Blackjack Card Counting Strategy Guide
Card counting is a popular strategy used by skilful gamblers when playing casino card games, primarily blackjack. The card counting practice in blackjack involves a player keeping track of which cards have been played to determine which are left. The decision is then based on the composition of the cards that are remaining. It allows gamblers to not only minimize their loss but to gamble with less risk at a casino.
Our experts will also teach you how to count cards to win when playing blackjack. Card counting is useful not only to veteran players but also to beginners looking to win when playing card games. Start learning about card counting basics, systems and find the best tricks below and try them out at top online casinos USA real money!
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Updated: 25th April, 2025
Blackjack Card Counting Strategy Guide
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How to Count Cards in Blackjack
Your first step to learning how card counting in blackjack works is to familiarize yourself with its core principles. We all know that after shuffling cards, there will be an equal number of small and large cards. But, the composition of the deck changes once the game begins.
So, once you count how many small or large cards are being dealt or removed, you will have an idea of which cards dominate the deck and then make an informed decision. For instance, players who use card counting will have the most edge if the deck is filled with large cards – this then means you can bet more. But, vice versa if the deck has more small cards.
Example Hand:
Let’s say the following cards are dealt in the first round:
- Player 1: 5 (Count: +1) and King (Count: +1 – 1 = 0)
- Dealer: 3 (Count: 0 + 1 = 1) and 7 (Count: 1 + 0 = 1)
- Player 2: 9 (Count: 1 + 0 = 1) and 2 (Count: 1 + 1 = 2)
After this initial deal, the running count is +2.
Best Card Counting Systems
There are many card counting systems involved when using this strategy. The most popular one is the High-Low system which is considered a level-one count. In the Hi-Lo system. A tag of a value of +1 is assigned to every ranked small cards from 2 until 6.
Whilst, large cards such as Aces and 10s are given a value of -1. This is done because the former will have a positive influence on the player and the latter opposite. The value assigned to 7s and 9s is 0 since they have lesser effect compared to the other cards.
More so, card counters at a casino do not necessarily have to memorize the cards that are being dealt. How this works is simply adding the values to come up with a sum in the circles as the running count. For instance, if you get a positive number on the first round of the running count, it means that low-value cards have been played more than the high-value cards. So, the remaining deck will largely consist of high-value cards.
Other card counting systems include; High-Opt, KO, Omega II, Red 7, Halves and Zen Count.
Overview of the Card Counting Practice
Card counting is a very good strategy to use when playing blackjack. We prefer using Hi-Lo card counting as it’s the easiest to understand. The explanations to the system are straightforward; a player is at an advantage if the running count is positive as it means that large cards are still dominating the deck, and vice versa if not.
If the count is 0 then there is an equal number of small and large cards. So, players can increase their bet when they are at advantage, and decrease of the running count for the next hand is negative.
