Blackjack Card Counting – Part I « Gambling Blog
The first time I heard of card counting, now many years ago, I distinctly remember how I reacted, and it wasn’t a reaction of love and acceptance. my gut essentially told me that card counting was cheating; I mean how could it not be? or, at the very least, it has to fall into the most dubious of categories of skill or indeed fair play. As time went on however, and the phrase didn’t disappear, in fact became more common and even boasted famous fans I began to rethink my attitude.
The first thing that came to my attention when I started to research card counting was that it is really not something for the amateur. Unexpectedly I learned that card counting would be very difficult for the blackjack novice and can only really be done well be people who have played the game, enjoyed the game, and internalized basic strategy; which I can tell you is no easy feat. In short the people who card count aren’t in-for-a-quick-buck, hit and run con merchants, rather they have spent many hours at the blackjack tables, they have put in the time and have become experts.
The next point that I realize when reading about card counting, was that the basics of it are simply logic; if no 10s have come out half way through the deck that’s good for the player because the dealer has to hit on anything less than 17; if there are lots of big numbers, i.e. 10s he is more likely to bust. Conversely, if all the high numbers have appeared that’s bad for the player, because when the dealer does hit he will only be left with low valued numbers which are more likely to help him than make him go bust. this translates as; no 10s, bet; all low numbers don’t bet.
Having realized that it is veteran blackjack players who partake in card counting and that the basic premise is really just logic, I decided to try to uncover a little regarding how card counting actually works. I was actually inspired to delve quite a lot deeper into the card counting concept. Card counting, as it turns out, is harder online than when you have the cards and the dealer physically in front of you; apparently the pace is quicker than any land based casino and this will ultimately affect your ability to count. however, this is not to say by any means that it’s impossible, and the online casino provides the perfect training ground for learning the art and practicing it until you feel confident enough to try it out in a land based casino.
In order to share the next stage of my blackjack-card-counting-rollercoaster-journey, which includes a basic understanding of how it works, you will have to read part II of my blog entry: suffice to say here, that I have in fact done a 180 degree turn on the subject.
Tags: Blackjack, Card, Counting, part
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Blackjack counting cards question?
When im at the casino i use the hi lo method, the most commone one. I never look suspicous with the counting part but i think i might when i bet because i always draw attention of casino assistant managers and employees so i have to bet differently. I need some tips on how to bet and do this without getting caught! Like when to bet and and any tips will be appreciated.
(1) Remember they are professionals and you can not always fool them.
(2) Don't bet too high. Raising a bet from $10 to $50 will draw less attention than raising a bet from $100 to $500.
(3) Don't play too long at one table, at one pit or at one casino.
(4) Don't always make optimal plays. I sometimes like to increase my bet on the first hand of the shoe to make it look as if my variations are not due to the card count.
(5) Don't panic about getting caught. I have been caught several times and have never been banned or threatened.
How big is your spread bet? are you suddenly jumping from your small to big?
You need to make it less obvious by slowly increasing your bets.
I was more successful with my big bets by pretending to run a martingale system, which allows for quite large increases in bet sizes. Depending on the way the count was heading, i'd run a reverse or traditional martingale.
The other thing is, if the pit boss is definitely keeping an eye on you… start making affordable mistakes at your small bet size. that is, make basic strategy mistakes. usually this is enough to make you look like a novice.
I've been playing blackjack in casinos for seven years and have won thousands of dollars just using common sense and perfect play strategy. in my own personal opinion counting cards is a waste of time. Even if you have a count way in your favor, there's no guarantee the dealer won't get a blackjack and beat your hard twenty, causing you to lose an increased bet. the best way to beat the house playing blackjack is by playing smart. I've noticed wins and losses come in streaks. as long as you're losing only bet the bear minimum. 95% of the time you're playing you'll be UP three or more chips. keep your goal small and GET UP when you reach it and go to another table. 3 red chips is $15 dollars. do this once an hour. how many people do YOU know make $15 an hour. If you can afford to play with greens, that's $75 an hour. When most people think of professional gambling they think millionaire. you can make a decent living sticking to this method. It won't make you rich, but you can pay the bills. Sorry I got away from your card counting question.
Card Counting Countinued
On the other hand, if three more 10 value cards came out of the deck than small cards, the count would be a -3. This is unfavorable to the player because now when the dealer hits his bust hands, he has a better chance of not busting. In addition, in minus counts there are fewer probable blackjacks. You will have to develop your own procedure for counting cards. Some counters count as soon as they see the card appear in a face-up game, others wait until the first two cards are dealt to each player.
I prefer this latter way because you can cancel out conflicting pairs. For example, if the player at first base (first position at the table) is dealt a 10,5 then the count is at O. The 10 and 5 cancelled each other out. Say he asks for a hit and receives a 6. The count is now at + 1. In a single deck game, the cards are dealt face down. Thus, you’ll have to wait for the players to bust or be paid off by the dealer before you can count their cards. You’ll have to find the counting procedure that is most comfortable for you.
