Counting cards in blackjack is very simple. There are very basic yet reliable systems to effortlessly keep a running track of which cards have been dealt. To perform these card counting techniques all you need to be able to do is add and subtract. There are several different card counting strategies. They all require adding subtracting by the value of one, however they differ slightly on which values certain cards take, mainly the Ace, Seven, Eight and Nine value cards. To get you started into learning to count I am going to teach you the "Hi-Low" card counting strategy. I started with this strategy when I first began counting cards at blackjack. It is the most commonly used card counting strategy that I know of and was the counting strategy portrayed in the movie '21'.
When counting cards with the Hi-Low card counting strategy for blackjack, each card has a value of '-1', '0' or '1'. Card values worth '10', as well as Aces are assigned the value '-1'. Card values 2-6 are assigned the value '1' and card values 7-9 are assigned the value '0' and are considered neutral when counting. In a full deck of cards, when you counting using this method you should always have an end count result of ZERO after counting through all 52 cards.
The size of your bets must correspond with the count in order to make money playing blackjack. When the count is high, say for example, a positive count of '12', then you would want to place a very big bet. If the count is low, such as '-12' then you would want to bet very small, not bet, or leave the table depending on the situation. Large counts are advantageous for the player while low counts are advantageous for the dealer. The reason is that high cards, mainly '10' value cards like 10,J,Q and K are better for the player. If the count is very high, then this means that more low cards have been dealt and high cards are more likely to be dealt next. With high cards, the player is more likely to get a good hand but also the dealer, who is required to hit until they have atleast a '17', will be more likely to bust. Low counts are better for the dealer because they are less likely to bust and more likely to reach a hand of 17-21.
So, it's pretty easy. The only other small aspect of this card counting strategy is knowing how to compensate for the number of decks being used in the shoe. This strategy as described above is great for playing with one deck of cards, but this isn't how it's done in the casinos or online casinos. Casinos, both online and physical, typically use six decks of cards. Different casinos may differ, but in general they use between 4-8 decks. When more than one deck of cards is being used, you must perform a small mathematical formula to achieve what is called the 'true count'. To achieve a true count, all you have to do is divide the count by the number of decks. For example, if you have a count of '12', and the casino is using six decks, then you would divide 12 by 6 to get a true count of 2. Using a true count is more important when the shoe deck is fresh. However towards the end of the shoe, since there are less cards left, the original count holds more power. In either case, you must use your own discretion and practice to get a better feel for the nature of the numbers and how to use them.
Monday 23 March 2009
Sunday 22 March 2009
Basic Blackjack Strategy: Learning to Walk Before You Run
First thing's first. Even though I stated in my first post that I don't always follow basic blackjack strategy strictly, it is essential to know by heart as a guideline for playing. Basic blackjack strategy takes some amount of practice to memorize but after playing with it for a while it will become second nature. Please take a look at the table which lists the denominations of the player versus the dealer. I recommend printing this table out and taking it with you when you play. It's not illegal to follow the strategy and casinos won't mind you having a small piece of paper with you displaying the strategy when you are gambling at blackjack. In fact, most casinos provide these tables for their gamblers, however I highly recommend that you learn the table on my site as there are different tables made for different blackjack games with different rules. This strategy is the best one I know and what I always follow. It is for Blackjack with 4+ decks of cards where the dealer stands on all 17s.
Saturday 21 March 2009
Welcome to Online Blackjack Games - My Start into a Gambling Career
Thank you for visiting and Welcome to the Online Blackjack Games blog! Gambling is a powerfully exiting stimulus in an otherwise hopelessly boring world. I pride myself on being a multi-faceted individual with many areas of interest where I continue to excel and be happy but to be frank,... nothing excites me more than gambling, and gambling at the game of blackjack at that! For me, there's nothing more thrilling! And I've never felt as alive as I do when I'm sitting down at a green felt blackjack table playing with plastic chips for real cash. I wouldn't call myself a professional blackjack player, as I do have a calling which keeps me away from the casinos 40 hours or so a week, but when I get the free chance, you can bet your bottom dollar where I'm at!
I recently re-located to South Korea for business. Needless to say, I love the country and love life here. I had always been careful with my money and had never dared to gamble. Colleagues had been speaking of going to the local casino but I would never go except when it was part of a close friend's going away party. I went very late at night and played roulette. I played the colors, switching between black and red as my intuition led me, but the game was too much to chance so I tried blackjack. I had never played blackjack before and didn't really know the rules. I knew the goal was to get as close to 21 without going over, but I didn't understand blackjack strategy, how to count cards, or that the dealer had to stand on a soft 17. I didn't know the strategic maxims for hitting, standing or surrenduring. Considering this, and the fact that I was tired and still drinking the free beverages so kindly comped by the casino, I played with about $100 and at the end of the night managed to walk away with $40 profit.
