Counting Cards in Blackjack
So you’re interested in learning how counting cards in blackjack works. It’s actually probably a lot easier than you think. The most common misconception about card counting is that it requires some kind of supernatural ability to memorize each and every card that’s been played as it’s been played. (Like in the movie Rain Man.) The reality is far simpler.
Counting cards works because a deck that has a lot of high cards in it is going to offer better odds for a player. If the ratio of tens and aces in the deck to low cards is unusually high, then your chances of being dealt a natural improve. And since the payoff for that kind of bet is 3 to 2, you can see why that would make more money for you.
So counting cards is a means of tracking the ratio of high cards to low cards in the deck. This is done by applying a value to some of the high cards in the deck and another value to the low cards in the deck and keeping a running total. For example, aces and tens might all be worth -1 in a card counting system, while every card valued at between 2 and 6 might be worth +1. Each low card that’s dealt increases the number of aces and tens that are proportionally left in the deck, and vice versa.
When the count becomes positive, you increase your bet to take advantage of the possibility of hitting a blackjack and getting the 3 to 2 payout. When the count becomes negative, you bet less. Counting cards in blackjack really is easier than you thought, isn’t it?