Learning to Count the Blackjack Way
Card counting is a high level blackjack skill that can help you make a lot more money than the average player at the blackjack table. Used as a way of estimating the consistency of the deck, card counting can help reduce the casino's edge to virtually zero if it's used correctly. However, be warned, if you don't count cards correctly while using your bonus then the damage can be more devastating than if you'd simply stuck to a basic betting strategy.
So how do you count cards? The first thing you need to do is assign value of +1, 0 and -1 to certain cards as they are dealt. Doing this during the game can be tough because of the speed at which the cards appear, however, this is why you need to have a lot of confidence when trying this strategy.
When you see a card with a value between 2 and 6 you should add 1 to your running count. Any time a card with a value between 10 and ace is dealt you should subtract 1 from your running count and any time a 7, 8 or 9 passes across the table you do nothing.
After a number of hands this count will move within a predetermined range and it's at this point you need to divide you running total by the number of decks left in the dealer's shoe. This process gives you a true count and it's this number that will tell you whether the deck is in your favour or not.
The deck is deemed in your favour if there are more tens in it than low cards. In contrast, if there are more low cards than cards with a value of ten then the deck is said to be in the dealer's favour. When the deck is working for you then it's time to increase your bets because this is the time you can win more money. When the deck isn't on your side then you should slash your bet size and minimise your losses.
Card counting is all about establishing your position at the blackjack table. By knowing when the conditions are in your favour and when they aren't, you should be able to adjust your bets accordingly and make a lot more money overall.
