Blackjack Card Counting Method

Blackjack is a popular card game that some have claimed to be beatable.  Generally, the casino always has the house edge over the player, but a perfect strategy can swing it towards the player.  Unlike poker, players don’t need a lot of card skill.  Although fighting against the dealer can be difficult, the game is easy to learn and to play.  The main goal here is to get the highest hand and beat the dealer.  The highest hand is equal to 21.  To be able to beat the dealer, players must not only get the best hand but bet on the right one to win.

Card Counting

Online casinos have the house edge over the player.  This varies depending on the variation of blackjack.  Each variation has its own rules which increase the house edge.  But if the player is able to come up with a perfect strategy and execute it, he or she can lower the house edge and increase their advantage.  Card counting is a famous strategy in blackjack that has gained popularity due to its effectiveness.  It basically determines the probability of the advantage of the player.  It involves tracking down the ratio of high to low cards. 

The main concept behind the strategy is that a deck with more high cards is favorable to the player but a deck with more low cards is favorable to the dealer.  Players assign a point to each card and track down the score.  The score is termed as the count.  There are different card counting systems, but the one most commonly used is plus-minus count.  It is more ideal to perform simple counts for more hands rather than doing a complex one which slows down game play.  A card counter who places his bets appropriately with use of a perfect card counting strategy will have an advantage of one percent.  Players need to play more hours to be able to gain a sizable profit.  This technique, however, is more suited in land-based casinos rather then online.

Casino Counters

Online casinos are very much aware of this technique.  They apply countermeasures to reduce the damage by adding more decks, shuffling more often, changing blackjack rules, breaking the player’s concentration by distracting them, computerized scanners in tables, flat betting the player, and using computer systems to quantify a player’s threat.  They can also hire an agency to identify card counters and prohibit them from playing in casinos.