HOW TO COUNT CARDS IN BLACKJACK Assign a tag of (+1) to every 2- 6 ranked cards and a tag of (–1) to every 10-A. Start your count after the shuffle and add the tags to each card that is pulled from the. Card counting is a technique used in blackjack to improve your long-term odds. By assigning values to each card, you can gauge the strength or weakness of the remaining cards in the show. Adjust your bets depending on the value of the remaining cards. Your bets increase if the count is high.

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Blackjack is one of the most popular Casino games in the world. The reason why it is many players' favourite is the fact that it has the best RTP and the highest payouts of all Casino games.

However, what if we told you that you could increase the RTP even more if you use a special technique called 'card counting'?

You must have already heard about it if you have some experience with Blackjack. But you have probably always thought that counting cards in Blackjack is only for geniuses who know their way around numbers.

Wrong.

You don't need to be Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory to count cards in Blackjack.

Counting cards in Blackjack has nothing to do with memorising numbers or utilising complex formulas.

The technique is based on a simple set of principles you should follow closely to get the best results.

Discover how to count cards in Blackjack and get more chances to win when you engage a dealer in a game of 21.

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Check out the best free Blackjack games online and use them practice card counting.

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What Is Card Counting?

Card counting is a technique in Blackjack that allows players to know when the advantage in the game shifts in their favour.

When that happens, they will increase their bets and win more than the house. When the advantage shifts in the dealer's favour, they will decrease their bets and lay low.

Easy, right?

By following a set of rules and adjusting their bets accordingly, the players (i.e. you) can win more over a longer period of time than when solely relying on luck and basic gameplay.

The idea of card counting is based on a scientifically proven principle that high-value cards are more beneficial for the player, whereas low-value cards are more beneficial for the dealer.

We'll teach you how to make this rule work in your favour.

How Does Card Counting Work?

Before talking more about card counting techniques, it's important to note that in Blackjack the cards are not shuffled after every round.

Instead, they are counted when the number of cards in a deck/decks decreases sufficiently.

After a deck is shuffled, there is an equal number of low and high cards in the deck.

As the game proceeds, the ratio of low and high cards changes. As we have already mentioned, high cards are beneficial for the player and low cards are beneficial for the dealer.

The dealer benefits from low cards because they are obligated to hit hands 12 to 16. If there are more low cards in the deck, there is a higher chance that the dealer will not bust when they hit.

To know when the deck is more saturated with high or low cards, the players assign values to the cards and then add them together.

• Cards 2-6 have a value of +1
• Cards 10-A have a value of -1
• Cards 7-9 have a value of 0 (because they benefit neither the dealer nor the players)

Card counters must pay attention to every card that enters the table and calculate the total sum of the cards.

If the sum of all cards is positive at the end of the round, the player will bet more in the next round. However, if the sum is negative, they will bet less.

The more cards have been played and the higher the positive count, the more money the player should bet in the next round. It's as simple as that!

Is Card Counting Legal?

Card counting seems illegal because you are basically trying to outsmart the Casino.

However, that's exactly what you're trying to do and nothing more. Therefore, no matter what anyone tells you (including Casinos), card counting is completely legal.

But (there's always a but), Casinos have the right to refuse to provide services to whomever they wish, whenever they wish, for whatever reason they deem valid.

Therefore, if Casino officials notice that you have decreased their edge by counting cards, they might refuse to allow you to play in their Casino the next time you come.

More often than not, you will be prohibited to play Blackjack while other games will still be available to you.

Counting Cards Illegal

However, catching a card counter is not that easy, so it does not happen often. Therefore, you can start learning card counting techniques and not worry about getting caught

Pros and Cons of Card Counting

All that glitters is not gold is a popular proverb we should take into account when talking about the pros and cons of card counting.

Like many other things in life, card counting in Blackjack has both advantages and disadvantages. Let's start with the disadvantages first.

As we have mentioned above, even though card counting is not illegal and you cannot be prosecuted or sent to jail for it, it is still regarded as cheating.

Casinos monitor every table and every player at each table, which increases the player's stress levels when playing. Card counting will increase your chances of winning but it will also decrease the fun factor.

