Blackjack card counting creates opportunities for blackjack players to win more money than they otherwise might. It’s not an easy skill to learn and it might not be for everybody. But it can definitely improve your overall blackjack results if you can pull it off.

1. How To Count Blackjack Payout 3 To 2
2. How To Count Blackjack Cards And Win
3. How To Calculate True Count Blackjack

Card Counting Trainer. If you are a complete beginner in gambling and just starting to learn to count cards, a training software is an excellent option for you.This is a tool that will familiarize you with the process of keeping track of cards in blackjack and, as a bonus, will help you realize that you don’t have to memorize every single card in the game. Simple card counting systems for beginners include the Hi-Lo strategy, the Red Seven count and Knock-Out Blackjack, also known as the KO system. The Hi-Lo strategy is employed by first of all assigning values to each of the cards in the following way; deuces to sixes +1, sevens to nines 0, 10s to aces -1.

In the casino world, there are few games as universally beloved as blackjack, both in casinos and at blackjack online casinos. It’s a relatively easy game to learn.

But learning to play it at a top level where you can actually hope to beat the blackjack odds against is another matter. That’s where card counting comes into play.

In the following article, we’ll tell you all you need to know about blackjack card counting. We’ll explain what it is, how to do it, and how it helps you win more real money playing blackjack. But we’ll also talk about whether it’s for everybody and how casinos feel about the practice.

What Is Blackjack Card Counting?

In its simplest terms, blackjack card counting is something that you can do at a casino table or in some cases online, in an effort to give yourself an advantage. As cards are played hand after hand, the blackjack card counter keeps track of them in an effort to know what cards are still out there to be played.

You should only use blackjack card counting in conjunction with blackjack basic strategy. This blackjack strategy strategy is something that tells you how to play each deal that you get in conjunction with what the dealer receives. Putting basic strategy and card counting together gives you your best chance of winning at blackjack online and in the casino.

How to Count Cards in Blackjack

Let’s start by laying out the basic theory of how to count cards.

• The more aces, face cards (jacks, kings, queens), and tens remaining in the decks being used, the better it is for the player.
• The more low-value cards (like twos, threes, fours, etc.) remaining in the decks being used, the better it is for the dealer.

This blackjack theory should play into how you bet particular hands. For example, if many face cards have been seen in previous hands compared to low cards, you might choose to lower your bet. And you would raise your standard bet if the reverse is true.

As a result, you have to keep track of which cards have been played by making a mental count. How you choose to do this depends on how involved you want to get.

Basic Method of Blackjack Card Counting

In most cases, online card counting methods and casino methods involve you assigning a value to certain cards. For example, you might use a method where any two through six counts as +1 (positive one), while tens, face cards, and aces might all be -1 (negative one). All other cards would have a value of zero.

You would then set a threshold of when to start changing your bet. For example, if you get to -4 in your count, you might decide to lower your blackjack bet, since that means a lot of high-value cards have been played. And if you get to +4, you might decide to raise your bet, since the advantage now belongs to you.

Let’s take a look at a sample round of blackjack and see how you might count it all up:

• Player 1: King, three, ten (bust)
• Player 2: Eight, queen (loss)
• Player 3: Three, seven, ace (win)
• Dealer: Ten, four, six

In this blackjack hand, you have five high cards (ten through ace), which adds up to +5. You also have four low cards (two through six), which totals -4. Putting those together leaves you with a +1 after this hand.

You would then keep track of that heading into the next hand and continue the running total. And you would reset to zero at any point the decks being used are reshuffled.

Advanced Blackjack Card Counting Methods

How To Count Blackjack Payout 3 To 2

If you look at blackjack online, you’ll see that there are dozens of different methods of blackjack online card counting and casino card counting that are in existence. Many get much more complex than the basic method above, which is sometimes known as the hi-lo method.

These methods ask you to take your running count and divide it by the number of decks still left in play during the blackjack game. In this way, you can get what’s known as a true count, which provides a more accurate estimate of who has the advantage, the player or the blackjack dealer.

You’ll also find online blackjack card counting methods which will actually affect how you play certain hands instead of worrying about the bets. For example, a certain blackjack card counting system might command you to buy insurance when you reach a certain point level and the dealer has an ace showing. Or you might be required to double down your bets a little bit more if you have the advantage.

The Benefits of Counting Cards in Blackjack

As we said above, blackjack card counting online and in the casino should always be used with some sort of basic blackjack strategy method that you already have in place. Most blackjack basic strategy charts can bring you a payback percentage of over 99%.

