Counting Blackjack Cards 2024

Counting Blackjack Cards: Our Easy Way To Win Your Games

Card counting remains something that fascinates gamers and casino fans alike. Often equated with mathematicians or smart gamblers, blackjack card counting is not just a strategy for the best. These solutions have enabled many to become unmatched users.

Blackjack Variations - Counting Blackjack Cards

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The basics to know how to count blackjack cards correctly

Anyone can learn to count cards dealt and increase their odds of winning a game of blackjack. Besides, it’s not cheating! If a casino player learns this system, it is simply to give themselves a better chance of winning real money.

However, this blackjack strategy does not reveal all of its secrets to you in the blink of an eye. Indeed, you will have to learn a whole theoretical part, before moving on to practice during a real part. Rest assured, we are here to guide you and direct you towards simple learning.

It is still very important to know the rules of this game. And practicing on a few games on tables in real mode or in the free version to perform a test, will allow you to better understand the rules.

The free blackjack games have an interesting function, although you cannot win real money because they can also be used to practice the different techniques.

Like the MIT student team in the movie Las Vegas 21, you’ll be able to count blackjack cards to determine when the best time to place a specific bet is. 

Or the film Rain Man by Barry Levinson where we can see the practice with an actor who will use the talents of mathematicians to make his counter in the casinos of Las Vegas.

In other words, you will need to focus on the values ​​of the cards that will be drawn by the software or the dealer. The objective will be to determine the value of the cards that are still in the shoe.

From the number 0, you can give a certain value to the cards when they are drawn. As a result, you will be able to know at what point in the game your chances of hitting the best cards are higher. And if your chances are increased, those of the croupier will be, therefore, lower!

MenuAccount
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6+1
7, 8, and 90
10, Jack, Queen or King– 1

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Is blackjack card counting legal?

Casinos have tried different ways to avoid blackjack card counting. In France, the law does not stipulate the prohibition of this practice. 

However, the casino can make you understand that you have been spotted and even reserve the right to ban a player using this solution from a casino, this after several warnings of course.

Remember to find out if you go to a casino because the regulations are not the same everywhere. As in Monaco, for example, where this practice is prohibited by law.

The most stingy with calculations will say that this strategy will always be considered as one of the most reliable for increasing your earnings.

Counting applications are not prohibited in casinos, as this remains an authorized technique during your games.

What is the classic way to count cards in blackjack?

Now that you know the basics of the game, the goal of the classic counting system is to figure out how to count the blackjack cards that have already come out of the machine to determine what the odds are that the dealer does not draw this or that card afterward and to predict there one is going to have an advantage over others or not.

A strategy must be done over several turns because the machine for shuffling the cards does not contain only one deck!

This is the advantage of blackjack (unlike poker) and therefore a chance for users: each card is placed on the tables on its face up, except the dealer’s cards for which only one of the two cards is visible. All the players as well as the croupier can know their values.

The most important thing in winning and anticipating cards: knowing the game. The most important point in determining your advantage over the game. Determine which cards have been dealt to deduce the dealer’s hand and the remaining cards in the game. machines.

When you start your counting, you will need to start from 0 after a shuffle of cards. Its purpose is to determine the house edge. Because the users play together against the casino:

  • Count +1 : for cards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6;
  • Count 0: for cards 7, 8, and 9;
  • Count -1: for cards 10, J, Q, K, and A.

If the total value is close to 0, then we say that the shoe is neutral: neither the house (the croupier) nor a player has the advantage.

If the total is negative, it means that no player has an advantage in the game. It is advisable to leave the table or to bet very small.

If, on the contrary, your total is high, this means that the strong cards (10, J, Q, K, and A) have not yet come out of the shoe.

Our most important tip is to spot the value of each card at a glance and figure out the total very quickly in your head. This way you reduce the chances that someone will mistake you for a meter.

