Card counting is one of the very popular strategies in blackjack casino games. It involves counting dealer’s cards on a blackjack table with the aim to predict the next card/s and make a bet accordingly. The technique helps blackjack players identify the most profitable opportunities so that they can increase or decrease their bets accordingly.
One of the basic blackjack things is that high-value cards (tens and above) are beneficial for players, while the low-value cards (below sixes) benefit the dealer, and the remaining cards (sevens through nines) are neutral and do not help any party.
Go ahead read, how card counting works in Blackjack which will help you while playing Casino.
How does Card Counting actually work?
In a game of blackjack, the dealer first shuffles the deck to mix up the cards. The number of high cards (tens and higher) in the deck is exactly the same as the number of low cards (twos through sixes). However, when the cards are dealt on the table, the ratio of low to high cards might change in the remaining deck.
For example, if the dealer has given out more low cards, the deck will have more number of high cards. In this situation, it is beneficial for the player to bet more as the chances of getting a blackjack and winning a double down are better now.
On the other hand, if the undealt deck has more low cards, the player should not bet more money as the cards are in the dealer’s favour. As per the rules, the dealer will then hit his 12 through 16 hands. Since there are more low cards in the deck, the chances of him getting a 17 through 21 hand will increase and the chances of dealer busting will be lower.
You can identify whether the undealt cards include more high cards or low cards by following the procedure mentioned below.
Step-by-step procedure for counting cards in blackjack
Follow these steps to count cards in blackjack.
- Start the count after the cards are shuffled and as they are pulled from the deck.
- Add a +1 to your count for every 2-6 rank card and a -1 for every 10-A card. The remaining cards are assigned no value or a 0 tag.
- If the count is positive after a round, it means the undealt cards in the deck are large in value, and the player should increase his bet.
- If the count is negative after a round, it means the undealt cards in the deck are small in value, the bet size should be decreased by the player.
A general idea is to bet more money on +ve counts and less money on -ve counts.
It is important for card counters to completely focus on the cards, watch every card and add the tags carefully for each of the dealt cards. The count must include each card in every hand in a round, including the dealer’s hand. Depending on whether the count is positive or negative, you can choose to increase your bet in the next round.
The process of counting the cards continues from one round to the next. It can significantly help in increasing the winning probability of the counters.
Blackjack Card Counter Online/Card Counting Practice App
If you are looking for an easier way to count cards in blackjack or do not have much experience in the game, you can take help of one of the automatic card counting programs available online. This facility is mostly offered by online casinos. One example is Interactive Card Counting Trainer.
When you decide to use an automatic software or program for counting blackjack cards, make sure that the software works properly and makes the right calculations. For this, it is important to know how this technique actually works. For professional blackjack players, it is much easier to count cards as they are quite familiar with the game and the procedure.