Card counting in blackjack is a mathematical technique for remembering all cards dealt from the deck at a specific time. Counting cards helps the player to know what cards are left to be played which may greatly aid him in the game. Counting cards is not easy but it can be done with experience and practice.

High Low Card Counting System

The Hi-Lo counting card technique was developed by Harvey Dubner. He simplified the Ten Count system that was created by Dr. Edward Throp, and made it simpler for players to use it at an actual blackjack table. This strategy is specifically made for beginner and intermediate blackjack players. This counting technique is certainly one of easiest to learn and is most recommended for gamblers who aren’t full time players, but still need to learn how to count cards. Because it is so easy to use, the High/Low counting system is the most popular option for many blackjack teams. It’s because the system performs well against the learning curve when various players on the team are at different levels.

A blackjack game in progress (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The High/Low method can be mastered quite easily. First, you have to learn the value for every card in the deck. That value is 2-6 (the low cards) 1, 7-9, 0, and cards 10, J, Q, K and A (the high cards) -1. You generally start the count at zero after the dealer shuffles. When you notice a card in the 2-6 range add one to the count, do nothing when you see a card in the 7-9 range and last subtract one whenever you see 10 or higher or an Ace. The resulting number is the Running Count. When the Running Count is high indicates more low cards have been played. When it low means more high cards have been played. Then you’ve to compare it to the True Count, which is Running Count divided by the number of decks left to be played. You make your bets accordingly. You need the True Count to be as high as possible to supply the players the best possibility of winning versus the dealer.

Knockout Blackjack Card Counting System:

The knockout counting system, or KO, is one of the most popular unbalanced counting card methods. Most card counting programs are balanced. A balanced card system is where you count down the entire deck and end up with a final count of 0. But an unbalanced count system means counting through a card deck you’ll not get an end count of 0.

Knock out blackjack requires fewer conversion methods than the HI-LO system. The KO counting system is in fact easier for the player. If you’re having problems with the Hi-Lo system as a result of the conversions, you should use the KO system and see if you get better accuracy while playing.

The reason for less conversions is the Knock Out system includes the sevens inside the low card group. This system works like this. A card in the 2-7 range adds one to the count, you still do nothing when a card in the 8-9 range shows up and subtract one for a 10 or higher including the Ace. The nice thing about this system is it doesn’t use the True Count at all, making it much easier to compute.

Any of these two methods ought to get you counting cards in no time, but don’t use either of these for internet casinos, because there is to much variance.

Related articles

• Cool story about a guy who beat the casinos because they treat the 1% differently

Blackjack is mostly a statistically simple game. The odds never change so you always know the probabilities of each move you are making. By making use of basic blackjack strategy you can eliminate the guess work from playing and use proven winning blackjack strategy. The only way the odds and probabilities can differ is with respect to the number of decks in play, whether or not the dealer hits or stands on “soft 17” and whether doubling and splitting are allowed and under what conditions. It is important to know these conditions before you play.Lets start with the basics, in Blackjack the closest to 21 without going over wins. This is between you and the dealer and not the other players around you. The Ace can be a 1 or an 11 bepending how you use it. A “soft hand” is a hand containing an Ace that is counted as 11. A “hard hand” is a hand that contains no Aces or the Ace is counted as a 1. All of your decisions are based on the value of the dealer’s up card. Here are the basic scenarios:Dealers up card is 7 or higher – Draw cards (Hit) until you have a hard hand of 17 or higher, or a soft hand of 18 or higher.If your dealer’s up card is 6 or lower, draw cards until you have at least 12. Stop once you have 12 or higher.Double down when your first two cards total 10 or 11, If the dealer has a 9 or lower. To double down purely means you can double your first bet after you receive your first two cards. If you decide to double down you will then receive only one more card.Always split aces and eights. Do not split any other pairs. To split a pair simply means that when you receive any pair in your first two cards, it is possible to split them into two separate hands. You can then play each hand as individual hands. The basic strategy for online blackjack can be represented in tabular form. A blackjack basic strategy table provides an overview of the possible hands you could hold along one axis and the dealer’s cards along the other axis. Based on your own hand and the dealer’s card, the strategy chart will tell you the best move in your situation (example: If you must stand, hit, surrender, double down or split). It’s so simple as remembering the values of a basic strategy chart if you wish to boost your online blackjack odds.You’ll find blackjack strategy charts on the internet or inside blackjack strategy books. It is important to learn these charts like the back of your hand if you wish to play to your full potential. If you are familiar with basic blackjack strategy you can expect better odds and prizes when you play online blackjack.

