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Card Counting
Consecutive hands of Blackjack are not strictly independent events; keeping track of the cards already played yields information on the remaining deck content. Card counting identifies the times when the deck composition favours the player. The player will then modify his betting and playing strategy accordingly. The fundamental principle behind card counting is that a deck rich in high cards (tens and aces) is good for the player, while the reverse is true for the dealer. A deck rich in tens and aces improves the player's odds, for several reasons: the player will be dealt more blackjacks (which pays 3 to 2); the dealer is more likely to bust a stiff hand; double down and split plays are more successful; and the insurance side bet can become profitable. Contrary to the popular myth, card counters do not memorize every card that’s played; they merely keep track of the relative number of high cards compared to low cards left in the deck. Basic card counting assigns an integer value to each card and then the player keeps track of the total score (the running count) as each card is dealt. Card counting creates two advantages:
These two adjustments to their betting and playing strategy can give players a mathematical advantage over the house. Depending on the particular blackjack rules in a casino, basic strategy reduces the house advantage to less than one percent, while card counting typically gives the player an advantage of 0.5 to 1.5% over the house. There are a lot of different techniques that have been invented to keep track of the cards played and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. The two most important considerations in choosing a card counting strategy are: The most popular card counting systems are: |