On the other hand, the main advantage of card counting is winning. Who does not like to win often? Blackjack has the highest RTP in Casinos, but the Casino's house edge can never be low enough, in our opinion.

If you do card counting right, you will definitely increase your bankroll.

Advanced Card Counting Techniques

The card counting technique we explained above is called the Hi-Lo technique. However, there are other, more advanced techniques, you should also practice once you have mastered the basic ones.

Omega 2

Omega 2 Blackjack card counting is also based on assigning cards a certain value, but the values are different:

• 2, 3 and 7 are counted as 1
• 4, 5 or 6 are counted as 2
• 9 is counted as -1
• 10 and all picture cards are -2
• 8 and Ace are valued 0

Contrary to the Hi-Lo method, a positive count means more low-value cards in the deck and a negative count means more high-value cards.

Wong Halves

Wong Halves is a balanced system invented by Stanford Wong. It is an advanced technique that uses full and half values:

• 3, 4 and 6 are counted as 1
• 2 and 7 are counted as 0.5
• 5 is counted as 1.5
• 8 is counted as 0
• 9 is counted as -0.5
• 10, Ace, and picture cards are counted as -1

To simplify this method, double the value of each card and avoid having to deal with decimal numbers.

Do your online training (it's free!)

Check out the best free Blackjack games online and use them practice card counting.

When you are ready to play for real money, use the bonus!

Play NowThe promotion presented on this page was available at the time of writing. With some Casino promotions changing on daily basis, we suggest you to check on the site if it still available. Also, please do not forget to read the terms and conditions in full before you accept a bonus.

“Let’s hit the cas” are a string of words guaranteed to fire up a bit of excitement and a hint of nervous energy through the group. Instantly, the tantalising (though unlikely) prospect of winning big comes to mind, quickly reinforced by the memory of your mate Dazza’s big win on Roulette last month.

As it turns out, Australians shelled out $181 billion at domestic casinos and gaming venues in the 2017-18 financial year, equivalent to more than $9,100 per person over the age of 18. This is an alarming number given the fact that only 39% of people admit to being regular gamblers. Of that money spent, roughly $20 billion was lost.

At the core of all casinos and their success is the law of probability. It is their bread and butter and the lifeblood of their cash cow. Put simply, casinos offer a game with rules that place the odds slightly in their favour. Some people will win and some people will lose, but in the long run the casino will always accrue more money that it loses. The best example of this is betting on a number in Roulette. A correct bet on a number attracts a payout 1:35, but there are a total of 38 numbers on the American wheels commonly found in Australian casinos, thus creating a house margin of 5.26%. In Blackjack, the house margin is around 0.5% assuming the player uses perfect ‘basic strategy’, but actually sits closer to 2% when accounting for a range of skill levels.

But what if you could influence these odds to increase your chances of winning? Enter the method of how to count cards, a highly glamourised Blackjack technique used to beat casinos at their own game. Ever since Hollywood trotted out an autistic Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man and an arguably handicapped Zach Galifinakis in The Hangover, the general public seems to think you need to either be on the spectrum or a true genius to keep track of playing cards. In reality, it’s much easier.

6 Deck Blackjack Card Counting

How to count cards in Blackjack

Blackjack is unique in that it can be legally beaten. It is the only game in the casino where past outcomes can influence future outcomes. If you think that betting on red after five black numbers in Roulette is smart, please stop reading.

Realistically, there is no way to know for certain which card will be drawn next, but the art of counting cards hinges on giving you a hint of what it might be. By having an idea of what cards remain to be dealt, we are able to increase our probability of making a good call.

The basic premise is as follows:

As cards from the shoe (finite numbers of decks from which cards may be dealt from, usually six) are dealt, we are given information about which cards remain. For example, if we see six King of Spades drawn, we know that there is now no chance of a further King of Spades being drawn until the shoe is finished.

By taking notice of the cards that have already been dealt, we can start making guesses on what remains with greater accuracy. Card counting, or at least the method we will discuss here, simplifies this concept by focusing on low and high cards as groups, rather than getting into specifics.

