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Blackjack Card Counting Strategy

Audrey | January 4, 2022 | Updated on: January 4th, 2022

Recently updated on January 4th, 2022

Blackjack 21Card counting in blackjack is a strategy used by some players to help them beat the house in a game already considered favorable to the player. It’s thought of as a very particular skill that not everybody can master. But, we believe that the art of card counting in blackjack can be taught to any player and we’ve summarised that process for you below.

So, if you are interested in knowing more about card counting, what it is, and how to do it then continue reading this guide. We cover:


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How to Count Cards In 4 Easy Steps

There are different card counting strategies that you can use. The one we most recommend is called hi-low card counting. To effectively carry out this strategy you need to first assign a count value to each of the cards in a standard deck of cards. It’s easier to categorize the cards into groups first, and then assign value to each group of cards.

Step 1

The first group of cards is called high cards. High cards include K, Q, J, and Ace and they have a counting value of -1. High cards are favorable to the player in online blackjack and when these cards become less in the overall pack of cards, so does your chances of building a winning hand, thus -1.

The next group of cards is the low cards which consist of 2,3,4,5 and 6. Low cards have a value of +1. This means that as low cards in the pack get fewer, the chances of you getting a low card next becomes fewer too, which is good for you.

Blackjack Card Counting

The last group of blackjack cards is called neutral cards and they consist of 7s, 8s, and 9s. They don’t have count value at all because they don’t favor the house or player.

Here is a summary of the count value for each of the cards.

  • K, Q, J & Ace & 10: -1
  • 2,3,4,5 and 6: +1
  • 7s, 8s, and 9s: 0

Step 2

The next step is to keep a running count of the cards you are dealt in the game as it proceeds. To keep count you will either -1 or +1 to the overall count and the action you take will depend of the cards received. For example:

Round Person 1st card 2nd card Total
Round 1 Player 1 Ace 2 0
Player 2 Jack 10 -2
Player 3 7 3 +1
Total count = 0

 

Step 3

You will continue to count cards for every card released from the shoe. But, at some point, you have to convert your running count to a true count. You can do this by dividing your running count number by the number of decks remaining in the pack. Some casinos try to make things difficult for potential card counters by using more decks than usual. But, if you are sharp in memory and math then this shouldn’t throw you off too much.

Step 4

Finally, you will then make your bets based on the true count you will now have. The rule is to raise your bet as the true count rises. And similarly, lower your bet amount as the true count lowers. You have to apply the insight you’ve gathered while card counting during every round to make informative bets or else you’re just mentally exhausting yourself for no reason.

Card Counting in Blackjack

Blackjack Card Counting Apps

What we’ve discussed above involves manually counting cards during the game. But, you’ll be happy to know that there’s an easier way to do it. There are blackjack card counting apps available to help simplify the process for you. Below we’ve listed 5 of the best ones available to both iOS and Android users.

App Name Android iOS
Blackjack Card Counter Yes No
Blackjack all in one trainer Yes No
Card counter lite Yes Yes
Blackjack 101 play perfect No Yes
Blackjack & card counting pro Yes Yes

 

There are many benefits to using a blackjack card counting app. For starters, it’s great for players who are only beginning to learn the art. All the apps are fairly easy to use and help you get the hang of it all quicker. You also get to practice the art as much as you can whenever you want. Using an app also lets you play several rounds over the course of an hour which ultimately means more practice. When you play a game online, live or at an actual casino you aren’t able to fit that many rounds in, but at least now you’ll have built up all the practice you need to win. Practicing on the app is also a great way to just kill time and master the art in your own time.

How to Choose a Blackjack Card Counting App

There’s a multitude of blackjack apps out there. Our job is to help you find the best possible one. Here are some of the things that you should consider when choosing the best blackjack card counting app to use.

Reviews and Ratings: Each of the reviews that we’ve listed in the table above are available on the Google Play store, as well as the Apple store. There you will find reviews for each of them. By reading the reviews, you will get a clearer sense of whether the app is reliable.

Quality Interface: The app you choose must be easy to use and navigation within the app must be easy too. If you are learning how to card count you don’t need the added stress of figuring out a complicated app that’s meant to teach you something.

Demos: One way of deciding whether the app is easy enough to use is by looking at the demo versions or screenshots of the application. If by simply looking at the screenshots you have an idea of how it works, then the chances of it being easy to use once you actually have it is high.

Pricing: Last but not least, we advise you to look at the pricing of the app you like and decide whether it’s worth it. Some apps are free to download while others come at a price. You should go for the blackjack card counting app that’s priced within your budget, not one priced over your budget.

Play Blackjack for Real Money

Card counting may seem daunting at first, but with practice, you will soon learn how to card count effectively. When you are ready, visit any of the casinos that we list in our table above and play blackjack for real money. You’ll become eligible for great bonuses once you’ve signed up. Our casinos are also mobile-friendly giving more freedom to play whenever and wherever you want!

 

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