Card Counting in Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the more profitable games in a casino because it is possible to shift the odds in your favor. Solid blackjack strategies plus the use of card counting skills will significantly reduce the house edge and make you a winner in the long run.

Card counting is a technique used by experienced players and blackjack pros to try to guess the value of the remaining cards in a deck. You must understand that card counting is not an exact science like 1+1, but just an attempt to correctly predict the cards. Most card counting techniques try to guess not the exact card itself but the value assigned to it. For instance, the Ken Uston system assigns a +1 value to 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, and -1 to 10 and ace.

Some people think that if you are capable of counting cards very well, you will win. This is not always true. Most successful players still rely on strategies more than on their card counting skills. You must be well-versed in blackjack strategies and know the right actions to do before you can learn to count cards.

Card counting is effective because a good card counting system combined with an effective blackjack strategy can help you beat the house edge by 2-4%. This is because the high cards favor the player while the low cards favor the dealer. Low cards enable the dealer to increase the value of his hand when he has a stiff (12-16 in value).

This is where your advantage comes in. While the player has the option to stand or hit on stiff hands, the dealer does not. Blackjack rules require a dealer to hit his stiff hands. Low cards favor the dealer because it can make his hand reach as close to 21 as possible, while high cards can make him bust. Aces and 10s favor the player because these cards can make blackjacks.

A simple card counting technique done well is far more preferable than a complex one done haphazardly. Your main objective in card counting is to determine if a deck is full of high or low cards, and to act accordingly. When you think you have an advantage like when the deck is rich in high cards, you bet with a higher amount, and bet little otherwise.

Card counting will undoubtedly increase your chances of winning. Just be sure to do it discreetly to avoid arousing suspicion from the casino. Card counting is not illegal nor it can be considered cheating, but the casinos don't like it. There are numerous card counting systems available in the Internet if you are interested. Pick out what you think is the best and make it a natural part of your blackjack play.