The purpose of this solution is to give a value by assigning points to each card to determine how to bet. The count value can be changed if you prefer to calculate the probabilities in another way.

The Hi-Low: a famous variant for blackjack counting cards

Who says techniques and strategies also say variants. Indeed, if more mathematicians have set up a method for counting cards, there is necessarily an alternative that may be more suitable for you.

Moreover, there are other alternatives for blackjack counting cards that it is possible to find on the net such as the Omega II system, the KO, or the Wong Halves. For our part, we have instead bet on the Hi-Low solution for its reliability.

This strategy consists of supplementing your classic card counting with more precision. You will have to mentally determine the value of the remaining cards in the shoe during your game. Thanks to a system of points higher or lower than 0, this technique is more balanced and more reliable.

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The different card counting methods

As mentioned above, there are various methods of counting cards in blackjack. We will present them to you in this paragraph, but know that to better retain them, you can use certain tools.

Indeed, in addition to the various stratagems related to mental arithmetic, it is also possible to find some applications available on your mobile to help you. Be careful though, as the use of these phone apps is prohibited in land-based establishments.

Counting blackjack cards

The Hi-Opt 1

Here, when the count is going to be high (between +2 and +4 for example) your answer should be to increase your bets because your chances of winning will be greater. When the count drops, however, say between -1 and -3, then you will know that you will have to limit your investments.

The Hi-Opt 2

This alternative is a little more complex than the previous one and introduces two new values ​​that we will also find in the following solutions, the +2 and the -2. The calculation is, therefore, more complicated and therefore only intended for experienced users.

Zen

Here is how the count will be done with this solution which can certainly be applied to online games but is easy enough to be used live around a real table in a land establishment:

  • Ace = -1;
  • The 10, jack, queen, and king = -2;
  • The 8 and the 9 = 0;
  • The 2, 3 and 7 = +1;
  • The 4, 5 and 6 = +2.
  • The Red 7 method

The particularity here is that we assign a value to 7 which will depend on its color. The red 7 (hence its name “Red 7” is worth +1 while the black (the Black7) is worth 0.

The KO

The particularity of this alternative which is based on hi-low is that the 7 becomes a low card, instead of being neutral. When it comes out, you will therefore add +1 to your count. However, the rest of the operation does not change at all.

Omega 2

This calculation system is one of the most complexes in the world of counting on this game of chance. The cards do indeed display different scores which are listed here:

  • The 9 is -1;
  • The 10’s, jack, queen, and king are worth -2;
  • Ace and 8 are worth 0;
  • The 2, 3, and 7 are worth +1;
  • The 5, 6, and 7 are worth +2.

The weaker the result, the more careful you will have to be since the strong cards will already be out.

The REKO

It is a diminutive of the expression Ridiculously Easy KO or “ridiculously easy KO”. You need to know how many decks are in the deck and multiply that number by -2. If there are 8 packets, the initial score is -16 and the calculation starts there.

We do not start here at zero as with the other solutions. Note that REKO is easier to use, but on the other hand, the fewer packs there are in the deck, the less powerful it is.

A little bonus info: as we have seen, it is possible to train from applications. Downloads are generally free, but not all of the systems listed above are necessarily present.

Knowing how to count cards discreetly

When you want to count cards to influence chance, there are some tips to follow and some things not to do on the contrary when counting (or count), especially when playing live in a casino terrestrial. These are things that we hope can help you stay discreet.

Keep it simple and don’t get noticed

Forget the very eccentric outfits and equally original behaviors. When you aim to anticipate the draws during the games, you have to know how to be very small. Since the correct dress is required, stick to simple but classy clothes, remain discreet and sympathetic.

Don’t yo-yo with your bets

The idea being not to draw attention to yourself, to try to keep a balanced rhythm of the game. This means that you will not have to yoyo with your bets, but also that you will have to try to stay at the same table as long as possible.

