3 Basic Steps to Counting Cards

The following is taken from my new blackjack site: http://londonblackjack.live/
http://londonblackjack.live/3-steps-to-counting-cards/

I think most people presume card counting to be some form of elusive, esoteric gambling used by the mathematically gifted among us. At least that’s what TV and Hollywood would have you believe. The truth is you don’t need to be Rainman or a genius from MIT to count cards. Pretty much anyone can do it, let me quickly show you the basics.

It’s really not hard. 3 simple steps will have you on your way.

1. Narrow The House Edge

Spend 20 seconds on Google and download one of the many charts and/or practice programs, then put in a few hours study on some of the widely known concepts. Before long you’ll have memorized a hand chart known as Basic Strategy. Good game selection and plenty of time on the practice table using basic strategy will get you to within 0.5% of breaking even against the house. To get you started I’ve included my Strategy Joker on the footer of this site which is based on Basic Strategy. Use it on the practice table first to verify your actions.

Great, you’re already closing the gap on the house which puts you ahead of 95% of blackjack players who play for fun. If you’re happy with being better than most of the field then great, but if you want to turn the blackjack tables on their head, then read on.

1. Running Count

Now it’s time to get ahead of the house by counting cards. Can you add, subtract and divide basic whole numbers? Good, you can count cards.

Start the shoe with a running count of 0.
Every 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 = +1
Every 10, J, Q, K and A = -1
Ignore 7, 8 and 9
That’s your running count in a nutshell.

1. True Count

Divide the running count by the number of decks remaining in the shoe and you have the true count. At a true count of +2 or higher you will beat the house on average on the next hand. Start discreetly ramping up your bets. If the true count is anything lower than +1 you should bet the min or heading towards it. At true counts approaching -4 it’s time to find another table or wait until the next shuffle. A few hours of practice at this and you’ll be able to scan a whole full-table layout and come up with the true count in 2-3 seconds.

So congratulations, that’s it really. Your EV vs the house is now positive. But remember that’s the easy part. Casinos do not like card counters so the difficult part is remaining undetected. You can do this by implementing subtle changes in your game that I will discuss in future articles. Now that I’ve enlightened you with these nuggets of wisdom, you can feel satisfied that with some practice you can be in the Top 1% Club of winning blackjack players and we’re only getting started. Your job will be to try the 3 steps, take them to the practice table and stay tuned for more updates.

Peace, Jack