High Low is a popular card-guessing game you may have heard of due to its simplicity (it only requires a deck of cards to play!).
Not only is it widely famous in the gambling industry and adopted by most casinos but it’s also one of the most popular drinking games.
The card game is well-known for its longevity and fun gameplay even though tracing back its origins is quite hard.
What is the Higher or Lower Card Game?
The High Low card game (also known as Hi Lo) is incredibly simple to play. In this article, we’ll go into detail on how you should play it and what the most common strategies are.
Basics of Hi-Lo
How do you play the High Low card game?
In the traditional game, you will have a card face-up and your only objective will be to guess if the upcoming card will be higher or lower. As a rule of thumb, Ace is the lowest and King is the highest card possible.
To win in Hi Lo, you have to correctly guess what cards are coming up next. By collecting these cards on a streak, your payout will also be multiplied: the more correct guesses you make in a row, the bigger your profit.
Some casinos offer different options when a King or an Ace are face-up.
For example, betting on “Same” instead of “Lower” or “Higher” will generate a greater payout (if you get it right!). When any other type of card is up, casinos also give you the ability to bet “Lower or Same” or “Higher or Same” in which your bet will still be valid if the same card comes up.
In High Low, the payout for each card is calculated based on the probability of each outcome. If you have a deuce (2) and you bet “Lower,” there is only one possible lower card which is the Ace, meaning your payout will be considerably bigger than betting the other way around if you get it right.
If the casino gives you the option “Lower or Same” and a deuce (2) hits, you will get the same payout as if it was an Ace. The higher the streak of correct guesses, the bigger your payout. But remember, one wrong guess and you lose your bet in full. It all depends on your approach and what High Low strategies you’re aiming for.
In High Low, you can cash out and collect your winnings at any given time, with the profit payout connected to the multiplier of your last card. If we’d cash out in the example above, we’d collect just a little bit over 3.5x profit.
Types of Hi Lo Games
Every casino Hi Lo game may be played differently but — as a rule of thumb — Ace is always the lowest card and King is the highest.
Some casinos offer additional betting options on High Low card games, some allow you to bet “Same” when a King or an Ace is face-up, and others offer you more than the standard Higher and Lower buttons.
Guessing the next card by color or digit is also an option but, unfortunately, this is rarely seen in many casinos. Besides providing you with new ways of betting, the latter also increases your chances of succeeding when guessing the upcoming card(s).
When choosing the Red color, you’re betting that the next card will be Diamonds ♦ or Hearts ♥, whereas Black stands for Spades ♠ and Clubs ♣.
You can also bet in two slightly different ways: 2-10 meaning any numbered card will come up next, or JQKA for Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces.
These advanced Hi Lo game options not only make your game more fun to play but they also give you an advantage over the house.
Card Skipping
When you’re playing Hi Lo, one of the most powerful tools a casino can offer you is the ability to skip cards. This feature allows you to skip a card you’re not comfortable with and reduce the risk of losing your bet.
Besides, it also gives you the possibility to choose your starting card.
The catch?
There is none!
You can usually find this option right next to the main card.
You will probably have a limited number of cards you can skip (usually around 50) but your streak payout will suffer no change — all you’re doing is removing a card from the deck and guessing the outcome of the next.
Hi Lo Game Strategies
Some guides might tell you otherwise but there are in fact some High Low strategies you can adopt to turn your session into a profitable one.
Whether you are ready to take big risks or determined and patient (and committed to spending time on increasing your balance), there are several approaches you can take…
The most important thing is to find a casino that gives you the power to win big (which for Hi Lo is giving you as many possibilities as possible).
Hilo Strategy 1 – Aiming for lower payouts
The saying «look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves» can really be applied to this strategy. Your goal here is to bet small but consistently since playing with a lower risk can bring you great results in the long-term.
In this method, you are betting on the higher probabilities and lower payouts which significantly decreases the risk of missing a card.
Most gamblers usually opt to go as far as two or three cards before proceeding with their cashout. As previously mentioned, some casinos allow you to skip the starting card, and this is a great starting point for a consistent winning streak.
Hilo Strategy 2 – Aiming for higher payouts
If you’re a person willing to play with some higher risk, you might be able to hit that crypto jackpot on High Low by collecting as many cards as possible. The more cards you collect, the bigger your payout.
But the amount of cards is not all there is to it…
If you correctly guess, say, 5 cards in a row with the lowest probabilities, you will have a significant multiplier on your bet.
This strategy consists in risking several bets for a higher payout so your goal is to be persistent until you hit that desired big win (always take into account your balance and the amount of risk you’re willing to take).
Hilo Strategy 3 – First card hunt
For this Hi Lo strategy you have to confirm whether the casino offers you the possibility to bet “Same” when an Ace or a King is face-up. This option must be available, otherwise the strategy won’t be possible.
Your only goal in this strategy is to hunt a 12x multiplier.
Choose an Ace or a King as your starting card and click “Same”, if one of those cards hits you will be able to win a good payout.
If you hit it between the next 12 rounds you will still profit.
You can always increase your chances (and decrease your payout) by having a Deuce or a Queen as a starting card but only if the casino gives you the possibilities “Lower or Same” or “Higher or Same.”
2 (Lower or Same) (15% chance)
Hits 2 – 6.4x
Hits A – 6.4x
Q (Higher or Same) (15% chance)
Hits Q – 6.4x
Hits K – 6.4x
K (Same) (7.5% chance)
Hits K – 12.8x
A (Same) (7.5% chance)
Hits A – 12.8x
NOTE: These percentages and payouts do not apply to every casino but are close values.
Final Thoughts on High Low Card Game
Hi Lo is one of the easiest to understand casino games as the mechanics are simple and straightforward. When deciding your casino, make sure you have as many options as possible to diversify your gameplay.
After all, no one plays a game to get bored quickly.
When deciding which strategy to use for Hi Lo, first think about the kind of player you want to be: do you prefer a higher risk for a higher reward, or a lower risk for a more steady balance growth?
These factors are important to determine your decisions but, in the end, fun is a major factor, so we hope you have as much fun as possible!
Frequently Asked Questions
High Low is a simple casino card guessing game where you can place bets depending on whether the next card in the deck is going to be higher or lower (from the ace to the king). Based on the betting options and probability, your bet multiplier will increase for each card you guess correctly and you can also accumulate a streak of cards.
Playing High Low is fairly straightforward: you get an initial card and you bet whether the next will be higher or lower, with the ace being the lowest and the king being the highest. Depending on the casino, you will have different options for betting such as colors (red or black), numbers (from 2 to 10), and JQKA (Jack, Queen, King, Ace).
In High Low, the Ace is the lowest card available in the deck so the rules are based purely on the numeric value of the cards.
Contrary to popular belief, there are quite a few strategies you can use in High Low: 1) aiming for lower payouts; 2) aiming for higher payouts, and; 3) first card hunt. Check out the blog post for more information on each strategy and how to apply them.