We have all been seduced by the idea of becoming one of those characters in many Hollywood movies able to guess blackjack cards. But these films wanted to show that only mathematical experts are capable of doing it, such as Rain Man, starring two monsters like Tom Cruise and, above all, Dustin Hoffman. But can I count cards in blackjack too? Stay here to find out!
If you are still wondering why it is important to know how to count cards in blackjack it is because you have not yet understood the value of having one , right?. We know that in casino and online casino games the odds are against us (that’s why the prizes for the winner are so high), but that doesn’t mean we can’t add a few more odds to ourselves bingo 4d.
What does counting cards mean in blackjack?
Let’s get to the heart of the matter, that’s why you’re reading this. That is, card counting is also called card readings and the main objective is to know what cards the dealer is going to present to you in the next play. That is, know in advance what decision they should make.
All card counting strategies in blackjack start from a common premise: helping to decide what decision to make in order to benefit our Profits. In the end, we are talking about a game of chance, where we can do things well and fail, or do things wrong and succeed, but the idea is to be in a better position to have results in the long run. In theory, with the mask count in blackjack, you can get an idea of whether there are more high or low cards in the deck, in order to make decisions.
Best Blackjack Card Counting Systems
Without further ado, we present to you the two blackjack card counting systems most famous, and with the best accredited results:
High-Low
It is the most used system for counting blackjack cards. It’s very simple: we can know which cards are still to be drawn as we see which cards are drawn. As the game is in progress, you mentally begin to unfold what you are going to learn with the Hi-Lo strategy.
You must give a certain value to the cards that are yet to come out in order to follow this strategy:
Cards 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 add 1 point
7,8 and 9 add up to 0
Figures J, Q, K and A subtract 1
In this way, as the cards come out you start counting according to the value above. The higher this count, the better for the player, since it means that there are still cards with higher value, that is, face cards, aces and tens. And this in blackjack translates into more chances of winning the game. With practice you will learn to recognize when an imbalance occurs between different groups of cards and, therefore, when to go for more cards or use a conservative strategy (and with a little luck, see how other players and dealer goes over 21).
The first hands played hardly provide crucial information, but we must be patient to increase the count and, therefore, the information about the game. As advice, which is what we are for, we can recommend a certain assessment of your hand so that you know what to do. If your hand totals 12 to 16 points, you have a dangerous hand. And that’s when you have to use your count:
Are there any more high value cards left? Alert!
Are there any more low value cards left? Go for it!
Uston System SS
The Uston SS system of counting cards in blackjack is the complex version of the previous method. Instead of 3 groups, we will divide the cards in the deck into 6 segments, which we will use to add or subtract with respect to a specific number. How will we get that number? Multiplying -2 by the number of decks used. If you were playing 6-deck blackjack, that number would be 12. These are the sums:
The number 5 adds 3 points
The 2, 3, 4 and 6 add up to 2
The 7 adds 1 point
The 8 keeps neutral
The 9 subtracts 1 point
The figures J, Q, K, A and 10 subtract 2
With this blackjack card counting system, we must increase the bet as we exceed 0 after several games, which will mean that the table is hot.
Is counting cards prohibited in blackjack? What happens if they catch you counting cards?
Despite explaining the system of how to count cards 21 blackjack, we must warn you that the casinos They are very alert regarding the different computer systems that for many years, players used to guess what cards the dealer was going to present. Nowadays, there are real security experts who are always on the lookout for this type of trap. Technically, counting cards is not prohibited in blackjack, but that doesn’t mean that the casino won’t like it when you do it, and will kick you out for doing it.
It must be taken into account that counting cards in blackjack is designed for physical casinos with dealers, although it should also be noted that in the Currently, blackjack games are played with six decks, which makes it even more difficult to put this strategy into practice. In this sense, in online casinos no one can stop you from counting cards, but developing this strategy does not make any sense.
Does counting cards work in blackjack? More history than reality
Counting cards in blackjack has more mythological component than functionality, even more so in the era of online casinos. The aura around card counting in blackjack dates back to 1962, around the mathematician’s book “Beat the Dealer” by mathematician Edward O. Throp. The casinos believed that this use of statistics would put an end to them, and for this same reason they began to play with more decks, being an impediment but not definitive.
Many have appeared in movies for counting cards in the casino, but the truth is that very few have made money doing it. An example of this is Ken Uston, who together with his team managed to earn more than 5 million dollars in the 90s, inspiring the movie 21: blackjack. But the truth is that on an individual level it is much easier for you to fail with this strategy or to get caught, along with the casinos’ strategies to make it difficult for you.