it is to the player.
How it Works
Each card in the deck is assigned a value of -2, -1, 0, +1, or +2. The chart of values is:
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | J | Q | K | A |
| +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +1 | 0 | 0 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -2 | -1 |
As the cards are dealt, a running count is kept. The starting count will depend on the number of decks in play. You will then need to convert the running count to the true count before deciding on your bet.
Once you reach the shuffle, you revert back to the starting number of -2 multiplied by the number of decks.
ACE TRACKING
Fortunately, keeping track of aces on the side is not part of this system because they are given a value within the system. This is what the more advanced players like about the system, one less thing to track.
SIZING YOUR BETS
As usual, once you reach a positive count, you can increase your bet. With this unbalanced system, when the count is above 0, your edge over the house is about 1%, so you definitely want to bet more.
While the count remains negative, only bet the minimum or consider moving to another table.
Keep your betting variances moderate, as to not draw attention to your playing style. Play with a betting system that will keep your bet spread fairly even, in order to not look like you’re counting cards and know the deck has become quite favorable to the player.
Casinos understand that players will bet more if the cards seem to be “running good,” just don’t let them figure out why you know the cards are running good!
FINAL THOUGHTS
The Unbalanced Zen Count 2 system is best used by an experienced card counter who wants a powerful system. It is relatively hard to use, but quite effective when compared with other systems.
