Last Updated: Wednesday, 27 December 2023 16:37
How to count cards at Blackjack?
Blackjack is not the only game where players can obtain a positive mathematical expectation of winning. On our site contains information that allows getting an advantage even at pokies. Learn more on the next page:
How to count cards at blackjack?
All face cards (Jack, Queen, King and ten) give 10 points. Card counting systems do not differ a lot from each other. The punter can calculate the probability of appearing big and small cards. When a player knows what type of cards (big or small) are left in the deck, it is much easier to double or surrender his hands.
For example: if you know that there are a lot of face cards left, you can double any cards that cannot bust against a dealer's 6 or 5. From the other hand, it will be easy "surrender" with non-face card against dealer's 10.
Fundamentals
During counting, we are trying to get the situation, when a lot of face-cards (10 points) are in the deck. This situation is called "warm deck," and it is a good reason for increasing the stakes.
What are the ways
System plus or minus
In 1963 card counting system named Plus-minus appeared. It was much more straightforward and understandable to the average person. Strictly speaking, many card counters use the system so far. It was only a little to correct and accounted for the basic strategy.
- In the "plus or minus" all the cards are divided into three groups, each of which is assigned its value +1 (for small cards 2-6), 0 (for medium-sized cards 7-9) and -1 (for face cards, aces and tens). The sum of points in one deck consisting of 52 cards is zero.
- Every time player sees that cards are out from the deck he adds +1 for each small card (2-6), -1 for each face-card (10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace) and skip all middle (sevens, eights, nines) cards in counting. The plus-minus system allows us to understand how warm the deck is right now: +10 (warm), +15 (extra hot), around 0 is normal, any minus number - cold.
Mathematical expectation depending on the counting
If you are using plus-minus counting system, you can expect for the following mathematical expectation:
| Live count | Changing the winning expectation |
| –10 | –4,79% |
| –3 | –1,71% |
| –2 | –1,12% |
| –1 | –0,53% |
| 0 | +0,09% |
| +1 | +0,73% |
| +2 | +1,36% |
| +3 | +1,98% |
| +10 | +7,39% |
With a negative value (-2 or lower), you must reduce the stake, or skip the hands, continuing to count cards of other players. If the account has positive value cards (two or more), rates can be increased.
Live casino
Let's see if we can count cards in blackjack when we play online? You should look if a dealer using a shuffling machine or shuffling all cards with hands. If the device is used - the counting of cards cannot be applied here (as it shuffles cards before every hand). If a dealer is making it with hands - you can use this strategy without any doubts.
Blank cards
So how to count cards in blackjack Live casino? The variant of the use of "empty card counting”. To use it, you should:
- Connect to the blackjack table in the live casino and start to count cards without any betting. You're just looking on cards of other punters and count.
- Start to bet in only when the deck becomes "hot".
The movie Twenty-one
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Where to play?
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