Do this at home. Play endless rounds and count. My estimate is that within a two week span of daily practice sessions at home, you should be proficient enough to venture ino a casino. Then your real education will begin. It will take you time to learn how to do in a casino what you were doing so effortlessly at home. It’s the difference between batting practice and facing a real pitcher. But you can do it. Like anything it just takes time. Here’s a quick quiz. The dealer is dealing a face up game. He deals the following cards to the players:
Player One: Ace,4
Player Two: 5,6
Player Three: 9,7
Player Four: 3, 2
Player Five: 10, 8
Player Six: 7,2
Player Seven: 10,4
Now, what is the count? +4
How did we arrive at it? Player one’s ace and 4 cancel each other out ( the ace is -1, the 4 is +1 =0). Player two’s 5 and 6 are both worth a +1; thus
you have +2. Player three’s hand is equal to 0 because neither 9 nor 7 has a point value in the Hi-Lo count. Player four has two +1 cards (a 3 and a 2) for +2. Now, you add this + 2 to the previous balance +2 and the count is now + 4. Player five’s hand is worth -1 (a 10 =-1; an 8 = 0). Now, the count stands at +3. Player six has a 7 which equals 0 and a 2 which
equals +1. Thus, the count is at +4. Player seven has a hand that cancels itself out (10 =-1; 4 = +1). The count remains at +4. Now, the players will take their hits.
As they hit their hands, the count will invariably go up and down. However, let us say that at the end of this particular round of play the count is still at +4. Let us also assume that we’re playing a single deck (I’ll explain why later). Although a single deck game would not have been dealt face up, at the end of a round you would have an exact count. At a +4, what would you do? The deck favors you by four more high cards.
This is a good advantage. You would bet more. If the casinos would allow it, you’d make the biggest bet you could afford to make without getting heart palpitations. However, in the real casino world, you’d try to increase your bet at least triple what it was before (if not five or six times as much). The criteria for increasing your bets would be threefold:
1. How much money you can afford to lose.
2. How much of an advantage you have as determined by your plus count.
3. How much the casino will let you get away with before they start noticing you.
This third is very important because you can’t win if they don’t let you play. If you’re a $5.00 bettor and you suddenly increase your bet to $500.00, you’ll likely confront one of two scenarios: either the dealer will shuffle up the cards or you’ll be asked to leave.
However, if you double your bet or triple it, chances are the casino won’t even notice you. Unfortunately, merely doubling or tripling your bet in high count situations is not enough to make you much of a winner. The casinos realize this, too. Once you’ve learned to count there are different betting and playing strategies depending on whether you’re playing single or multiple decks.
The Theory of Card Counting part 1
There’s no need to go into a detailed mathematical analysis of how card counting was discovered and why certain cards favor the dealer and certain cards favor the player. A short explanation will suffice. If you are mathematically minded, I will recommend in the Appendix several books that go into great mathematical detail concerning the why’s and wherefore’s of card counting. Small cards favor the dealer when they are in the deck, large cards favor the player.
Thus, if five 10’s have just come out in a row, the cards remaining in the deck favor the house. However, if five smaller cards (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) have been removed, the remaining cards in the deck favor the players. Card counting is based on a simple premise: bet higher when the deck favors you, bet lower when the deck favors the house. You will lose more of your small bets but you will win more of your big bets. In the long run, your big bets will dictate that you win.
Keep in mind, however, that having a deck favor you is not the same as having a guaranteed win. Far from it. In a hundred hands with a slight edge in your favor, you might win one more than you lose. There are a lot of losing hands involved, even when you have the edge.
The reverse is also true. When the house has the edge, you will not necessarily lose. You will just lose slightly more often than you win on average. I’ve seen too many people who have learned basic strategy, learned how to count, go to a casino and get blasted out! Afterwards, they complained that obviously card counting doesn’t work because they lost! Not so.
Card counting is a long run proposition. The more hours you put in, the better your chances of being ahead. Card counting is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s really geared for people who expect to put the time in. Based on our Hi-Lo count, if three more plus value cards come out of the deck than minus value cards, then the deck is considered +3. In a single deck game, that is a favorable deck for the player.
It means that there are literally three more 10 value cards in the deck than small cards. Why would this favor the player? First of all, it makes a blackjack more probable. Although the dealer and player each have the same opportunity to get the blackjack, when the player gets it he is paid 3 to 2.
Second, although the dealer will get slightly better hands overall, when he does get a bust hand (12 through 16), he must hit and he has a better chance of breaking. When the player gets a bust hand, the player doesn’t necessarily have to hit it.
There would be some major deviations from basic strategy, for example, in a +3 count in a single deck. One would concern the efficacy of hitting a 12 against a dealer’s up card of 2 or 3. Basic strategy says you always hit it but in a +3 situation, the player would stand.
