Your first round. From setup to finish.

You have 18. The dealer shows 6. Use that small example to learn the whole workflow, including what happens after your decision.

This is a made-up practice round with a fixed sequence of cards. You can read it freely; following along in the application requires invited beta access. From Account, choose Open Advantage Count, then open Analyzer.

Start with a fresh practice shoe and running count (RC) 0. If you already have a round or shoe in progress, finish that exercise first. This walkthrough deliberately starts a new shoe.

0–2 MIN / SET THE CONTEXT

Check the table before adding a card.

Open Ruleset Builder. For this exercise, use the following settings. Give the ruleset a recognisable name, such as First practice.

Choose Save ruleset. On an unused shoe, saving applies the settings. With an existing shoe, saving does not apply them; follow the instructions below. Read any reset confirmation before continuing.

Return to Analyzer. Check the ruleset name and active table summary at the top, and confirm running count 0 before entering this example. Leave the calculation mode on Auto.

2–4 MIN / BUILD THE HAND

Choose the destination. Then enter the rank.

Under Choose input target, select the destination before using the card buttons. Enter the practice deal in this order:

1. Your hand → 10.

   Select Your hand and add a 10.

2. Dealer → 6.

   Select Dealer and add a 6. The first dealer card is the upcard.

3. Your hand → 8.

   Select Your hand again and add an 8. Your total is now a hard 18.

The visible cards should be 10, 8 in Your hand and 6 in Dealer cards. Leave Other visible cards empty for this exercise. In a larger practice deal, use Other players for their exposed cards too.

Keep the dealer’s hidden card unknown until it is revealed. If your last entry is wrong, use Undo, check the destination and enter the correct card.

4–6 MIN / READ THE ANSWER

Look past the largest word.

The Decision panel now has a hand to evaluate. Auto can show a provisional Fast result while a fuller calculation runs, so check the calculation status as well as Best action.

Open Strategy and EV details. Find the Basic Strategy answer, the TC Strategy answer and the action values. For this fresh-shoe hard 18 against 6, the basic-strategy answer is Stand.

Expected value (EV) is the average net result implied by the calculation, measured in units of the original bet. Higher is better in that comparison. Read its accuracy label too; EV does not reveal the next card.

The EV guide explains those units. Later in the reading path, strategy and deviations explains why the answers can differ.

6–8 MIN / COMPLETE THE DEAL

Record the action, then the dealer’s cards.

Under Record your action, choose Stand. This records your choice and completes your hand. The table round still needs the dealer’s result.

1. Check that the input target is Dealer.

   Your hand stays at 10, 8.

2. Add a 10 as the dealer’s revealed card.

   The dealer now has 6, 10: a total of 16.

3. Add an 8 as the dealer’s next card.

   The dealer now has 6, 10, 8: a total of 24, which is bust.

The round is complete. Your standing 18 wins this example, for a net result of +1 unit of the original bet. That is the outcome of these supplied cards, separate from the EV you read before the reveal.

8–10 MIN / CHECK WHAT CARRIES FORWARD

Start a new round. Keep the same shoe.

Before advancing, check the five visible cards: your 10, 8 and the dealer’s 6, 10, 8. Together they give RC −1.

Choose Next round. The current hand areas clear for the next deal, while those cards remain removed from the shoe. With no other cards entered, running count stays at −1.

Reset shoe and Reset session are under Session controls. Use Reset shoe when deliberately starting a fresh practice shoe, and read the confirmation. It is not the button for moving from one ordinary round to the next.