Blackjack Card Counting - How Does It Work?

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Card counting is a blackjack strategy that has been around since 1962. It's a perfectly legal way for experienced players to tilt the house advantage in their favour. However, it certainly isn't easy to learn. For those that acquire the skill, it can certainly be worthwhile. In this article, we look at blackjack card counting and how it can be used to win more while at the table!

In a nutshell, blackjack card counting involves keeping track of which cards in the shoe have been used. The strategy will change depending on the number of decks used by the dealer, but the concept remains the same. Players do this by assigning a different number to each card, before calculating the total during the round. 

Before discussing this blackjack strategy in detail, we have to mention that higher cards tend to help the player, while lower cards can benefit the dealer. Should a shoe contain a lot of high cards, such as 10s, Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces, then card counting will likely see optimal results.

The aim of card counting is to determine the ratio of high cards to low cards left in the shoe, with the concept being rather simple. It involves keeping track of the number of high cards that have been dealt, in relation to the number of cards left in the shoe. If a lot of low cards have been used, then the chance of being dealt a high card increases, and vice versa.

The main advantage of using card counting in blackjack is to swing the house edge in favour of the player. Card counting is the only strategy that can do this in blackjack, as even following blackjack basic strategy only reduces the house edge to roughly 0.62%.  

Another benefit of card counting is knowing when to adjust the size of a bet. If there are a lot of high cards, the shoe is referred to as 'rich'. When this is the case, experienced card counters will likely increase their bet size, sometimes to the table maximum. On the other hand, if a lot of low cards remain, players can place smaller bets, or simply walk away from the table entirely.

As previously mentioned, the best outcome of card counting is for players to identify that lots of high cards remain. This can allow players to stand on lower numbers, as the chance of busting is significantly increased. For example, experienced card counters may not hit a total of 14, 15, or 16, depending on the card shown by the dealer. In other instances, players will likely follow basic blackjack strategy. 

Next, card counting may influence whether or not the player takes insurance. If the total 'count' is high enough, opting for insurance can actually offer a positive expected value. This makes sense, as if the dealer is showing an ace and the shoe has an abundance of cards that are worth 10 remaining, the likelihood of them having a blackjack can be relatively high.

That concludes this post on card counting and how it can help players to gain an upper hand while sitting at the blackjack table.

Now that you have learned about card counting and its potential benefits, it's time to put your knowledge to the test! Head over to bwin online casino and try your hand at one of our online blackjack games.

Remember that while card counting can increase your chances of winning, it doesn't guarantee success. Keep practicing, stay within your limits, and have fun!