Blackjack Card Counting

Most people do not pick up card counting because they are under the impression that you have to be a mathematical genius to learn it. This couldn't be further from the truth. All you must be able to do is count by ones from about -12 upward. This is all you have to do no matter how many decks of cards are used in the game. It doesn't get much simpler than that, now does it?

The "Five Count" system is based on keeping an eye out when 5's are dealt out of the game. Thanks to mathematical computations it has been decided that 5's have the most influence on the deck. A deck rich in 5's is not favorable for the player, but when there are few 5's left in the deck, the player has an edge. So all you have to do is be careful when the deck is rich or poor in 5's and bet accordingly.

There are several card counting strategies out there. Some are simpler and others are more complicated. Usually the more complicated ones offer a slightly greater advantage, but are more difficult to learn and use. So picking a strategy that you can master easily and use without great effort can prove better for your overall game.

Next we will present the high/low counting system, also known as the plus/minus system.

Card counting in blackjack is used by lots of gamblers out there because it helps them know when the deck is in their favor or not. For example, when most of the cards from 2 to 8 have been dealt out, the deck is favorable. But when mostly cards like 9's, 10's and Aces have been dealt out; the deck is no longer favorable for the player. When the deck is favorable for the player, which means it is rich in 9's, 10's and Aces, you can:

1. Increase your wager. Make the most of knowing the condition of the deck. Bet larger amounts since you are more likely to win than lose;

2. Modify your basic strategy according to the deck. This will result in increasing your chances of winning.

When using the plus/minus system the first thing to know is that you must give every card in the deck a value.

• 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 have the value of +1;
• 7, 8 and 9 have the value 0. This is because these cards do not have a major impact on the game;
• 10, Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces have the value -1.

• 20 cards valued +1;
• 20 card valued -1;
• 12 cards valued 0.

As you can see, if you start counting cards at the start of the game and continue through the game, at the end the result will be 0.

When sitting at a blackjack table mid game just place flat bets until the cards are shuffled. Now you can start counting the value of each card as it is dealt out. Always start counting form 0.

For multiple deck games you must first find what the "true count" is. You can calculate the true count rather easily. Just divide the running count to the number of decks in the game. This is the easiest and most efficient method. It is better to simply calculate the true count than to learn different strategies for every variation of decks used in the game.

Having a good eye is always important. It doesn't matter how many decks are used in a game. If you have a good eye you will always be able to estimate how many decks of cards have been dealt out. One deck is about 5/8's of an inch thick.

Chips aren't handy only when it comes to betting. You can use them to keep track the running or true count if you do not want to do it all in your head. Just rearrange your chips according to the true count or running count.