Blackjack Card Counting -- For Beginners

Blackjack is a very interesting casino game in that it is a card game where players can have an actual advantage over the house. How do we do that in blackjack? The answer is simple but it isn't really meant for everybody -- it's card counting. We'll try to answer some basic questions about card counting.

We'll only go into some of the issues that card counting beginners would like to go over. We're not going to attempt to recommend one card counting system over the other but we'll just explore what we can fundamentally expect from card counting systems.

When you hear "card counting" the first impression most people get is memorizing the cards in a deck or shoe. Unless you're a true blue genius, the answer is no. There's just no way anyone can remember all the cards that have been dealt in a blackjack deck. So, card counting isn't all about that.

What we really do in blackjack card counting is to track ratio or relationship of cards that are good for the players against the cards that are good for the dealer. Remember that in blackjack, you play against the dealer.

In card counting we work out a statistical probability. Sounds like too much math for you? No, really, it isn't. It all depends on which card counting system you choose. There are simple card counting systems and complex card counting systems, so just take your pick among what's out there.

Moving on, we'll answer which cards are good for the player and which ones are for the dealer. The low value cards are the cards that favor the dealer while the high value cards are the ones that favor the blackjack players.

Since the dealers must follow rules on hitting (especially when they have a hand less than 17), they need the low value cards when they hit (especially when they get a stiff) so as not to bust a blackjack hand. On the other hand, players need the high value cards to get them to beat the dealer since they don't have any regulations on hitting that forces them to hit over and over.

By using card counting we can determine the statistics on the ratio of high versus low cards. We raise our bets when there's a lot of high cards left, and lower our bets if the opposite is true.

With card counting we can get as high as a three to four percent advantage over the house, but that still depends on the house and game rules. At an average, by using card counting we add a 44% chance of winning against the blackjack dealer.

Blackjack card counting is a tool we can use to gain an advantage over the house. It isn't a guarantee that you'll win every hand in blackjack.