Counting cards in Black Jack is supposed to increase your chances of winning. There are different strategies, the Hi-Lo method, for example, is suitable for beginners.
How card counting works in Black Jack
Many players are under the impression that card counting in the card gambling game of blackjack requires a certain level of ingenuity. In reality, card counting strategies vary in difficulty. Some basic strategies use a simple counting system that you can use even if you are a beginner. Advanced counting systems have complex point values that give you more accuracy but require precise calculations.
- Card counting helps you raise the stakes in blackjack at the right time and minimise your losses during a losing streak. You can use this to adjust your play depending on the constellation.
- If you have internalised the essentials of card counting and have a calculated strategy, you can reverse the casino’s advantage in blackjack. There are also online casinos that offer the card game. The principle of card counting is quite simple.
- You assign a negative, positive or zero value to the picture and number cards. From the beginning, you do a running count based on the cards dealt in the game. Once you are sure of the “true count”, you increase your bets.
- The fewer cards that remain in the deck, the better you can estimate the true number and make your bets decisively. You need patience, a lot of practice and attention to detail. In principle, anyone can learn card counting. It is an effective strategy for winning at blackjack.
How the Hi-Lo system works
This is the simplest way to count cards in blackjack. This method is also suitable for beginners. This gives you a feeling for the principle of this strategy. The system divides the cards into three camps, each of which has a certain value.
- The Hi-Lo strategy is called a “balanced counting system”. This is because the combination of high, neutral and low cards in a deck is zero.
- First you divide all the playing cards into three categories.The high cards include the 10, the jack, the queen, the king and the ace. Neutral cards are the 7, 8 and 9, which are given the value 0. Low cards are the 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which are given the value 1.
- At the beginning of the game, you start with a total value of 0. Each card that comes into play is then given a value. You add or subtract this from your total value. With a high value, there is a high probability that there are still many high cards in the game. With a low total value, the probability of cards with a low card value increases.
- High cards are good for you. However, these cards receive a value of -1. This is because the fewer high cards are left in the deck, the more your advantage decreases. Low cards are advantageous for the dealer, which is why they receive a +1 value. 7s, 8s and 9s are not advantageous to the dealer or the player and therefore receive a value of 0.
- Using these metrics, the Hi-Lo system requires you to calculate a running total of all cards played. Including the dealer’s cards and the other players’ hands. This is called the “running count”.