My basic strategy was playing only by intuition, but for the most part it worked. Easily could have been luck... which it surely was unless my intuition actually had some substance, but hardly probable especially with the amount of free drinks being had.
Anways, a few weeks went by, and I started to think about the casino... wondering how I could do if I went and played seriously... just sober, and paying attention to the cards being dealt. I didn't know anything about counting cards or that it was even possible for someone like me, but I knew the blackjack card deck had a memory in that every card dealt absolutely determined the probability of the next card being dealt. So, having a pretty good level of confidence but just wanting some excitement really, I went back on Thursday night.
I played with 100,000 Won (about $100.00) and over the course of 4 hours ended up with 400,000 Won. I was playing at a 10,000 Won table ($10.00 per hand) and was counting in my own way, simply watching the cards and keeping track of how many high cards had been dealt versus low cards. I wasn't counting, but I was sober and I was paying attention. Although I had no true "count", I was giving real power to my intuition and it seemed to work. The next night I went back and played for four hours and won, again, $300.00. I went back again Saturday night and again won $300.00 in four hours. At that point I was very excited and really felt that I was on to something. My future of riches flashed like a supernova within my mind's eye and all I could think about was gambling, the casino, cards, chips and money money money. Had I finally found an "EASY" button for my life? Maybe not....
That same night, Saturday night, I left the casino early and went out to party. I was with friends, drinking, but not really having fun because I was hooked, so addicted that all I could think about was getting back into the casino. Against my friends' advice I left the clubs early and went back to the casino. I was very intoxicated, and against my rule to play sober I sat down and gambled at the blackjack table. I lost $100.00, then another $300.00, then another $200.00 at the tables. After that I went home. I couldn't understand how things could change so suddenly. My winnings the prior three nights were so consistent, but I figured it was because I had been drinking, that's why I lost.
After that big loss I did a lot of research online. I hadn't yet learned how to count cards, but I began to study in-depth basic blackjack strategy. This time, I figured, if I had been able to win consistently before then playing with basic blackjack strategy I should be guaranteed to win much more! So, I went back to the casino, about three or four times a week and played with this strategy. Most times I won money, but it was so much harder and took so much more time. Before I had been able to win $300.00 in four hours but now I had to play for hours and hours and hours and watch my chips rise and fall before I had to settle with a winning amount I wasn't satisfied with. Months passed and still I couldn't achieve the results I had achieved those first three nights. I became frustrated, impatient and started playing STUPID. This is when I, for the first time in playing blackjack, began to lose significant amounts of money.
Frustration, anxiety, despair, self-hatred, mistrust of self, desperation.... Emotions of the addicted gambler, one of which I had become. My friends began to see my gambling problem, and I eventually admitted to myself that I had a problem, which for me was OK because I loved to gamble and didn't want to quit just because I was losing... I knew I loved to gamble and play blackjack and wanted to continue to play blackjack, eventually for a living, so instead of quitting I decided to get serious, and stop thinking of blackjack at the casino as entertainment and more as a serious business for making money.
No more fun, I got serious. This is a job. This is a business. Making money can be fun if your lucky, but I knew what really excited me wasn't gambling, it was making money. I stayed away from the casinos for a while, invested in card decks and practiced, practiced, practiced. I learned to count cards, which was incredibly easy despite my previous notions that card counting involved some degree of savant genius. Actually, I learned to count cards in a minute, although getting really fast and confident at it took a couple weeks of practice. After learning to count cards, the advantage was tipped in my favor.
I got rid of basic strategy for the most part. Basic blackjack strategy is the best way to play for all probability purposes, but to win more it is necessary to count cards, and when counting cards sometimes you should surrender on a sixteen again the dealer's 10, but sometimes you should stand and sometimes it's better to hit on a 12 even if the dealer has, say, a 4 or even a 6. When I started counting cards and playing smart, not only did I begin to win money and have more confidence that I would win, but the game of blackjack was much less nerve-racking. Maybe not as exciting, but at the end of the day I'd rather have the money than the dizzying highs and lows.
That's pretty much it for my story. I continue to work in South Korea but gambling is a big supplement to my income. I've developed more discipline and rigid structure in my playing as well, knowing when to stop and leave and to always play smart and never "gamble".
Please also note, that although nothing beats playing blackjack at a real casino, there are legitimate and reputable casinos online at which to play. I will also be discussing playing blackjack at online blackjack casinos, the pros and cons of these casinos and which ones to play at and which ones to avoid. Please look over my other posts for online blackjack casino reviews and tips for beating and winning money from online casinos.
I recently re-located to South Korea for business. Needless to say, I love the country and love life here. I had always been careful with my money and had never dared to gamble. Colleagues had been speaking of going to the local casino but I would never go except when it was part of a close friend's going away party. I went very late at night and played roulette. I played the colors, switching between black and red as my intuition led me, but the game was too much to chance so I tried blackjack. I had never played blackjack before and didn't really know the rules. I knew the goal was to get as close to 21 without going over, but I didn't understand blackjack strategy, how to count cards, or that the dealer had to stand on a soft 17. I didn't know the strategic maxims for hitting, standing or surrenduring. Considering this, and the fact that I was tired and still drinking the free beverages so kindly comped by the casino, I played with about $100 and at the end of the night managed to walk away with $40 profit.
