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How To Count Cards In Blackjack
An Introduction to Card Counting
In this article, I break down blackjack card counting as a technique used to keep track of which cards have already been dealt, with the aim of improving the player’s odds of winning. This approach helps estimate when the remaining cards in a blackjack game are more favorable, allowing players to raise their bets strategically.
How to Count Cards
Let’s start with blackjack card counting methods. There are several approaches, most of which fall into two categories: balanced and unbalanced systems. Unbalanced systems such as the Knock Out (KO) method are designed to avoid converting to a true count, making them easier for many players.
I consider balanced systems to be more precise, though they require a bit more calculation. Simpler methods are easier to learn but may not be as accurate in the long run. In this guide, we’ll focus on the High Low system, which is balanced and widely used. It provides a solid middle ground between simplicity and effectiveness. Once familiar with High Low, it becomes easier to move on to more advanced systems or confidently stick with a simpler one.
Hi-Lo Card Counting System
Here’s a unique breakdown of how the basic Hi-Lo card counting system works:
- Start with a running count of 0 before the cards are dealt.
- Assign a value of +1, 0, or -1 to each card as it’s revealed.
- Add +1 for every low-value card seen (2, 3, 4, 5, or 6).
- Subtract -1 for every high-value card (10, Jack, Queen, King, or Ace).
- Assign a value of 0 to neutral cards (7, 8, and 9), meaning they have no impact on the running count.
- Continue updating the running count as more cards are dealt throughout the game.
The logic behind this system is that as more low cards are played, the odds of drawing high cards increase.
That shift is important because high cards can lead to blackjacks or cause the dealer to bust, which is why they’re counted negatively. As the ratio of high to low cards grows in the remaining deck, so does your advantage.
Begin by taking a deck of cards and flipping each one over individually, maintaining a running count throughout. Imagine the cards are revealed as 8, K, 3, 3, 6, 2, 7, A. The count would progress like this: 0, -1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +3, +2. By the end of the deck, your count should balance back to zero.
It’s normal not to master this immediately, it requires practice to become proficient. Continue practicing until you consistently achieve a zero count at the deck’s end. Once you’re accurate, focus on increasing your speed. Aim to move through the deck in about 25 seconds, accurately tracking the count for each card flipped.
Achieving this level of speed and precision is essential; it ensures you can keep up with any dealer’s pace. As you improve, try counting in varied settings or amidst distractions, simulating a busy casino environment. With enough practice, counting should become automatic, equipping you to handle the pace of any game with ease and accuracy.
Testing Accuracy with the Set-Aside Card Exercise
After mastering card counting, try a new exercise to test your skills further. Take one card from the deck, face down, and set it aside without looking. Then, go through the rest of the deck, maintaining a careful count. Once you’ve finished, attempt to guess the identity of the set-aside card based on the count. Think, “This should be a ten or an ace.” Flip the card over to check if the guess was correct and see how accurate the counting has become. I find this practice has helped me sharpen my ability to track and predict the cards effectively.
Improving Speed and Accuracy by Spotting Canceling Pairs
Now, let’s move on to turning over two cards at a time. This method is common in hand-held games like single or double-deck “pitch” games. When the dealer shows both of a player’s cards after a bust, it’s useful to quickly skip over pairs that cancel each other out, like a queen and a 5. Training your eyes to ignore these “matching pairs” can make counting more efficient. The less you have to process, the faster and more accurate your card counting will become.
Timing Your Count: Methods for Tracking Cards in Play
There are different ways people count cards during a game. In face-up shoe games, some players choose to wait before counting. They prefer to see both cards dealt to each hand first, as these often balance each other out, like a 10 and a 6. Or, two hands in a row might cancel each other out, like a King-10 followed by a 3-5. Others like to count each card as it is dealt. I suggest you try both methods to see which one suits you best.
