An Easy Guide to Card Counting

To get an advantage over the casino, a player in blackjack uses card counting. Contrary to common misconception, counting cards doesn’t require Rain Man-like intelligence; it’s also not illegal or strongly discouraging. As a result, if you start counting cards, you’ll need to develop extreme stealth, but that’s the subject of another essay. We’ll walk you through card counting so you can dominate your next blackjack game. When you win big, keep us in mind!

Things to Be Aware Of

• Assign a value to each card before using the Hi-Lo card-counting method, which is the most popular. Based on the importance of each given card, keep a running tally.
• Determine the “real count,” often called the count per deck. As the actual count rises, keep placing new wagers.
• Slow your movements and act like you’re engaged in anything else to mask your strategy.

Study the Hi-Lo system.

The most common card-counting technique by far is Hilo. With this approach, the player can place larger bets to enhance the amount they can win when the deck is favorable if the ratio of high cards to low cards is higher than usual (that is, there are many high cards left in the shoe). They constantly refer to a number that instructs them when to gamble, how much to wager, or whether to bet.

• A good deck has a positive number. You want to bet more the higher the number. The more high cards remain to be played, the higher the number.

Keep in mind the numbers on each card.

You must assign each card a value to keep track of the ratio of high cards to low cards and determine whether the deck is in your favor. As each card is drawn, start at 0 and add it to your total.

• Cards 2 through 6 are valued at +1.
• Cards 7-9 are worthless.
• Cards valued at 10 are worth -1.
• A value of -1 also applies to aces.

When the count is running positive, raise your stakes.

Positive is defined as +2 and higher. The greater the count, the more you should wager. However, keep in mind that the casino may take offense if you vary your wagers excessively.

• Generally speaking, you want to increase your bet by one unit for every point that the score rises. Any more dramatic action than that will draw hawk-like attention from those in the skies.

Grab a deck (without jokers) and go through it while maintaining a score as a test.

If you carefully numbered the cards, you should arrive at a very round 0. Try to complete the deck in less than 25 seconds. Even Dealer McSpeedy won’t be able to pass you that way.

• Start timing yourself when you can complete the deck while ending at 0. The arithmetic is relatively straightforward, yet it’s trivial to stray off track. It is okay if you frequently get a different number in the beginning.
• Select a card, then set it aside face down. What card remains unturned as you review the deck and tally your results?

Grab a deck (without jokers) and go through it while maintaining a score as a test.

If you carefully numbered the cards, you should arrive at a very round 0. Try to complete the deck in less than 25 seconds. Even Dealer McSpeedy won’t be able to pass you that way.

• Start timing yourself when you can complete the deck while ending at 0. The arithmetic is relatively straightforward, yet it’s trivial to stray off track. It is okay if you frequently get a different number in the beginning.
• Select a card, then set it aside face down. What card remains unturned as you review the deck and tally your results?

To find the actual count, divide the running count by the number of decks yet undealt.

The time when Casino Online Australia used a single deck of cards is long gone (mostly, at least). The likelihood of seeing a game that functions with 5 or 6 (in what is referred to as the shoe) are much higher. Your running total might still need to be revised as a result. Divide the running count by the number of decks awaiting deal to obtain the actual count. The exact count is +1 if your running count is +4 and there are still four decks available.

• Take a sneak peek into the discard tray to determine the available decks. When you have the extra time, do this between hands.
• Invert and multiply if you’re using just one deck. Say the count is +4, and you still have 3/4 of the deck. The result of multiplying four by four by three would be 16. (a little over 5). Some choose to follow the running count in a single deck but are aware that the actual count is never precisely the same (higher, regardless).

Utilize Hi-Opt II as additional insurance.

With an additional Ace count, Hi-Opt II has the highest insurance correlation (IC) of all the strategies. Like Hi-Lo, Hi-Opt II requires you to memorize the card values and add them up as you go. Cards with the numbers 4 and 5 are worth +2, while cards with the numbers 2, 3, 6, and 7 are worth +1. The value of cards 8 and 9 is 0, whereas 10s and face cards are -2. Bet more frequently when the count is high; det less often when the count is low.

• Aces in Hi-Opt II are worth 0.
• Regarding playing effectiveness, Hi-Opt II and Omega II are best (PE). Decisions and deviations from the fundamental strategy are made in play according to the PE.

To carefully track Aces, try Omega II.

4, 5, and 6 are worth +2 in Omega II. 10, J, Q, and K have a value of -2, and Aces have a value of 0. [8] When the count is positive, the dealer’s deck contains more low cards; when the count is negative, the dealer’s deck contains more high cards.

• The Halves approach is comparable to Omega II. 2, and 7 are valued + in halves. 5. Five is +1. 5. 9 equals -.5. 
• 7s are valued at +1 in KO.