Inherently, high-number cards are more desirable in Blackjack because they make it easier to achieve a result closer to 21. When there are a greater proportion of high-number cards remaining in the shoe than low-number cards, the shoe is ‘running hot’ and we want to increase the size of our bets. Conversely, more low-number cards remaining to be dealt means the shoe is ‘running cold’ because it is easier for the dealer to draw a good hand, and we should decrease the size of our bets.

In terms of keeping track of what cards have been dealt, the following method can be used. This is the actual ‘counting’, and it’s the part that gets most hopeful punters into a tailspin. That said, it’s easier than one would think if you’re willing to put in some time, effort and a fair bit of practice.

1.Assign Each Card A Value

This is called the ‘High-Low’ method. We segregate the cards into three groups by number, then assign that group a value as follows:

• Numbers 2 – 6: +1
• Numbers 7 – 9: 0
• Numbers 10 – Ace: -1

2. Keep a Running Count

As cards are dealt throughout the game, calculate the sum of the assigned values. For example, consider the below hands:

• Dealer: 6 (+1); 5 (+1).
• Player 1: Ace (-1); Ace (-1).
• Player 2: King (-1); 9 (0).
• Count, or sum of the above values = -1

How Count Cards In Blackjack

As the game progresses and we add each hand’s value to the Running Count, we may see the Running Count going heavily negative or positive. A negative Running Count means there are more low-number, undesirable cards remaining to be dealt. A positive Running Count means there are more high-number, desirable cards to be dealt.

How To Count Cards In Poker

3. Calculate The True Count

The True Count is the Running Count adjusted for how many decks remain to be dealt from the shoe. A high Running Count means very little if only one of six decks have been dealt from the shoe because it represents a small sample size of the total card pool.

To calculate the True Count at any given time, divide the Running Count by the number of decks remaining. For example, if we have a Running Count of +9 and there are 3 decks remaining, the True Count is +3.

How Count Cards In Blackjack

4. Change Your Bets As The True Count Increases

Firstly, a player needs to establish what their betting unit is, which is based on their total bankroll. A betting unit’s size relative to a bankroll is key for ensuring a player doesn’t run out of cash. Assuming perfect play, a 1:400 betting unit to bankroll ratio gives a player a 40% chance of running out of money. At 1:1000, that chance of ruin shrinks to 1%.

How To Count Cards In Blackjack Youtube

When assessing a betting strategy, it’s important to remember that counting is only effective in the long run, which means grinding for hours at the table. A True Count of +10 (the table is running as hot as Margot Robbie) is actually only a 4.5% edge for the player, so there’s no point throwing the house on the next hand.

There are endless strategies on how to adjust bet sizes based on the True Count, but a decent basic tactic is to bet your betting unit multiplied by the True Count plus one. For example, if your betting unit is $10 and the True Count is +3, then your bet is $10 * (1+3) = $40. When the true count is negative or zero, bet one unit.

Running Defence

Now for the big caveat: most Australian casinos shuffle the shoe using machines between each hand, thus rendering effective card counting impossible. However, traditional shoes are still found at high roller tables and in private rooms, where table minimum bets can be as low as $50.

Interestingly, plenty of casinos in the US stick with traditional shoes that make card counting possible despite the risk because they’ve found that the revenue from people who attempt and fail to count cards outweighs the losses from successful counters, if policed strictly.

In terms of countermeasures, casinos and their dealers are adept at spotting card counting. A dealer will generally signal their suspicions to a pit boss, who will monitor the situation. If you are suspected of counting cards, the casino may reshuffle the deck early, limit your maximum bet, or ask you to quit playing. The hardest part of counting cards isn’t actually executing the technique, but rather going about your business undetected. A player betting large amounts in perfect proportion to the count will generally be picked up by a casino with alarming haste.

So what happens if you get caught? Well, the good news is that you haven’t broken the law, provided your cash was gainfully earned. Card counting using the above method isn’t a crime because you are playing a private game of chance offered by the casino with a set of rules. There is very little legal precedent in Australia and even the US, with casinos choosing mostly to deal with issues in-house. At worst, players are usually asked to leave and refused entry in the future. The above is a general suggestion only and shouldn’t be taken as advice or relied upon.

If this guide on how to count cards seems a bit complicated, you could always follow in the footsteps of this Crown casino dealer who made millions by eavesdropping on gamblers’ stock picks.