What that means is that, on average, you’re winning back over 99% of your blackjack bankroll. It also means that you are losing a tiny percentage of that bankroll for blackjack over time.

But the most effective card counting methods for blackjack can bring your payback percentage up around two full points. Adding that to the previous total puts you at around 101%. In other words, you can expect to win playing blackjack online and in the casino over time.

Eliminating the Casino House Edge

Most casino games have an established house edge. In other words, over a long period of time playing that game, you would be expected to lose money playing blackjack. The house edge is how casinos and blackjack online casinos stay in business.

If you can eliminate that blackjack house edge with consistency, it’s almost like a license to print money. That’s why casinos fear effective blackjack card counters (more on that below).

Blackjack Card Counting and Bankroll Management

The other way that card counting blackjack helps is with bankroll management. Each time you settle in to play blackjack online or in the casino, you establish a bankroll of chips that you will use for that session.

The key to blackjack bankroll management is putting enough money in to withstand a potential slump which might cause you to lose it all. Having a proven blackjack card counting method in your corner should allow you to come to the table with a more relaxed bankroll since those slumps would be less likely.

What Casinos Think of Blackjack Card Counting

First of all, blackjack card counting is not illegal in the sense that you’ll get put in jail if you do it on your own. But casinos will try to protect their investment at any cost and will take measures if they think you’re succeeding at card counting.

They can also simply ask you to leave the blackjack table. That’s within their right. You won’t be facing legal consequences, but the casino will be watching you from that point forward, meaning that it would be difficult for you to try blackjack card counting again and pull it off.

How to Avoid Getting Caught Counting Cards in Blackjack

How To Count Blackjack Cards And Win

• Time your bet changes. If you can time your bet change to a winning streak, it will make it look like you’re just trying to ride a hot streak and not necessarily count cards.
• Don’t make a sudden and drastic change in the size of your bet. If the dealer or pit boss sees the size of your average bet jump in a big way from where it was previously, it will send up huge red flags.
• Don’t give it away with physical movements. Counting under your breath or stacking chips as cards show up are dead giveaways. Seasoned casino employees can spot these kinds of things from a mile away.

Questions About Blackjack Card Counting

• Do I Have to Count Cards If I’m Just a Casual Blackjack Player?

  Not at all. If you’re a casual player who only places once in a while, learning to count cards will probably be too big a stretch for you. And it might not be worth that much to you anyway.

• Which Method of Blackjack Card Counting Is Right for Me?

  The differences between online blackjack card counting methods and casino methods is relatively small in terms of improvement to your payback. But the difference in payback is great between someone card counting blackjack accurately and someone doing it wrong.

• Is There a Way to Count Cards in Online Blackjack?

  That depends. If you’re playing an online blackjack game with an automatic dealer, there’s no advantage in blackjack card counting online. That’s because the deck reshuffles after every hand.

  If, however, you can find an online blackjack game with a live dealer, card counting online could work. Most of these blackjack games reshuffle much more often than a live game in a casino. But you might be able to provide yourself with a slight edge card counting blackjack online.

Final Words on Blackjack Card Counting

Think of blackjack card counting online and in the casino as just another weapon in your arsenal as you attempt to be a great player. If you do it right and find an effective method, it could make the difference between winning and losing money over the long haul.

If you play blackjack, why aren’t you counting cards? It’s a proven mathematical way to eliminate the house edge, and some players are so good at it that they make money in the long run. Is it because you think counting cards is too hard or you have to be a mathematician to do it?

I’ve got good news for everyone who plays blackjack that isn’t counting cards yet. The first thing is that the statement above about using card counting to break even or beat blackjack is true. You can use counting to win playing blackjack.

The next piece of good news is that it’s much easier to get started as a counter than almost everyone believes. You can use one of the simplest counting systems ever designed to break even or better, and I can teach you how to use it in just a few minutes. You don’t have to be a gifted math student or anywhere close to a genius.

If this sounds too good to be true, just take a few minutes to read the rest of this article. I’m getting ready to prove it to you.

The final piece of good news is that, once you start counting cards at any level, it’s easy to keep learning and working until you’re counting at an advanced level and beating blackjack on a regular basis. Everything you need to know to get started is included below.

1 – Ace Five Count

The ace five card counting system is as simple as a card counting system can get. Anyone can learn how to use it in just a few minutes, and once you start using it, you can eliminate the house edge every time you play. It’s easier to learn how to use than basic blackjack strategy.

You can use the ace five count in any blackjack game, but if you want to benefit from it as much as possible, you need to do two things. The first thing is either get a blackjack strategy card and use it or memorize basic strategy.

