Archive for February 24th, 2008

Learn to count cards and win at blackjack

There aren’t many games at the casino where a proper playing strategy can decrease or possibly eliminate the advantage enjoyed by the house, but blackjack is one such game. There are well-known strategies of card counting that enable to eliminate the edge in favor of the house and help the player enjoy a winning day at either the virtual or real work blackjack games.

Obviously the most well known, and most efficient, method for blackjack players to tip the odds to their benefit is to count cards. Card counting, of course is not as simple, or as straightforward, as many tend to believe. In the end, casinos are also aware of card counting, and they are continuously taking countermeasures to limit the effectiveness of this method. From using multiple decks or cards to applying automatic shufflers, casinos are always aiming to defeat card counters, and good players are always discovering new methods and strategies.

The easiest method to count cards is just to keep a current count in your head as every new card is dealt from the deck. This count will help you to determine the chances of the cards they need being the next to appear from the deck. Although this method is relatively simple on single deck blackjack tables, it becomes increasingly complex as the number of decks used in the game rises. Clever blackjack players actively look for single deck tables, as such tables typically give the best chances and the greatest advantage to the skillful card counter.

It is clear that the running count does not tell the whole story, even on single deck blackjack tables. It is essential to know the real count in order to give an efficient betting strategy. Basically, the true count is the running count divided by the number of decks of cards that have not yet been dealt. This true count will allow for a better idea of how favorable the remaining cards will be.