Adapting Your Card Counting Strategy for Pitch Games
When it comes to choosing games, don’t settle for ones with bad conditions. If your local option is a six-deck game where more than two decks are cut off, it’s better to wait and save your money for better opportunities. Many people think of Las Vegas for good games, but even there, things can vary. For instance, during Super Bowl weekend, I saw a double-deck game where over a deck was cut off, which was a bad move by the casino.
At another casino, they usually dealt five or six hands, but during that weekend, they only dealt three in a heads-up game. I overheard some dealers mentioning that they were making the games tougher for the Super Bowl crowd. The lesson here is to always look for games with better rules and penetration. Leave the game if the conditions aren’t favorable. Penetration is an important factor for success.
It typically requires about 20 hours of concentrated practice to become proficient in these two exercises, although the exact duration can differ from person to person.
The game most often associated with card counting is blackjack, particularly in games that use multiple decks or a shoe. Players assign specific values to cards and maintain a running count to gauge the makeup of the remaining deck. Although card counting doesn’t ensure a win, it can slightly improve the player’s advantage over time when used consistently and correctly.
How Profitable is Card Counting in Blackjack
Card counting in blackjack has been shown in plenty of movies, often making it seem like a guaranteed way to beat the house. I’ve learned that in reality, it’s far from foolproof. If it were really that simple, everyone would be doing it, and casinos would have either shut it down entirely or made drastic changes to protect their profits.
Yes, card counting can guide your decisions during a hand by indicating whether there are more high cards like 10s and Aces or low-value cards left in the deck. I’ve found that while it can slightly shift the advantage toward the player, the actual edge gained is modest, usually between 0.5% and 1.5%. Because of this small margin, many players decide it’s not worth the time and focus required to apply effectively.
Blackjack Card Counting Strategies
Stand:
As a player, you have the option to stand on totals ranging from 12 to 16, a choice the dealer doesn’t have. When many 10s remain in the shoe, the risk of busting goes up. Therefore, it is advisable to adopt a more conservative approach and stand when the likelihood of busting is higher.
Insurance:
Normally, taking insurance is seen as a poor bet, but if there are more 10s in the shoe than usual, it may be worth considering. Typically, a 10 is drawn about 30.8% of the time from the shoe. However, if this probability increases to 33.33%, meaning 1 in 3 cards is a 10, then the house advantage on this bet is neutralized. Any percentage over 33.33% tips the odds in favor of the player, as the potential gains begin to outweigh the potential losses.
Doubling:
Most often, players hope for a 10 when they decide to double down. With a high number of 10s in the shoe, the likelihood of drawing one increases. Therefore, you should aim to maximize your bets by doubling down when your total is higher than the dealer’s and there is no risk of busting. For instance, consider doubling down when you have a total of 9 and the dealer shows an 8.
Surrender:
If there are a lot of 10’s available and it would lead to you Busting, then a viable alternative when available is to Surrender. Yes, you lose half your stake with no chance of winning the hand, but the odds are higher than average that you will Bust anyway, so by Surrendering you at least get half of your stake back as opposed to losing the lot.
Splitting:
Typically, you would split when you hold a strong card and the dealer shows a low card. The strategy is about maximizing your bets, especially when the dealer has a 5 or 6. With an above-average number of 10s in the shoe, consider splitting when the dealer shows a 3 or 4. This increases the likelihood of the dealer busting and improves your chances of achieving a favorable total.
Watching Your Bet Range: 
In pitch games, spreading your bets from 1 to 5 units is typical; in shoe games, larger spreads such as 1 to 8 or betting on two hands at 6 each are often possible. Generally, counters increase their bets incrementally as the count improves: 1 unit at a negative or neutral count, then progressively higher with the count. For more insights, consider reading Stanford Wong’s Professional Blackjack and Don Schlesinger’s Blackjack Attack. In fact, try to read everything available from these authors, as well as works by Snyder, Uston, and other recognized experts. The more you read, the more you learn.
