Lessons in Blackjack Card Counting

If you have decided to learn to play blackjack and count cards, you should know what to expect. Aside from the hours and hours of practice, you’ll need to be practical, determined and willing to start with baby steps. What isn’t that important, at least in the beginning, is your bankroll.

The first thing you should know is that professional blackjack players do not rely on luck. And while there may have been some experience-based decisions made by players in the 1950’s, computer simulations and analysis proved the one definitive way to play each hand against each dealer up-card, according to each set of house rules. Varying from those rules results in lower overall expectation. What that means is that each time you guess, instead of following what is now known as basic strategy, you lose money in the long run!

Once you have mastered the rules of blackjack (really your first lesson), you have to take your second lesson: learning basic strategy. The tough part is that you have to make strange moves sometimes, like betting more money when you split a pair of eights against a dealer up-card of 9, 10 or ace. This seems like a bad move, because the dealer may have a ten underneath! However, since your two eights total 16, and that’s your very worst possible hand, splitting the eights is always the best play, even if it is just a little bit better than standing.

So remember, don’t vary from basic strategy. The moves are proven by computers, and winning players stick with the basics. Once you have mastered basic strategy and every play becomes second-nature, you can move to lesson three: playing a count system.

A simple plus minus count, or an Aces and Fives count will get your started with tracking the deck and playing blackjack as a favorite, instead of letting the casino hold the edge. A simple count only gives the player a tiny edge, and variance is high, so don’t get discouraged. Just stick with the program and grind your way to a small profit before raising your bets too high, or moving on to a stronger count system.

What Card Counting Really Does
The whole reason for using a card-counting system is to designate each card with a point value (minus is bad for the player, plus is good for the player) so you know when you have an edge over the house - and bet more money. And, the only way to keep the count in your head is to practice by yourself, counting down deck after deck of cards. You can probably learn the basics of blackjack in less than an hour. Learning basic strategy perfectly will take the average player between five and 10 hours.

While practicing at home is cost-effective (free), once you think you know basic strategy you should hit the casino and give it a whirl. The house edge (depending on your location) is likely to be between half and one percent. Playing $5 per hand and getting 60 hands per hour will only cost you a few dollars an hour - so play, get used to the casino and the game, and make sure you are doubling and splitting at the right time!

Learning and playing a count system can be deceptive. You have to know each step of the way perfectly to move on and vary your bets based on the count. Make sure you are ready before you start.

Using the Count in the Casino
Practicing a simple count at home is fine, and you’ll probably put in another 10 to 20 hours to get everything perfect. Your next step is to back-count the game at a casino. This means you’ll stand behind a game (you did practice both a single-deck and a shoe, right?) and count-down a live deck. You don’t have to make any hand decisions, just try and keep the count correct. Don’t be discouraged. Your first few decks are going to be tough.

Your next lesson is in patience. Save your money, and just back-count decks or shoes for several hours of live casino play. Though, huh? Don’t play. Just practice, and then start figuring out just how much you would be wagering each hand if you were playing.

After a few rounds, start applying your basic strategy to each player’s hand that you can see. What would you do with each decision. Then, quit for the night and be honest with yourself. Were your wagers and decisions all correct? If not, you need more practice at home. If you were almost perfect, you can play the next day!

Your First Live Counting Session - For Money
Your last lesson is in playing your first real session. Playing on graveyard is likely to get you the right table: slowly paced and nearly empty. Obviously you will find low limits during off-hours, and that’s what you need to start.

Don’t worry about the pit bosses watching you and worrying that you are counting. With a likely bet-spread of 5-1and a low first wager, nobody is going to worry, except you. So, take your time, talk to the dealer, don’t drink alcohol, and enjoy yourself. If you were truly ready, you’ll have the edge instead of the house. How much you can make playing blackjack will depend on the house rules, your ability, the number of hands you get per hour, and your bet size. Start with just making a few dollars and be happy with that.

Now that you understand the process of learning to count cards, you should understand that playing is tough. People talk and ask you questions, there is lots of noise, and you are wagering real money, but that’s not the most sobering reality of playing. The most frightening thing is that you will only win about 60-percent of the sessions you play - but that’s enough!

You will have many sessions where you win just a tiny amount or break even, and a few where you lose. At the end of each ten sessions, check your records (you are keeping good records, right?) and see where you stand. As a general rule, if you play an hour or two each day, you’ll book a winner most weeks and very rarely book a losing month.

Now that you are a winning card counter, keep practicing, build your bankroll, and get ready to master the essential cover plays and misdirection that will keep you in action - and fool the bosses. That’s the fun part! Enjoy.