Playing online casinos is as exciting as being at the real thing in Vegas. With countless online casino sites available, Vegas style gambling is brought to your house. The software that you just download and install is realistic with sounds and graphics of true casino action. They are not only simple to use, but are safe and fun. Several of the casino websites offer internet casino bonuses and promotions. These offers include signup bonuses, promotions for High Rollers and Referral Bonuses. Referral bonuses are given whenever you refer other players to play at the casino site. Signup bonuses are given to new players when they make their first deposit. Most internet websites match your deposit amount. There are certain conditions with the amount of play the player is required to do, before they’re permitted to utilize the bonuses. However, the amounts required are very appropriate to the amount of play you’re planning to do. With any of the online casino sites, there are plenty of casino games from which you can choose. Whatever skill level you are at or whatever game is your preference; you will enjoy the internet casino websites. All you need to do is download and install the software, register, make your first deposit and you are ready to play. Some of the games available to you are slots, Roulette, Craps, Keno, Video poker, Baccarat and a lot of table games. There are a few casino basics for you to know: Slots – are incredibly simple. They require minimal skill. You just place your bet and spin. Placing the max bet is the best, since it gives you higher odds at winning. There are three reels, five reel, video and progressive slots. Blackjack – the object of the game is to have your cards total 21 or come as close as possible, without going over. Face cards count as 10 points, Aces are 1 or 11 points, depending on the other cards you have and all other cards count as face value. Roulette – There’ll be six players at the table. Each player is given his or her own color of chips, so the dealer can identify the player by his color. You place your chips on the table, wherever you would like to bet. Some examples on betting strategies are; Red/Black numbers, Low/High numbers, Odd/Even or single number selections. Video poker – is a game of draw poker, played against the machine. The object is to try to put together the best hand you can with the cards you were dealt. You’ll find listed several of the best US casino player sites that accept players from the U.S. The Rushmore Casino is one of the most popular. They offer great promotions, new player bonuses and even chances to win vacation packages. They have very good odds and a reported payout percentage of 98.7%. Cirrus casino has some of the best and one of the largest selections of slots. On Mondays, you can win player prizes when you play. Pure Vegas Casino, Cherry Red Casino, Bodog Casino and Rome Casino are some of the other internet sites that welcome USA players to participate. What are you waiting for? It is time for you to have some casino action taking place. Good luck to you!

If you ever participated at a twenty-one table in Las vegas or on a reservation you know the thrill of making the gamble. You know how it feels like to win the gigantic pot of cash and you remember the shock of having your cash taken away from you into the dealer’s money grabbing hands. You have likely sat in front of a slot machine pulling the lever and pressing the button, trying to determine what random push-me pull-me order will unlock the big jackpot. Short of skydiving, there is not a better natural thrill out there.

Since you certainly found the truth of the excitement but stress about putting your cash on the line you need to find a good place free of charge for casino play. Playing video slots, twenty-one, roulette and craps all for free can be just as much of a thrill and you will never break the bank doing so. It definitely is not a way to wean off of an actual gambling addiction—if you have a problem you should seek help—but it certainly makes it possible for having a good time in a safe manner.

There are a few online casino sites that offer great free casino play. They offer an complete web feature that does not call for you to download any software directly onto your computer and offers all of its games without cost, hosted by the web site. If you do not have a flash player, you will need to obtain that, but otherwise, every game is at your disposal without the hassle of copying it to your computer. That is a huge bonus when you have limited hard drive space. The games on these online casino sites are realistic, with very much the same odds to an actual casino There are not any free drinks served, but otherwise you will not miss a beat.

Cirrus Casino is my favorite online site that offers simulation casino that feels just like the real thing. They have a large number of games for free play, but watch out! They also have a pay website games and it can be easy to wander into a room where real money is required. The bright side is, unless you put money into the system, you cannot gamble but if you find that you are susceptible to seeking the extra thrill of putting real money on the line, this site might not be for you. Run a google search inquiry on “free casino play” and you will find a number of places to lay down the chips. Playing for free is fun and smart.