Counting Cards in Blackjack

A look at the different online blackjack betting strategies you can employ to ensure you win more than you lose.

Blackjack Card Counting – An Introduction

If you are very keen about playing blackjack to win and earn money, one way of ensuring that your win-loss ratio tilts towards the winning side is to learn the art of blackjack card counting. Blackjack card counting is not another of those hundreds of surefire ways of winning at blackjack that you come across on the Internet; it is a technique that actually works.

Another thing about blackjack card counting is that you do not have to be a mathematical wizard to be able to learn the art; all you have to do is pay attention to the technique and practice it over time till you get it right. You can practice the art of blackjack card counting when you are playing practice games, so by the time you are ready to play blackjack for money, you are well-versed in the technique and can have a head start to winning.

In this article, we will discuss the different aspects of blackjack card counting.

A Brief History of Blackjack Card Counting

Blackjack card counting is not a new phenomenon. It has been around for a long time now, way before the first online casinos came into existence. The first of the card counting systems came into existence as long back as the 1950s. These were simple systems and no one paid much attention to then until the publishing of a book called Beat the Dealer by Dr. Edward O. Thorp, a mathematics professor.

Beat the Dealer was the first book that proposed it was logically and practically possible for a player to beat the house at blackjack. Ever since, there have been a number of blackjack card counting systems doing the rounds, some more effective than the others.

One of the most popular blackjack card counting systems is the Hi-Lo System. This system is not one of those complicated ones; it is a simple system using which you as a player can track your cards and also alter your pattern of wagering according to the card count

Blackjack Card Counting – The Basics

At a very basic level, blackjack card counting involves being able to add and subtract the number 1 to the value of your cards. As with all other things in life, it is always prudent to start at the beginning when learning about blackjack card counting. Once you know the basic strategy, you can then go on to the more advanced part.

There are three things essential to blackjack card counting – logic, some mathematical knowledge, and a proper system. The basic, as mentioned earlier, is to be able to add and subtract. You need to subtract one when you get a high card and add one when you get a low card.

This is the basic logic – the bigger the count, the more the possibility of high cards being present in the shoe; and a greater number of high cards in the deck means you as a player have a bigger counting edge.