Card Counting in Blackjack
Counting cards in blackjack? That must be considered cheating and thefore illegal in the casinos one should think.
Card Counting in Blacjkack Is Not Cheating
Well, actually card counting in blackjack is not cheating and it is perfectly legal from a general point of view! Counting cards increases your chances of winning considerably, because you get a pretty good idea what the next card will be. The basic principle in card counting when playing blackjack is that a preponderance of high cards in the game (10s and aces) are in favor of the player, while a predominance of low cards in the game (2-6s) favors the dealer . With many 10s and aces left in the game, you are likely to get the game’s best deal – blackjack – while the dealer is likely to bust.
Counting cards is not as easy as it easy as it may sound. Card counting systems can get very complex, but the more complex the system is, the more increase in winning chances you will get.
Different Card Counting Systems
There are several card counting systems around, but let us focus on this relatively simple system: the High / Low counting system – or as it is also referred to as: the Plus or Minus counting system.
The High / Low Counting System
The High / Low Counting system is a popular counting systems for blackjack due to its simplicity. The system 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; Aces and all cards with the value of 10 are assigned a value of -1, while the cards 7, 8, 9 has a value of 0. The remaining cards (2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) each count as +1. The deal is now to add and subtract by 1. According to the count – positive or negative – you will be able to conclude if the next card most likely will be high or low.
Counting cards is hard work. You need to focus on every card being dealt, and if you fail to count correctly for just a second your hard work is wasted. You will definitely use a great part of your concentration just on counting. When concentrating hard on counting the cards you risk missing out and the fun and excitement of the game itself. It may not be as fun playing as if you just played the game normally. But with the increased chances of winning, this may not be an issue.
Remember that it is often not possible to count cards at online casinos. At the online casinos the cards are normally shuffled between each round making it impossible to use the system.
One last thing you need to keep in mind is, that although card counting is not exactly illegal, some casinos do not like gamblers to count the cards. If you really want to count cards, it is advisable to keep it to yourself.