Blackjack is a popular game both offline and on, and is available to play in multiple forms at Playfinacasino Australia. There are numerous strategies employed by players to try and be more successful during their gaming. One of these is to count cards. This technique is specifically designed to reduce the house advantage of the game, giving the player an edge over the banker and the house. However, if you want to know how to count cards in blackjack, it’s not a straightforward process and requires time, practice and patience.
How card counting works
Many players assume that card counting is all about memorising every single card. This is actually wrong. As a player counting cards, there is no need to remember every card dealt from the shoe. Rather, players simply need to have a good idea of what the remaining value of the card deck is going to be. With this type of attitude toward the game, it’s easier for players to adjust bet size or styles of play as the game proceeds. Already though, blackjack has some of the best odds when it comes to casino games. As such, this does give players a chance to implement more strategies. Each hand requires decision-making, but because of this, players can really influence the outcome of the game. This is why also having a basic blackjack strategy, which is then supplemented by card counting, is the best option. As a quick tip, blackjack players are more likely to win when there are more cards with a value of 10 or 11 in the deck. Counting cards like this allows players to remember what the high-to-low card ratio is in the remaining deck.
Step-by-step counting tutorial
First, it is important to remember that this card counting technique only works when a casino doesn’t shuffle the deck after each hand has been played. Players will need to count cards from the first hand of a new shoe for this to have a chance of working.
1. Learn the card values
Each card has a value in this strategy. This is different to their actual face value. These need to be carefully learnt to be successful. Any card running from 2 to 6 is worth 1. Cards with a face value of 7 to 9 are zero and 10 and face cards are all worth minus 1.
2. Count cards
When each card lands on the table, using the values provided above, players need to keep a running tally of all the cards that have been used. To help, here is an example: If the dealer shows a 5 (this is worth 1) and the player has a 7 (value of 0) and a Jack (-1), then the current count is 0. But, if the dealer then reveals a 2 (1) and hits to get a 9 (0), the count when the hand has finished is 1. It’s possible to practice remembering the values and counting cards at home. The best way to do so is by using six or eight-card decks, shuffling, then dealing them out. This way, if the player feels like they have lost count in their running tally, it’s easy to check by looking at the dealt cards. Practice without losing money.
3. Calculating the real count
Often, blackjack is played with just one deck, which is the version that is easiest for players to win — it has the lowest house edge. With any basic blackjack strategy, it’s possible to reduce the casino’s advantage when playing with just a single deck. And, it’s far easier to count cards with just one deck in play. Of course, casinos don’t want to make it easier, so these days, a single-deck game of blackjack is hard to come by. The more decks in play, the higher the house edge. In order to get the real or true count of the decks in play, you need to remember the running count that you’ve got. Then, this running count is divided by the number of decks that are in the game. So, if the running count is 12 and there are six card decks, then the count is 2. Keeping track of the true count alongside the running tally is the way to see how the house edge is going to affect the rest of the deck. If there is a true count of 1 with six decks, then this indicates the casino or banker has lost the advantage and this is time for optimal player. It’s at this point that players can increase bets to try to win more. As a further example, if the true count is 3, then this drops the house edge to -1% which means there is a significant advantage for players.
4. Use the count as an advantage
Once we get the count, the idea is to win. This means changing the bet being placed in accordance with the current running tally or true count. Generally, it’s better to start with smaller bets, and then increasing this when there is a positive true count number. As such, this can help players get more profit when utilizing the lower house edge. It’s a good idea to match the betting unit with the number of the count and this way it can be raised and lowered to match. This technique makes it even easier to keep track of the counting process. Of course, it can be obvious what is happening and draw attention of the pit bosses.
5. Change basics
Once the bet goes up, practiced players can then deviate from the basic blackjack strategy. If there is a true count of 3 or more, then it can be a good idea to buy insurance on a dealer’s Ace for example. Other changes in the basic strategy include splitting tens rather than standing, double down on tens versus an Ace from a dealer, and so on. While it’s not illegal to card count, do not do it with a machine as this is cheating and can result in severe penalties.