The other thing you have to do is find blackjack games with good rules. The best games have as many of the following rules as possible. You won’t find games with all of these rules often, but you want games that have most of them.

• Surrender
• Dealer stands on soft 17
• Can double after splitting
• Can split three or more times
• Blackjack pays 3:2 (never play at a table that pays less than 3:2 for a natural blackjack)
• Can double down on any two cards
• Can double down on any hand even after hitting

The ace five blackjack system is based on the fact that the ace is the most valuable card for the player and the five is the worst card for the player. When a five is removed from a deck, it increases the player’s chance to win. This effectively lowers the house edge.

When an ace is removed from the deck of cards, it hurts the player’s chance to win and raises the house edge. Using these two pieces of information, you can track the aces and fives and use the information to alter your bet amounts. This can eliminate the house edge.

Here’s how the ace five card counting system works:

You start with a count of zero. If you don’t like to work with negative numbers, you can start with a count of 10, and adjust the count where you raise your bets by 10. Every time you see a five, you add one to your count, and every time you see an ace, you subtract one from your count.

It doesn’t matter if the ace or five is in your hand, another player’s hand, or in the dealer’s hand. You add or subtract for every five and ace that gets played.

You start with a base bet amount, and when the count reaches +2 (or 12 if you started at 10), you double your bet amount. Every time the count goes up, you double your bet again, and when it goes down, you reduce your bet accordingly. Any time the count is at +1 or below, you bet your base amount.

The only downside to the ace five card counting system is that it’s a relatively weak system compared to more advanced systems. It will help you overcome the house edge, but it’s not going to do much better than allow you to play a breakeven game. Of course, playing breakeven blackjack is better than losing.

2 – Speed Count

The next system is the speed count, which was developed by Frank Scoblete and is included in a couple of his blackjack books. The basic way to use the speed count is to track low cards and compare the volume of them to the number of hands that are dealt on each round.

The reason I include it in this article is because it’s an easy system to learn. It’s not quite as easy to learn as the ace five count, but it’s easier than most advanced counting systems.

I’m not going to spend a great deal of time with the speed count here, because it’s also a weak system compared to many others.

How To Calculate True Count Blackjack

In other words, most blackjack players should go directly from the ace five count system to a more advanced system like the KO, Red 7, or Hi Lo. I cover the KO in the next section.

If you want to learn more about the speed count system, you can follow this link. Here are the basics of the system before you move on to the next section.

You track all of the cards valued two to six that are dealt every round and subtract the number of hands that are dealt on the round. You then use this number to adjust your overall count and adjust your bet size based on the running count, just like in the ace five system.

3 – KO or Knock Out

If you understand how to use the ace five and speed count systems, you’re ready to learn the KO system. This isn’t a system you find on most pages designed for normal blackjack players, but it’s not much harder than learning how to use basic strategy. In my experience, most regular blackjack players can quickly learn how to use it.

If you look over the KO system and don’t care for it, the Red 7 and Hi Lo systems are also good systems you can learn how to use. Any of these three systems teach you how to make money playing blackjack.

The difference between simple systems like the first two on this page and advanced systems is the number of cards you track. In the ace five system, you track two cards. In the speed count, you track five cards. In the KO system, you track 11 cards. Every time you see any card from a two to seven, you add one to your count and every time you see a 10 to ace, you subtract one from your count.

Once you learn how to track a few cards, it only takes a little bit of practice to learn how to track more. You don’t need to memorize the cards. You simply subtract or add one at a time to your count.

The main advantage that the KO system, and the Red 7 system, has over the popular Hi Lo system is you don’t have to calculate your count based on the number of decks remaining during play. This is handled by starting your count at a set number based on the number of decks before you start counting.

Don’t worry about all of this right now, because you don’t have to worry about it unless you learn how to use the Hi Lo system.

In a single deck game, you start your count at 0. In a double deck game, you start your count at -4. In a six-deck shoe game, you start your count at -20, and in an eight-deck shoe game, you start at -28.

When the count is at 0 or negative, you make your minimum bet. When the count gets to +1, you double your bet. You keep doubling your bet as the count goes up until you reach your maximum bet amount.

Conclusion

You can start using the ace five system today. It’s an easy way to play a breakeven blackjack game against the casino, and anyone can learn how to use it. Once you’re comfortable using the ace five, start learning how to use the KO system. If you want to take it slow, you can learn the speed count before using the KO. But if you can use the speed count, you can use the KO, and it’s a better overall system.