Do not use an app

In the bonus content that we delivered to you in the previous section, it was about relying on applications to perform the count. If this advice is valid during your training sessions, of course, ban your live sessions in gambling houses since the use of such apps is strictly prohibited, as is understandable.

Chat with other players

What better way to pass for an average visitor than to do like everyone else, that is to say, to strike up a conversation with your neighbors. Of course, for that, you will need to have a perfect mastery of the solutions listed on this page, because calculating and discussing at the same time is not given to everyone …

On the other hand, if you manage to do it, you will blend them in the decor wonderfully and the establishment will never spot you.

Never forget that the casino is watching you

And yes, the establishment could spot you. Video cameras are indeed installed everywhere and customers are closely watched, especially those who strangely chain the victories … So never forget this and remain discreet at all times.

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What system do we recommend?

In the case of blackjack, both systems are particularly effective. The ” Hi-low ” method remains the flagship option for blackjack counting cards that players can use during classic sessions. The ” True Count ” method allows you to obtain an almost maximum probability of winning the games.

We can only recommend the second option. Indeed, the first being is particularly known by casinos, they may discover your use. As part of the 2nd option, you will have the opportunity to practice by playing free blackjack games.

Once you understand the principle, as well as how it works, you can then go to an internet casino offering live sessions.

Famous blackjack card counters

As we have seen, the solutions to try to increase your victories in this game are very numerous, and if they have all come down to us today, it is because they have proven their worth through the story. 

Some individuals or groups of people have even hit the headlines using these options. Here are the main names of the card counters that have marked the annals …

American students at MIT

Blackjack Movies
Blackjack Movies

It was in 1996 that students from the famous American university MIT (the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) succeeded in setting up schemes that allowed them to systematically beat the dealers of land-based gambling houses.

The idea was to cover their tracks by attacking establishments on several fronts, that is to say by dividing up very specific roles between counters, lookouts, big bettors, etc. A set of very discreet secret codes were also in place to be able to communicate without the knowledge of the operators who saw nothing but fire.

The most famous blackjack movie will teach you a lot: action with “Las Vegas 21”

Ken Uston: the originator of blackjack card counting

Ken Uston is without hesitation the most famous person when it comes to this type of alternative to try to win big on this game of chance. He was practicing in Atlantic City in the 1970s and 1980s. With a team divided into counters and big bettors, he used the Hi-opt I and waited until he got a 1.5-2% advantage before going for it.

Al Francesco

This man who started in the 1950s with his revolutionary option “Big Player” (or Big Player) was finally banned from entering in the 1960s.

Al Francesco‘s idea was to play two by sharing the roles. One individual would bet small and take care of counting the cards, then another customer would arrive at the appropriate time and on the signal bet a large sum. Casinos saw nothing but fire for a long time …

Tommy Hyland

Inspired by the famous Ken Uston quoted above, Thomas Hyland set up his team and managed with the latter to obtain millions of dollars across the planet, during his 20 years of practice. Although taken to court by numerous establishments in the USA, he remains a legend for most of the people who play this game in the United States and around the globe.

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Answers to frequently asked questions about Counting Blackjack Cards

The point of counting cards in blackjack is to anticipate the cards to come. Determining the value of the cards in the shoe will give you an indication of how you should bet. Depending on the desired outcome, you will determine whether the remaining cards are high or low value.

Card counting is not a well-regarded practice in a casino. Indeed, this technique puts the bank at a disadvantage. Not being governed by French law, a casino reserves the right to ban a casino player. On the other hand, playing online does not allow the casino to know which players are using the counting strategy.

Several counting techniques exist and have evolved over the years. Rest assured, the goal is not to retain the value and suit of each card released. Precisely, counting techniques have been developed to simplify them. The best-known technique is to assign a value to each card to know its advantage.

In blackjack, players are not opponents. They play independently against the bank. If the casinos do not like this practice, it is good because it works and therefore allows you to make more money.

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