With Maps count for the Blackjack the Odds increase: As a player, you can beat the croupier and win money in the casino. win! Practise now!
The prerequisite is that you have Blackjack rules to perfection and have exactly the right action from the optimal blackjack strategy ready in every situation. There are various card counting systems. We will concentrate here on the Hi-Lo count.
- With how many Packs of cards is played? 1, 2, 4, 6 or 8?
- Count all cards from the shuffle = running count
- low cards (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) count +1
- high cards (10, J, Q, K and Ace) count -1
- 7, 8 and 9 are neutral and can be ignored
- Always know how many decks have not yet been played.
- Running count by remaining card deck number Share = True Count
- The higher the true count, the higher the stake
What is card counting?
Card counting is a special strategy used in blackjack to recognise when a player has an advantage. Card counting is based on mathematical probability (stochastics). Each card played changes the expected value of the cards to come. Based on the cards played, you can draw conclusions about the cards still to come in a continuous draw.
In a simple blackjack deck of 52 cards, each Card value of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace in four colours. If, for example, the ace of hearts is dealt, there are only three colours left Aces. The probability of another of the remaining three aces is lower than for other cards of which no card has yet been dealt and therefore four cards are still available.
Mathematicians have developed various systems for blackjack based on this principle, as some cards have a greater influence on winning or losing than others. A single card played is not yet very meaningful. The more cards that are dealt, the more accurately the chances of winning can be calculated.
The best-known counting system is called "Hi-Lo". The system offers the perfect mix of simplicity and accuracy. This gives beginners the best chance of winning. The "Red 7 Count" by blackjack author Arnold Snyder is a little simpler, but not quite as accurate (and therefore more profitable). There are also more complicated counts such as the one from "Ken Uston"
How does card counting work in blackjack?
Most card counting systems have in common that all card values are divided into two groups. In the following, card counting with the Hi-Lo Count explains.
running count
The "running count" is the "running counter".
You start counting after the dealer has shuffled.
Each card is assigned a corresponding value depending on the counting system used.
The Hi-Lo Count, as the name suggests, distinguishes between high (high) and low (low) cards.
Low cards (2 - 6) are good cards and get +1
With low cards, you are happy when they are played. You don't want to get these cards if you are placing a high bet. Good cards include the values 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, i.e. the five low card values. Whenever one of these cards is played, you score +1.
High cards (10, J, Q, K, A) are bad card and get -1
The counterpart are the high cards. If these are played, this is bad, as they give you high point values like a blackjack (ace & ten-value card). If a high card with the value 10, J, Q, K or Ace is played, you count -1 each time.
Tip: Always count cards in pairs
To avoid having to count each card individually, wait until each player has received two cards. Starting hands with one high and one low card add up to 0, so you can ignore this hand. This saves a lot of time and concentration, as you don't have to count +1 and then -1 again, but simply don't have to do anything.
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True count depends on the number of card decks
Unfortunately, the running count is not very useful. With the Hi-Lo count, you always convert the running count into the "true count". To do this, divide the running count by the number of remaining card decks.
How do you know how many packs of cards are left?
To do this, you first need to know how many packs of cards you are playing with. As a rule, you play with 6 packs of cards from a card slide (shoe). That is 312 cards. The cards played are placed in a transparent collection box to the right of the dealer. This shows how many cards have already been played. A pack of cards is about as thick as a thumb. If two packs of cards have been played, there are still four packs of cards left. The running count is therefore divided by 4.
If three packs of cards have been dealt, there are only three more decks left and you divide by three.
With a running count of +8 and only two remaining decks, you get a true count of +4, which would be a very good situation, for example.
ADAPTING THE SET: Bankroll & Money Management
The following is required for the calculation of the application:
- A total bankroll (BR) as a basis (e.g. 1000 Euro / better 10,000 Euro)
- Kelly criterion: variable use depending on the Bankroll
- true count
The higher the true count, the higher the stake.
The true count provides information on how high the stake should be.
With a negative true count, you only ever bet the minimum stake or do not play at all.
If more low cards (+1) are played, the True Count rises into the posivite range.
In order to maximize profit, one should use the Kelly Criterion use. With "Kelly" you bet as much as you have a percentage advantage.
To calculate the advantage, subtract -1.5 from the True Count. The result is the advantage.
If the true count is 5, the advantage in this case is +3.5, so you should bet 3.5% of your bankroll. With a bankroll of 1000, the stake would be 35 dollars.
Simplified deployment strategy
A rule of thumb formula for use could be:
TRUE COUNT - 1 * UNIT
This means that the stake is always one unit less than the true count. If the true count is +5, the bet is 4 units. A unit can either be the table minimum (5 dollars) or another amount corresponding to the bankroll (10 dollars / 15 dollars / 20 dollars / 25 dollars etc.)
If you play with a 1000 euro bankroll and 10 dollar units, you could place the following bets:
- TC +1 or less: Minimum bet
- TC +2: $10
- TC +3: $20
- TC +4: $30
- TC +5: $40
- TC +6: $50
- TC +7: $60
- TC +8: $70
- TC +9: $80
PRACTISE COUNTING CARDS
Before risking money on blackjack in a real casino, you should practise counting cards. To do this, take a pack of cards and draw one card at a time. Count -1 for each high card and +1 for each low card and keep an eye on the time. Good counters count through a deck of 52 cards in 10-20 seconds. Once you have reached this speed, always deal two cards at once. You will find that this is even faster, as pairs of a high and a low number cancel each other out and you can immediately can move on to the next two cards.
CARD COUNTING APP
There are some Apps for your smartphone that you can use to practise counting cards. To do this, search for "Card Counting" or "Blackjack" in the iTunes store or the Google Play shop.
Count cards online casino
Online casinos with their live blackjack tables with real dealers offer a perfect opportunity to practise counting cards. However, you should not hope for a big win here. The online casinos all use eight packs of cards, of which only 50% are dealt. This means that you have inaccurate information and rarely a real advantage with which you could justify a larger bet.
However, an online casino is the perfect place to practise. With relatively low stakes and a realistic environment, you can count cards as often and for as long as you like.
If you:
- make all decisions of the Basic Strategy perfectly
- never lose the running count
- always convert to the correct True Count
- apply the correct deviations from the basic strategy depending on the index number
- Adapt the correct use to the situation
- are bored with the pace of the online casino
THEN you are ready for a real casino!
Is card counting illegal?
Card counting is NOT ILLEGAL!
When counting cards, you simply use all visible information to gain an advantage. It is therefore nothing more than mental arithmetic and abstract "thinking". In a democratic country, it should therefore be allowed to think and count cards accordingly.
However, as card counting is an advanced form of gambling, it is not welcomed in casinos. At least not if the players win a lot of money with it. The casino can therefore prohibit a player from counting cards.
Counting cards alone is not enough. You also have to implement the information gained from this by changing the way you play. This works by increasing the Use in good situations. The easiest way for casinos to protect themselves against card counters is therefore to ban betting increases. If the dealer or his pit boss gets wind that a player is gaining an advantage by counting cards and adjusting his bets accordingly, they can either ban the player from playing or forbid him to vary his bets. The player must then "flat bet". This means that every stake must be the same. This means that it is no longer possible to take advantage of higher stakes.
Card counting film
The Film "21" from 2008 is about a group of students who win a lot of money by counting cards in Las Vegas. The film is based on a true story and the Book "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich.
A young maths student at MIT in Boston comes into contact with the game of blackjack through his professor. The professor sets up a team of students who go on weekend trips to Las Vegas to relieve the casinos of large sums of money.
