Blackjack Card Counting

Card counting in blackjack is a very effective way of tilting the house odds in your favor. There are many different card counting systems around but the one I favor is called Hi-Lo card counting.

I favor this method because I think it is the easiest to learn.

Many blackjack professionals use only card counting to win at blackjack. I personally like to use it along with basic strategy.

After you read through this card counting lesson we will discuss how to use card counting with basic blackjack strategy.

In the Hi-Lo card counting systems cards are assigned one of three values, a -1, 0, or 1.

Any card that is worth 10 - 10's, Jack, Queen, and King is assigned a value of -1. Aces are also assigned a value of -1.
7's, 8's and 9's are assigned a value of zero.
2's, 3's, 4's, 5's and 6's are assigned a value of 1

When a card is dealt you must then count using the assigned card values (-1, 0, 1). This includes cards dealt to your opponent and the dealers cards.

When your count is positive, for example, +2, that means that there are more ten value and Ace cards in the deck. That is a big advantage to you. The higher the positive count, the higher you can and should bet per hand.

Let's take an example, say I am betting $5 a hand but as I begin to count cards the positive value is +4. Now the odds are really in my favor and instead of betting $5, at the very least I am going to bet $10 and probably even $15 per hand while the positive count is so high.

Because the odds are in my favor I am going to make sure that I win as much as possible. When the odds are not in my favor I will bet conservatively and if I lose, lose as little as possible. I will maximize my winnings and minimize my losses.

When the count is zero or negative I will not increase my bet and will play conservatively.

The correct way to begin using a card counting method is when there is a shuffling of the decks. You can't begin to count cards in the middle of the deck because you have no idea what the previous cards were and your count will not be accurate.

Also, practice counting at home, either with a deck of cards that you deal out yourself or at a free online game. You need to learn how to count quickly and accurately. This can only be done by practicing. Only rely on card counting when you are comfortable with it. Don't rush it.

Earlier, I said that I prefer to use card counting along with basic blackjack strategy. The way I use card counting is to place larger bets when the count is positive and I am more aggressive with doubling down and splitting. Even if you only to prefer to use our simple basic strategy, combining that with card counting is a great way to win at blackjack.