Posted 3/23/2022 by admin

How To Count Blackjack

How To Card Count Blackjack
How To Count Cards Blackjack Youtube
How To Count Cards Blackjack Book
How To Count Blackjack

That’s mostly because blackjack becomes more likely, and the player gets paid a 50% bonus on every blackjack and also a dealer holding (12-16) will bust every time if the next card drawn is a 10. Card counting allows players to bet more with less risk when the count gives an advantage as well as minimize losses during an unfavorable count.
In other words, most blackjack players should go directly from the ace five count system to a more advanced system like the KO, Red 7, or Hi Lo. I cover the KO in the next section. If you want to learn more about the speed count system, you can follow this link.

Blackjack is one of the most popular gambling games because of its minimum casino advantage and higher chances to win for the players. It is also rather simple to play. You have to count the point values of cards in your hand and the hand of the dealer while keeping track of what comes out of the deck. Throughout the years, gamblers have invented systems that make it easy to keep track of cards during the blackjack gameplay, without having to remember each of them. If you want to learn how to do it, check out our detailed guide!

Card counting is an advantage-play method that helps you determine when the blackjack odds are in your favor. It involves tracking cards as they come out of the shoe and assigning them point values. The running count helps you figure out when the shoe is rich in aces and 10-value cards.

What Is Card Counting in Blackjack?

You might be wondering why you need blackjack card counting. Can’t you just rely on luck? Not if you would like to have an advantage. Counting cards will give you an idea of what cards can come into your hands. And this, consequently, will allow you to make predictions on what combinations you can collect and how many points you can get.

Counting every blackjack card is possible only for players with an exceptional photographic memory. Remembering every card that came out of up to eight decks is beyond the power of an ordinary person. However, you can keep score of blackjack cards by using a few simple techniques.

Card Counting Trainer

If you are a complete beginner in gambling and just starting to learn to count cards, a training software is an excellent option for you. This is a tool that will familiarize you with the process of keeping track of cards in blackjack and, as a bonus, will help you realize that you don’t have to memorize every single card in the game.

An online gambling setting may be more relaxed for some people than a land-based casino. However, even in a virtual casino, you have to be sure when placing your bets. You can start practising with the card counting software in one-deck mode and increase the complexity as you gain confidence. This way, you will acquire blackjack card counting experience in no time.

Ways to Count Cards in Blackjack

Let’s briefly go through the rules of the game. You need to beat the dealer, collecting more points than them, but less than 21.

According to the rules, cards have the following point values in blackjack:

2-10: value according to number
K, Q, J: equals 10
A: counts as 1 or 11

While the round is going on, it is crucial to know when to stop or, conversely, continue to take cards. This way, counting cards gives the player an advantage by informing them about the cards that are left in the deck. Here is the most popular way of counting cards in blackjack.

High-Low Count

The high-low or the basic count for blackjack appeared in 1962. It has become fundamental for all other systems, having received some improvements.

To start counting cards using the plus-minus system, you need to assign them values:

Low: 2 to 6: +1
Neutral: 7 to 9: 0
High: 10 to A: -1

How To Card Count Blackjack

Then, you need to count all the cards that come out of the deck. If we combine the values of all 52 cards from the deck, the result will equal to 0. By counting the cards that you receive, you can make an estimate and predict what type of card will be next.

Here is how you can interpret the results of counting:

Positive score: low cards came out, so the probability of a high card coming out increased
Negative score: increased likelihood of low card output

Having certain cards on hand and a positive or negative score in your head makes it easier to decide what to do next to win.

More Blackjack Counting Methods

Blackjack is among the most played casino games globally. So, it’s no wonder that there is more than one gambling strategy for it.

There are dozens of counting systems, but the simpler they are, the less accurate the result. And more complex systems that have high accuracy are quite challenging to learn. Experienced gamblers recommend starting the learning process of how to count cards in blackjack from the high-low count. However, as you progress, you may find it exciting to discover other methods, such as:

Hi-Opt 1, 2
Omega
Red 7
Zen

Whether you are planning to play blackjack online or at a land-based casino, knowing the basic counting strategies will give you an advantage and increase your chances of winning.

Quick and accurate blackjack card counting is not as simple as it might seem. The game is dynamic and full of adrenaline, especially when playing for real money. You need to read the cards on your hands and at the dealer. At the same time, you need to track how many cards are out of the deck and manage to keep counting.

Even to play according to the simplest high-low system, you will need training. The first steps may be confusing, but remember that it is fine to make mistakes. With practice, you will notice that the process is becoming easy and smooth.

Once you are confident with your newfound blackjack skills, come try them out at Bob Casino. We have a wide variety of blackjack games, including ones with live dealers. Come sign up for an account and begin your blackjack journey today!

What is Counting Cards?

Blackjack is one of the few casino games which, when played optimally using a sound counting method, can offer players a mathematical edge over the house.

This is precisely why casinos reserve the right to refuse service to players identified as being proficient at counting cards (sometimes referred to as ‘advantage players’).

So how do you count cards? Blackjack card counting methods are surprisingly simple. You don’t need to be a genius savant. You don’t need to remember every card dealt. If you can add and subtract the number 1 you’re part way there.

