Counting Cards in Blackjack

Around the world, people are developing different strategies to increase their odds of winning blackjack. This does not mean that they will win every time, but professionals need a way to ensure that they will be able to win money in the long run. Among the most important strategies employed to ensure this is to count cards.

What is Counting Cards?

Counting cards in Blackjack refers to a system of mathematics that allows players to keep track of the cards that have been dealt to players so that they will be able to figure out what cards are left, which in turn will help them make their next decision.

The principle of counting cards is based on the fact that cards that have high values like the cards of value 10 (King, Queen, Jack and Ten) and the Ace hold a better chance for players to win. On the other hand, cards that have a lower value, like 4 or 5 or 6 give the dealer an advantage. When there are a large number of Aces and Tens, there is a better chance for players to get a Blackjack, while a higher concentration of Ten cards means that the players have a better value when they double. The reason why low cards help the dealer is that they are forced to hit when they have hard hands that are under 17.
There are a number of ways to count cards, but unlike the popular belief, these systems are not necessarily reserved for people who have exceptional mathematical skills. Most card counters will simply assign a value to the card and remember the sum alone in order to make their decision for the next move.

How to Count Cards in Blackjack

Card counting is a very popular Blackjack strategy and there are a number of different card counting systems that have been developed to help players make their decisions. According to the basic system, the player simply assigns a value to each card, which is either positive, zero or negative. The player then keeps track of all the cards that are dealt and proceeds to add the value of that particular card to the total that he/she has assigned.

Typically most systems will ensure that cards that have a low value increase the total, which indicates that the chance of the player getting a card of high value is increased. When there is a high card, the total decreases, because there is a lower chance of getting a high card in the next round.
There are various styles of counting like a single level and multi level card counting systems. The most basic system is called the high=low system and it is a single level system. There are various other systems like Wong halves and Zen count that are designed for a higher accuracy in the decisions made. These systems are called multi level card counting systems. Many players even keep a number of different counts to help improve their chances.