Blackjack is a table game that has generous odds compared to other casino classics like roulette and slots. The house edge in blackjack is considered to be around 2 percent, which can be reduced to around 0.5 percent by using a perfect basic strategy.
But did you know that there’s also a way to beat the house edge and swing blackjack odds in the player’s favor? You may have heard of card counting, but what exactly is it, how does it work, and can you really beat the casinos?
Here’s a guide to card counting in blackjack.
What is card counting?
In blackjack, the dealer gives each players cards face up and reveals their own hand at the end. This means it’s possible to see the cards that have already come out before the next hand is dealt.
The player has more of an advantage if there are more high cards left in the deck because they are more likely to hit 20 or blackjack, and the dealer is more likely to go bust.
The opposite is also true. The more low cards left in the deck, the less advantage the player has and the more likely it is that the dealer will win.
Players can take advantage of knowing how many high or low cards are remaining and adjust their bet sizes and strategy when the deck is in their favor. This can completely negate the house edge or even give the player a small advantage of around 1 percent.
Is it possible to count cards online?
Online blackjack is more popular than ever before, as it allows players to jump in and join a table any time they choose from the comfort of their own homes or via mobile when they are on the move. There’s no doubt that blackjack online is here to stay, but is it possible to count cards online?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. Online casinos use random number generators (RNGs) to automatically shuffle the deck after every hand. The cards that appear in one hand, therefore, have no relation to the cards that appear in the next hand.
Although it’s not possible to card count, online blackjack still has the lowest house edge out of any casino table game. It’s also a great place to practice card counting. You won’t be able to apply it online, but you can get used to assigning values to cards and keeping a running total.
How to card count in blackjack?
So, how do you actually count cards in blackjack? It all starts with assigning the cards a value, which you can then use to keep a tally of the number of high and low cards remaining.
Running count
It’s a myth that card counting involves memorizing every single card that has already been dealt. This would be nearly impossible to do. Instead, card counting is about assigning a value to cards and keeping a running count of the total of these values.
These are the card values using the standard hi-lo method of card counting:
- 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 = +1
- 7, 8, 9 = 0
- 10, jack, queen, king, ace = -1
Other card-counting strategies assign different values, but you can’t go far wrong with this simple method.
Keep a running count of the total. So, if a low card comes out, you will add 1, and if a high card comes out, you will subtract 1. If the total is positive, that means there are more high cards left in the deck.
True count
At one time, the running count would have been enough information to adjust your betting. Nowadays, casinos use multiple decks during a game of blackjack, usually six to eight in one “shoe.”
To get a useful number from your card counting, you’ll need to divide the running count by the number of decks of cards to get a true count. So, if your running count is +12 in a six-deck game, you have a +2 true count.
A positive true count means the player has gained an advantage. In fact, a positive true count of +1 is enough to completely negate the house edge. A positive true count of +3, meanwhile, gives the player a 1 percent advantage.
Increasing bet size
A 1 percent advantage may not sound like a lot, but in the long term, it means the player has the odds to win. If they are properly bankrolled, they can capitalize on this opportunity.
It’s at this point, with a true count of +3 or more, that bet sizing can be increased. It can be doubled or scaled up according to the true count. For example, with a true count of 3, the player bets three times their initial baseline bet.
When the true count is at 0 or is negative, the player simply bets the minimum.
TIP: Anyone thinking about card counting should already know basic blackjack strategy. Blackjack is a game of maths and you need to understand the odds, when to hit, and so on.
How do casinos counteract card counting?
It’s important to understand that card counting is not illegal. It is just a way of out-thinking the casino and beating the game. However, it’s frowned upon by casino directors, who will throw you out or ban you if they see you using card counting techniques.
Casinos constantly monitor tables for suspicious activity. If a player sits at the table for hours, consistently bets the minimum, and then every now and again increases their bet sizing dramatically (and wins!), alarm bells might start ringing.
To get around this, players have been known to form teams, the most famous of which was the MIT blackjack team. In this case, ‘Spotters’ sit calmly at the tables and count cards while making small bets. When the true count is high, they signal the ‘Gorilla’, who sits down and places big bets with an advantage.
Aside from catching card counters in the act, casinos have already made it more difficult to make money from counting cards. By using multiple decks and shuffling cards regularly, they reduce the edge that can be gained and make the process more tedious for the player.
Remember, even with perfect basic strategy and card counting, the player only gains a 1 percent edge. Contrary to how the movies show it, card counting is a grind.
