Players
can win at Blackjack by using a card counting system. Here
are some card game rules and tips on how to win. With Card
counting, Players can increase his chances of winning.
Why Card Counting Works?
Card counting works because the player gains an advantage
when a deck has a shortage of cards valued 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
7, 8. When a deck has a shortage of cards valued 9, 10,
Ace; the player has a disadvantage. If you can tell when
the deck is rich in 9's, 10's, and Aces you can do one of
the following things:
- Bet more money when the deck is favorable to you.
- Alter your Basic Strategy play to account for the favorability,
thereby increasing the odds of winning a particular hand.
How to keep track of the cards in
blackjack?
It is as simple as adding and subtracting
the number 1.
-
Subtract one when a high card is dealt
and add one when a low card is dealt. The greater the
count, the more high cards in the shoe, and the more high
cards in the deck, the greater the counting edge for the
player.
-
By also keeping track of the number
of decks remaining in the shoe, you can get the true Count,
which will give you an even better idea of how stacked
the deck is.
-
Even if the casino is using multiple
decks, keeping track of the cards is a only a matter of
counting. All you really need to count cards is the ability
to count up to plus or minus twelve or so... by ones.
Five Count
The first card counting systems were developed by Dr. Thorp.
He determined through mathematical computation that the card
that has the most influence on the deck being in a favorable
condition (for the player) was the five. When the deck is
low in fives, the player has a higher advantage than if it's
sparse in any other card. Logic dictated that for a very simple
card counting strategy, simply keep track of the abundance
(or lack thereof) of fives. This is the basis of his "Five
Count" system which was later improved to include tens
and renamed the "Ten Count" system.
Hi-Lo System
One of most popular card counting systems is the "hi-lo
system". This relatively simple system allows a player
to track the cards, and change his betting patterns to take
advantage of counts that were in his favor.
The Hi-Low consists of assigning a point
value of +1, 0, or -1 to every card dealt to the player. Each
card is assigned a specific point value in the Hi Lo System.
Aces and 10-point cards are assigned a value of -1. Cards
7, 8, 9 each count as 0. Cards 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 each count
as +1.
If player 1 is dealt a 3 and 9 (+1, 0), player
2 has a 10 and a 5 (-1, +1), player 3 has a 7 and a 2 (0,
+1), and the dealer's upcard is an Ace (-1), the running count
in a single deck would be +1. That's not too bad, right?
All a counter using the Hi-Lo System must
do is add and subtract by 1 and keep a true count of the deck.
Try to look at a two cards at once and figure out the combined
count so you aren't tallying every single card. Also, a good
card counter will sit at 3rd base (last position to be dealt
at the table) so he/she can easily see the cards being dealt.
This is a very simple system but if you play it right, you
can get great results.
Casual Card Counting
Casual card counting is something you should always do unless
you are following a strict card counting system such as the
Hi-Low system. It won't guarantee winners for you on every
hand, but it will give you a slight advantage.
A deck rich in face cards is an advantage
to the player. All you need to do is casually observe the
flow of cards coming out of a deck or shoe. For example, if
you are playing a multiple deck shoe and after a few hands
you observe that very few face cards or aces were played you
have a situation where the next hand will probably be good
for the player. Thus, you increase your bet.
The key to this system is to look for extremes.
The absence or predominance of exposed high cards is easily
noticeable by casual observation. Often you will play several
hands where the mix of face cards and low value cards are
relatively even. But when you see a noticeable absence of
high value cards you should increase your next wager.
Cluster Counting
Another method for determining the probablity of a higher
than normal percentage of high point cards being dealt (which
is an edge to the player) is known as cluster counting, or
shuffle tracking. This method is based on the observation
that cards tend to "cluster" in certain parts of
a multi deck shoe, and that the shuffling of the cards at
the conclusion of a shoe can be tracked by a player so that
he can determine which portions of the next shoe will be high
in player friendly cards. A breakdown of this method follows.
When playing a new shoe make note of the
flow of cards while mentally dividing the shoe into sections
equal to one deck. Now you need to observe which portions
of each section that are high in Aces and ten-point cards.
Rate each section as being rich or poor in high cards and
then make note of how the cards are placed in the discard
box. At the end of each shoe, watch how the dealer shuffles
the new shoe. Keep track of where the clusters of high cards
are located, and where they will surface in the dealing of
the next shoe. When playing this next shoe, increase your
wager when you reach those sections of the shoe that are rich
in high point cards, and decrease your wager when the deck
is rich in low point cards.
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