My basic strategy was playing only by intuition, but for the most part it worked. Easily could have been luck... which it surely was unless my intuition actually had some substance, but hardly probable especially with the amount of free drinks being had.
Anways, a few weeks went by, and I started to think about the casino... wondering how I could do if I went and played seriously... just sober, and paying attention to the cards being dealt. I didn't know anything about counting cards or that it was even possible for someone like me, but I knew the blackjack card deck had a memory in that every card dealt absolutely determined the probability of the next card being dealt. So, having a pretty good level of confidence but just wanting some excitement really, I went back on Thursday night.
I played with 100,000 Won (about $100.00) and over the course of 4 hours ended up with 400,000 Won. I was playing at a 10,000 Won table ($10.00 per hand) and was counting in my own way, simply watching the cards and keeping track of how many high cards had been dealt versus low cards. I wasn't counting, but I was sober and I was paying attention. Although I had no true "count", I was giving real power to my intuition and it seemed to work. The next night I went back and played for four hours and won, again, $300.00. I went back again Saturday night and again won $300.00 in four hours. At that point I was very excited and really felt that I was on to something. My future of riches flashed like a supernova within my mind's eye and all I could think about was gambling, the casino, cards, chips and money money money. Had I finally found an "EASY" button for my life? Maybe not....
That same night, Saturday night, I left the casino early and went out to party. I was with friends, drinking, but not really having fun because I was hooked, so addicted that all I could think about was getting back into the casino. Against my friends' advice I left the clubs early and went back to the casino. I was very intoxicated, and against my rule to play sober I sat down and gambled at the blackjack table. I lost $100.00, then another $300.00, then another $200.00 at the tables. After that I went home. I couldn't understand how things could change so suddenly. My winnings the prior three nights were so consistent, but I figured it was because I had been drinking, that's why I lost.
After that big loss I did a lot of research online. I hadn't yet learned how to count cards, but I began to study in-depth basic blackjack strategy. This time, I figured, if I had been able to win consistently before then playing with basic blackjack strategy I should be guaranteed to win much more! So, I went back to the casino, about three or four times a week and played with this strategy. Most times I won money, but it was so much harder and took so much more time. Before I had been able to win $300.00 in four hours but now I had to play for hours and hours and hours and watch my chips rise and fall before I had to settle with a winning amount I wasn't satisfied with. Months passed and still I couldn't achieve the results I had achieved those first three nights. I became frustrated, impatient and started playing STUPID. This is when I, for the first time in playing blackjack, began to lose significant amounts of money.
Frustration, anxiety, despair, self-hatred, mistrust of self, desperation.... Emotions of the addicted gambler, one of which I had become. My friends began to see my gambling problem, and I eventually admitted to myself that I had a problem, which for me was OK because I loved to gamble and didn't want to quit just because I was losing... I knew I loved to gamble and play blackjack and wanted to continue to play blackjack, eventually for a living, so instead of quitting I decided to get serious, and stop thinking of blackjack at the casino as entertainment and more as a serious business for making money.
No more fun, I got serious. This is a job. This is a business. Making money can be fun if your lucky, but I knew what really excited me wasn't gambling, it was making money. I stayed away from the casinos for a while, invested in card decks and practiced, practiced, practiced. I learned to count cards, which was incredibly easy despite my previous notions that card counting involved some degree of savant genius. Actually, I learned to count cards in a minute, although getting really fast and confident at it took a couple weeks of practice. After learning to count cards, the advantage was tipped in my favor.
I got rid of basic strategy for the most part. Basic blackjack strategy is the best way to play for all probability purposes, but to win more it is necessary to count cards, and when counting cards sometimes you should surrender on a sixteen again the dealer's 10, but sometimes you should stand and sometimes it's better to hit on a 12 even if the dealer has, say, a 4 or even a 6. When I started counting cards and playing smart, not only did I begin to win money and have more confidence that I would win, but the game of blackjack was much less nerve-racking. Maybe not as exciting, but at the end of the day I'd rather have the money than the dizzying highs and lows.
That's pretty much it for my story. I continue to work in South Korea but gambling is a big supplement to my income. I've developed more discipline and rigid structure in my playing as well, knowing when to stop and leave and to always play smart and never "gamble".
Please also note, that although nothing beats playing blackjack at a real casino, there are legitimate and reputable casinos online at which to play. I will also be discussing playing blackjack at online blackjack casinos, the pros and cons of these casinos and which ones to play at and which ones to avoid. Please look over my other posts for online blackjack casino reviews and tips for beating and winning money from online casinos.
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