At this stage, I think it’s wise to start slow and stick to the lowest-stakes tables available. Focus on improving your skills and behavior at the table. In places like Nevada, it’s still possible to find tables with a minimum bet of one dollar. Even with a modest betting spread of 1 to 5 dollars, a counter should have a bankroll in the hundreds. Avoid playing if your funds are insufficient, as it will only diminish your chances. Expect big swings in wins and losses, which are normal in this game. Although you won’t win every time, a skilled counter will come out ahead in the long run.
Counting Cards as a Team
Counting cards as a team demands discreet yet effective communication methods. The spotter, responsible for keeping track of the count, typically uses subtle gestures to inform the big player. These signals can range from changing how they handle their chips to tapping the table or subtly shifting their position. Such signals indicate when the count is advantageous. The big player then makes higher bets based on these cues, while the back-spotter continues to monitor the table’s overall activity.
In team card counting, discreet signals are essential to remain undetected. Here are a few examples:
- Chip placement: Adjusting the way chips are stacked can indicate when the count is favorable.
- Tapping the table: A single or double tap might signal to the big player to raise or lower their bets.
- Body language: Leaning back or crossing arms can indicate when to stay in or leave the game.
- Hand signals: Rubbing your nose or adjusting your glasses can signify a change in the count.
Should You Count Cards?
The key issue to address is whether you should count cards, which largely depends on the circumstances. If you are a typical player who isn’t aiming to play blackjack professionally or regularly, then you align with the majority of blackjack players.
Studies have shown that card counting is not just a tool to even the odds against a casino. In some cases, it can even put you ahead of the house, and tip the odds in your favor. In fact, card counters tend to have about 0.5% to 1% advantage when it comes to the game. This might not seem like much, but in a game like a blackjack, it certainly is.
You might be thinking, “If card counting is so effective, then why doesn’t everyone use it?” There are a few reasons behind that.
- Most gambling establishments frown upon card counting. The practice is made as hard as possible, and once you are caught, you might face a lifelong ban.
- Some people are unwilling to learn how to count cards. Others simply aren’t able to.
- It takes a long time to learn. Some people simply don’t have the time.
- Many people misunderstand that card counting is illegal. To date, there is nothing illegal about the practice. It is simply frowned upon by casinos.
However, all four of these drawbacks haven’t stopped certain professional blackjack players from learning the skill and applying it daily in their games. And if they can do it, so can you. Still, I won’t pretend it’s easy. There are a few things you need to keep in mind before starting your card counting journey.
- You must dedicate dozens of hours to this. It isn’t as easy as some films or other websites make it seem.
- You must master the basic rules and variations of the game.
- You must familiarize yourself with the basic strategies of blackjack.
- You must play hundreds of games until you are sure that you will make no mistakes.
- You must also learn how to stay undetected. This means frequently changing casinos and tables. It might even involve sometimes taking a dive.
- Lastly, it is best to play by yourself against the dealer. Or at least with as few other players as possible. So choose the time of day or night when a casino is least attended.
If you can master all the rules mentioned above, you’ll have no trouble becoming just as skilled a counter as any of the pros. But if you’re like I was in the beginning, not trying to go pro or beat the house every time, and just want to enjoy a casual game of blackjack, learning the basic strategy is enough. It will still help reduce the house’s edge and give you a better shot at winning.
By mastering basic strategies, you will have at least evened the odds, and given yourself just a little advantage. Enough to win a few games.
Card Counting Tips
Focus on casino conditions: Look for games with favorable rules and good deck penetration to increase your edge.
Maintain a steady demeanor: Don’t let your actions or facial expressions give away that you’re counting cards.
Stay alert to table dynamics: Pay attention to when a dealer switches decks or shuffles unexpectedly.
Take breaks: Count for short periods to avoid fatigue and stay sharp throughout your play.
Track the discard tray: Pay attention to how many cards have been played to adjust your count accordingly.
Avoid counting at every table: Some tables are better than others for card counting, so choose games with favorable conditions.
Blend in with casual players: Don’t bet aggressively or use obvious strategies that might alert casino staff.
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