Card-counting
systems are based on the principle that the make-up of a deck of
cards changes as cards are played. Blackjack is different
from most casino games, in that the past and present plays can and
does affect future plays. In roulette, the present spin is not
affected by the previous spins nor does it affect the next spin. In
blackjack, the cards you are dealt are a by-product of the cards
that were already dealt. Computer simulations
and analyses has shown that a deck is in the player's favor when it
has more ten-count cards in it for the following reasons:
- Dealers need to continue hitting until they
reach 17 or higher and if there are a lot of high cards, then they
are more likely to bust, and if they bust, you win.
- With a lot of face cards there will be more pat
hands (17-21) dealt.
- With a hand totaling 9,10, or 11, you can
double down on a face card rich deck, but the dealer can't.
- Since blackjacks pay out 3 to 2 to the player
and just 1 to 1 for the dealer, the player has more to gain if
there are a lot of high cards and blackjacks are more likely.
- Players can stand on some hands when they know
that there are a lot of high cards in the deck.
So how do you count cards in blackjack? Although
there are many different systems and variations, counting cards is
usually as simple as adding and subtracting the number 1. Subtract
one when a high card is dealt and add one when a low card is dealt.
The greater the count, the more high cards in the shoe, and the more
high cards in the deck, the greater the advantage for the player.
Two of the more popular and easier systems are the
High-Low (Hi-Lo) and the Hi-Opt 1 count systems. In these systems,
each card is assigned a specific count-value as shown in the table
below.
| Card Denomination |
High-Low System |
Hi-Opt 1 System |
| 2 |
+1 |
0 |
| 3/4/5/6 |
+1 |
+1 |
| 7/8/9 |
0 |
0 |
| 10/J/Q/K |
-1 |
-1 |
| A |
-1 |
0 |
You begin your study of card-counting by
familiarizing yourself with the assigned count-value of each card.
Drill 1: Shuffle a deck of cards and deal
them out one card at a time face up. As you place the card on the
table call out the count-value of the card. do this until you no
longer need to refer to the chart for help.
Then you begin to practice keeping a running
count. A running count is just the total of the count-values of all
the cards that have been played. With both the Hi-Lo and the Hi-Opt
systems, the running count begins with zero and you add or deduct
the count-value as the cards are dealt.
Drill 2: Shuffle a deck of cards and deal
them out one card at a time face up. Instead of calling out the
count-value of the card as you place it on the table, you keep a
running count.
Example: You begin your running count at
0. The first card you turned up is a 3, your running count is 1 (0
+ 1). Your next card is a 5, your running count is now 2 (1 + 1).
Your third card is a Jack, your running count now become 1 (2 -
1). Then you dealt an 8, your count remains at 1 (1 + 0) ... you
continue doing this until you reach you last card. After you add
or subtract the count-value of this last card, your running count
should again equal 0.
This relatively simple system of addition and
subtraction allows a player to track the general composition of the
deck, and change his bets to take advantage of counts that are in
his favor. When the deck contains more high cards
and the odds are in his favor, he increases the amount of his bets
so that if he wins he wins more. When the deck isn't favorable, he
decreases his bets so that if he lose he loses less.
For more drills,
download BlackJack DrillMaster and be on your way to becoming a
winning player.
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