The aim of any blackjack counting strategy is to give the player an idea of the composition of the remaining cards in the shoe. Not exactly what those cards are, but rather the broad composition (majority high cards, or majority low cards). Knowing whether the shoe is high card or low card rich, puts the player at an advantage over the house (hence the term advantage player).

The following discussion looks first at how to count cards using the Hi-Lo method, and second whether this skill can be effectively applied to live dealer blackjack.

How to count cards

There are a number of methods employed to count cards, and contrary to popular belief, none of them involve memorizing every card that has been dealt from a deck/shoe and computing each and every card still left.

One of the most commonly discussed and employed counting methods is the Hi-Lo method. You will not need a photographic memory or rain-man like savant abilities to pull it off…just the ability to add and subtract and pay attention.

Here’s how it works.

All cards in the deck are assigned a value as follows:

+1 for all 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s, 6’s
0 for all 7’s, 8’s, 9’s
-1 for all A’s, K’s, Q’s, J’s, 10’s

As each card is dealt (not just to you…to all positions including the dealer), add the assigned value to a running count. An example deal and corresponding running count would be as follows:

Card dealt	Assigned value	Running count
10	-1	-1
A	-1	-2
8	0	-2
4	+1	-1
5	+1	0
3	+1	1
J	-1	0
2	+1	1
6	+1	2

That’s how you count cards! The next piece of the puzzle is betting to the count (see below). But before we discuss that, here’s a cool way to practice card counting.

Card counting practice

Keeping an accurate running count isn’t as simple as it sounds. Remember, when you play a game of blackjack in a traditional casino or online the deal happens fast. There are also numerous distractions, especially in a traditional casino (player chat, dealer chat, cute cocktail waitresses taking your order etc); and you don’t really want to appear as though you’re counting. Concentration faces aren’t ideal.

It helps if your ability to keep a tight running count is pretty much automatic. For this practice is key.

A great way to practice counting cards is to deal a deck to yourself and keep a running count. If at the completion of the deal you have a count of zero, you were spot on. Increase the deal speed until the count is pretty much second nature and then you’re ready to hit the casinos.

The significance of the running count

Underlying any counting method is the fact that a high card rich deck/shoe, combined with optimal play, increases the mathematical returns of blackjack. This is because a high card rich deck results in more pat hands for the player (ie hands where you will stand, eg 20) and increases the likelihood of dealer busts with forced hits on stiffs (stiff’s being 12’s to 16’s).

A high card rich deck also increases the chances of Blackjacks being dealt – both to the dealer and players, however for players Blackjack pays 3:2 swinging returns in their favour.

So in a nutshell, a high card rich shoe improves players’ chances of winning, and the running count tells you whether the remaining shoe is high card rich or not.

The running count gets high as more low cards have been dealt than high cards, meaning on balance there are more high cards remaining in the shoe. This is referred to as a positive count. The greater the positive the count closer to the end of the shoe, the better the odds for players.

Conversely, if the running count is less than zero (a negative count) then the remaining shoe is low card rich and not a good shoe for players.

Card counting is simply a means of calculating just how high-card-rich the remaining shoe/deck is so that you can bet accordingly.

Playing and betting to the count

Ok, you now know how to keep a tight running count. What do you then do with this count?

First and foremost you must play basic strategy at all times during your session. That is, choosing the optimal Hit, Stand, Split or Double Down decision given your cards and the dealer’s.

Playing Blackjack Basic Strategy is simple, because fortunately the experts have put together simple basic strategy charts (or Hit or Stand charts) that tell you exactly what you should do for every deal circumstance.

These charts will differ depending on the blackjack house rules applying, which do differ from casino to casino. Here’s a typical chart that applies to all live tables offered by Playtech and Evolution Gaming.

Second, you simply:

Increase your bets when you have a high (positive) count towards the end of a shoe; and
Decrease (or stop) your bets when you have a low (negative) count towards the end of a shoe.

The extent to which you increase or decrease your bets will be determined by how high the positive count is, or how low the negative count is.

Nice video explanation of card counting

Does card counting work at live dealer online casinos?

Traditional casinos don’t let players count cards. If they suspect a player is counting cards – and they are pretty good at detecting bet patterns consistent with card counting – they will ask that player to leave and not return. But what about online casinos?

How To Count Cards Blackjack Youtube

RNG (random number generator) blackjack games preclude the possibility of an effective count because all online RNG games are dealt from a full shuffled deck/shoe. Online blackjack card counting is therefore totally useless as you are playing to a full deck/shoe with every deal.

The situation with live dealer games is very different though. This is not a computer generated deck that can be automatically replenished and shuffled every game.

So is a count effective here?

The answer to this question lies in the blackjack game rules stipulated at live dealer casinos – which are typically something like what you will find at BetFred (Playtech powered):

“We offer eight deck Live Blackjack with a live dealer and a real Blackjack table, with multiple players. The cards are shuffled when there are approximately four decks left in the shoe.”

How To Count Cards Blackjack Book

Or at Victor Chandler (Evolution Gaming powered) …

“…shoe is shuffled at regular intervals”

In practice you will find this translates to an approximate mid shoe shuffle also.

In both cases players aren’t able to penetrate deep into the shoe with their count. Playing live dealer blackjack you aren’t given an opportunity to effectively gauge how high card rich the shoe is because the deal never runs to the (near) end of the shoe.