All About Blackjack Card Counting

blackjack card counting

Card counting is a special technique used in the blackjack games, which increases your chances to beat the casino.

The majority of card counting methods are based on statistics, which has been gathered for many years. For no doubt, that nowadays the enthusiasts are still improving all these strategies. Card counting isn’t something extraordinary, but it definitely requires some skills like – attentiveness and good memory, and of course, as in land-based casinos it’s not appreciated, one must have good acting skills, or at least have the ability stay calm during the game, in order not to get caught.

The main idea of any card counting system is to assign points (+1, -1, 0...) which correlate to a card’s Effect of Removal (EOR).

Effect of Removal – is the calculated effect which removed card has on the advantage of a player/ house.

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This scheme shows the player advantage if a certain card is removed.

Some additional card counting systems:

Hi-Opt I

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Read more about Hi-opt 1 card counting system and how it is applied in real game.

Hi-Opt II

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Learn more about Hi-opt 2 system of card counting in blackjack and how it is different from other systems..

Omega II (requires also count of aces amount left in a deck(s))

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Zen Count

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The basic principles of blackjack card counting are as follows:

  • the player tracks all the cards which are dealt during the game;
  • In order to figure out the next card, player adds a special number (0-2), according to the chosen card counting strategy (and there’re many of those), to the specific card;
  • Then the player assumes what is the next card and decides if he/she wants to stand, hit, split or double.

It is not necessary (but for no doubt it will be an advantage) to have a photographic memory here. One could master card counting techniques by practicing with free blackjack games online. If you’re unsure of your counting skills you may download some additional card counting software. Certainly, it doesn’t mean that you’re allowed to use it the land-based casinos, as, for example, an I-phone applications used specifically for counting cards are already banned by law in all of the Las Vegas casinos.

In order to prevent the situations, when the same people who have been already caught for card counting can enter the casino again, they are equipped with special face scanners. Its operation principle is very simple, when you enter the casino, your face is scanned, and if it matches to the picture from the base, the security won’t let you in. Also, the base contains the pictures of those people who are considered to struggle form the ludomania (problem gambling).