Card counting in blackjack is one of those perennial topics that come up all the time when gambling is discussed. It is one of those enigmatic concepts that always offer a sure-fire winning strategy to players who are desperate to defeat the house, beat the bookie and take home some big prizes. As with anything in gambling, from new online slots to roulette, it is not quite the magic bullet that many seem to think it is.
Nevertheless, the technique of card counting in blackjack can bring rewards for players who are prepared to put some time into learning how to do it properly. Like anything, the more work you put into learning how to card count in blackjack, the more likely you are to be successful at it. Read on to discover more about how to learn how to count cards in blackjack.
What is card counting in blackjack?
So let’s take a closer look at what card counting actually is. It is basically a way of using memory and mathematics to give yourself a better chance of beating the house and winning games of blackjack. Before we go into more detail, let’s define exactly what the game of blackjack itself is.
The game of blackjack
Blackjack is part of a family of card games, and is the American name for a game which is known elsewhere as Twenty One. Pontoon is another variant of it that might be more familiar to British readers of a certain age. The action is conducted by a dealer who faces several players. The point of it is to get 21 points when you add up the value of the cards.
You can win by reaching 21 points when the first two cards are dealt, which is a natural blackjack. You can also win by achieving a higher score than the dealer that is still less than 21, or by letting the dealer draw cards that take their score over 21 and sees them ‘go bust’. Players compare cards with the dealer, without playing directly against each other. It can be played in many online casinos nowadays. Learn the simple blackjack rules here.
How does card counting work?
There are five steps to counting cards in a game of blackjack:
- Assign positive and negative tags to cards of differing value. Assign -1 tags to all cards that have values that range from two to six, and positive tags to cards that range from 10 to Ace.
- Begin your count after the dealer has shuffled, and add your tags to each card that is pulled from the deck.
- If your running count is positive after any round of cards being dealt, you should place bigger bets, as it shows that high value cards are in the majority amongst the undealt cards.
- If your running count is negative, place smaller bets, as it means lower value cards are in the majority.
- Remember to bet more when the count is positive and less when it is negative – this is crucial to the whole concept of card counting!
Using training apps to get better at Blackjack Card Counting
There are some ways that you can improve you card counting skills and make them sharp enough to beat the house. Here are a few simple tips and tricks you can follow to boost your chances of blackjack success, and to work out the best way of counting cards in blackjack.
Another way that you can boost your blackjack card counting power is to take advantage of technology and use an app. Card counting trainer tools can be found on the internet that help you learn how to count cards more effectively. It is a difficult thing to learn, after all, and trainer tools can help you perfect the technique more quickly.
You can find tools like this with a simple search on any internet search engine. You will need to exercise a certain amount of judgment to find the best one for you. Consulting any reviews that are available online is often a good way of find the best app.
Bursting some blackjack myths
A number of myths about the use of card counting in blackjack still persist, as they also do for slot game titles. There is no truth to any of them. Here are three of the more common misconceptions about card counting in blackjack.
Card counting in blackjack is illegal
Perhaps because of the whiff of cheating that it carries, many inexperienced players think that using card counting in blackjack is illegal. This is not the case. After all, card counting is just another technique that makes use of your memory and mathematical skill. It would be very hard to ban someone using their brain and skills to be more successful at playing cards.
Card counting guarantees you a win
This is one of the most pernicious of the many myths that surround card counting in blackjack. There is nothing in any form of gambling that guarantees anyone a win, otherwise it would not be a game of chance. There always will be a certain amount of uncertainty in blackjack, just as there is in any other game of chance. The fun in playing comes from the challenge of facing that uncertainty.
You need a photographic memory or be a genius at maths to card count
While card counting is a tricky skill to learn, and is certainly very difficult to perfect, it does not require any sort of towering intellect to make it work for you. As long as you can count and you have a reasonably good memory you can make the technique work for you. It will require practice and hard work, but card counting is something almost anyone can learn, given time and patience.
Conclusion on this Blackjack method
Card counting in blackjack is an accessible and perfectly legal and legitimate way of boosting your chances of winning. It takes practice and hard work to perfect it, but that is no reason not to give it a try. You can find apps to help to improve, and you do not need to be some kind of savant or mathematical genius to be successful at it. Learn more on how to play blackjack cards here.