A Card Counter’s Guide to Success

“Card counting is the practice of subjecting the cards to statistical analysis for betting purposes.” Card counting is the practice of subjecting the cards to statistical analysis for betting purposes. This is a crucial concept, but in the areas of blackjack it is more complicated, because you have to count the exact cards as they arrive, and be able to do so in under two seconds.

Card counting techniques can be fairly simple to very complex depending upon the technique. Some can even create new, personalized strategies based on existing strategies. Counting tools which are available on the Internet, can assist users in measuring the effectiveness of a method and, or helping users create new strategies, are unfortunately, nothing short of cheating. Counting tools have the ability to correct the count, and make correct deterministic decisions. However, the use of card counting techniques presents new difficulties, in that very little is known about these techniques, and the methods themselves are quite complicated.

The five basic principles of card counting are:

1. High cards are better.

Although popular, this does not mean that all cards increased from 10 to Ace are higher. Instead, high cards are better because you need to be able to distinguish, in time, when the deck is rich in face cards and these are more difficult to hit.

2. Low cards are better.

It is usually more difficult to hit low cards than high cards. The reason is that, in the early positions, you want to have a little bit more room to play, in case you need to hit, rather than if you are in a high card position. Therefore, low cards are better.

3. High cards are weaker than low cards.

In the early positions, lots of high cards are good. As the cards increase, the strength of the hands decreases. New players have a difficult time playing hands and these are the hands with the lowest value in the deck. New cards need to be watched for.

4. A joker can enhance your hand.

If you are good at counting, you can learn to keep track of the cards. As the cards are delivered, you keep a general count, and then you can compare it to the count of the dealer. If the cards are in positive territory, the cards are probably good. Then you add a Joker to the cards and calculate a 21s to become the value of the hand.

5. Cards with different numbers sometimes are good.

  • This is a more difficult concept to master. You have to be aware of the cards that appear. If there are cards with 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, Jack and Queen, each card is assigned a particular value, and is a potential hand.
  • After you learn to count cards, all you need to do to win at blackjack is practice. Don’t go on gambling, don’t bet, don’t gamble. Learn the game and practice, practice, practice. When you play blackjack on the Internet, with all the help, there is a way to learn to play perfectly, and start making money.
  • Be sure to learn all the rules, and all the strategies, before quitting your job and playing blackjack for money.
  • Be disciplined and honest. Anytime you accept help, and learn something, you will become a much better player. You can also play free blackjack, at least a loose, free version, so you can shake off any last beginners. But the point of this is to permanently learn to play blackjack for money. The last thing you want to do is to lose money.
  • Before you quit your job and begin playing blackjack for money, you should be doing so, at least sometimes, during every session you play. Even if you are a professional and play an entire season of nothing but blackjack, you should be playing during at least the first week of the season.
  • So, if you are a beginner and you want to learn how to play blackjack, you can start by pulling up a chair, sitting at a table and playing a hand or two, until you are confident that you understand what you need to do.
  • Be prepared to lose. We all lose at some point. And if you are going to win, you should be willing to lose as well. But you don’t want to lose much.
  • Make sure you are eating well, Regardless of whether you are winning or losing, and make sure you are in bed by 10 or 11, when bars close. If you are hanging around after 2 or 3, you are probably in bed drunk, and this is no way to learn how to play blackjack. Play when you are alert and conscious.