- Card Counting Blackjack Practice
- Blackjack Counting Cards Practice
- Blackjack Speed Counting Method
- 6 Deck Blackjack Practice Simulator
Card Counting in blackjack can be an extremely effective way to increase your odds of winning at the game of 21. The simple fact is, the house always has an advantage in all casino games. However, by implementing a perfect Blackjack Card Counting. Blackjack demo can also be used as a practice strategy. Players who have learnt new blackjack systems, charts and strategies can practise all of them on a demo game. This way, they can perfect their blackjack skills without involving their own funds. As with any blackjack card counting system, you will want to practice the system at home with a deck of cards over and over again until you have it perfected. To cross check yourself, remember that after you’ve counted down the entire deck you’ll end up with a positive 4.
Knowledge is power in gambling. The more you know about the games, the more successful you can be.
For a knowledgeable player, blackjack offers the best chance of leaving the casino as a winner. And,when you become an expert at the game, you can turn the tables on the casino, and get a real advantageon the game.
Originally created by Ken Smith, the goal ofthis site is to provide clear, accurate and transparent information to guide you in optimizing yourblackjack play.
So how do I start?
We have a variety of resources for all levels of play. See below :
- Blackjack School - A complete course for all levels
- Blackjack Strategy Engine - Generate basic strategy charts
- Blackjack Strategy Trainer - Interactive game which shows the correct decisions to make
- Card Counting - A collection of useful card counting resources
- Blackjack Forum - A treasure trove of knowledge with contributing experts
- Online Blackjack - What to look out for when playing online
- Blackjackinfo Store - Purchase strategy cards
- Recent Blog Posts - Read the latest news and insights from expert contributors of BJI
Our most comprehensive resource, this is a completeguide consisting of 24 lessons starting from the very basics of understanding the rules to thenitty gritty details of advanced card counting.
By the end of this course you will be able to:
- Understand Basic Strategy
- Card Count
- Apply Money Management Methods
- Evaluate When a Game is Beatable
- Gain an Advantage Against the Casino!
Many casinos offer a version of the game where a basic strategy player’s expected loss is onlyaround 0.3%. By just choosing the right game and using a correct basic strategy, your results havealready improved five-fold over a typical player!
A player who plays at this skill level can already “beat” the game if you consider the value ofcomps and freebies he can get.
Our Blackjack Strategy Engine allows you to generate charts based off different rule sets
Looking for something a bit more interactive? Our free basic strategy trainer is designed to coach you and provide advice when you make an incorrect decision
This has recently been updated to be more user friendly on mobiles although if you want to play the original version you have the option to do so too
If you want to beat the game in the long run for actual cash, that’s possible too. In fact,Blackjack is probably the easiest game in the casino where a knowledgeable player can get amathematical edge over the game. Play zeus slots.
By learning to count cards, you can expect to win more money than you lose. You don’t have to be agenius to count cards… You just need to be willing to study, practice, and play with discipline.
Visit our blackjack school for a complete blackjack course whichcovers card counting extensively or visit our card counting resource.
Pogo free texas holdem. A treasure trove of blackjack know-how, our forum has over decades of valuable informationavailable for free.
Got a question? There are many industry experts that contribute to the community that can answeranything.
- Latest Threads
Unfortunately there's no way to card count when playing blackjack online, however if you are looking to just play for fun there are a few things you need to look out for.
We've decided to create a separate resource to address the questions you should be asking yourself before playing online which include:
- Is it legal to play online blackjack?
- What's the difference between online blackjack and live blackjack?
- Which online casinos give the best promotions?
- Do I have to pay tax on winnings?
If you are looking for physical strategy cards instead of using our strategy engine, the BlackjackInfo Store has wallet-size basic strategy cards, and an advanced strategy set thatincludes card counting indexes right on the card.
Our set of six strategy cards covers all thecommon rule variations.
BlackjackinfoStoreThe Current State of the Law for Online Blackjack in North America & Beyond
Some movement has occured in online gambling laws in North America over the last year. A lot has also been happening in Europe recently. One of the latest developments was the announcement that virtual gaming platforms will be fully legal in Belarus beginning April 1, 2019. This followed a Presidential Decree signed on August 7.[..]
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The Ins and Outs of Tipping Your Blackjack Dealer
Tipping is a form of communication in the service industry, especially if you are in the US. Here, people working at any service capacity normally get minimum or low-average wagers, and tend to depend on their tips for a boost in income. Considering casinos… …in all the shapes and forms they are available nowadays, also […]
Read MoreOnline Casino Registration will Become a Thing of the Past
When it comes to online casinos and embracing the latest technologies related to the gambling industry, the US has been in some kind of a vacuum for a number of years. We all know that the US is usually the leader in all fields, so the statement in the previous sentence seems somewhat contradictory. Even […]
Read MorePlaying Blackjack in Teams : Things to Consider
Author: Bluesman from BJ21.com I frequently read about blackjack teams and the difficulties they get into. As someone who has been a player, an investor, and a manager for a blackjack team, I thought I would write some general notes and, I hope, help others avoid some of the pitfalls we had to negotiate. I. […]
Read MoreBooks on Advantage Play Cannot be a Strategic Roadmap
Advantage play (AP) books usually teach strategy tables and are meant to provide a good conceptual understanding of the game. They cannot be expected to provide AP strategy/career roadmaps. If they did, they would become outdated very quick
Read MoreGeneric Basic Strategy
Basic strategy is the best way to play a blackjack hand on the first round after a shuffle, assuming you see no cards other than your own and the dealer’s upcard. For a person who does not count cards, basic strategy is the best way to play every hand.
Read MoreUnusual Circumstances & Break-in Dealers
Your bet is not lost until the dealer picks it up. If the dealer errs in your favor, keep the money. Never cheat, but never give money to the dealer. Of course, if the dealer makes an error in the casino’s favor, speak up and get it corrected. Look for gifts. The dealer is not supposed to show you either the card on the bottom of the pack or the burned card (i.e. the card turned under). [..]
Read MoreCan you teach yourself blackjack and win?
We all come to the tables by different paths. While I’m not a hardcore blackjack player, I do enjoy the game and usually dedicate about 20% of my bankroll to it. I’ll try to lay out some of the pitfalls I faced in learning and coming to love the game. Beginning or novice players might […]
Read More4,000 Miles in Search of an Advantage — Part Two
Early on in my career I struggled to find a balance between work and play. My only respite was the summer air as I sped across the freeway en-route to the next casino. I spent my leisure time journeying from table to table. There was no time for sight-seeing, no time for exploration, no time […]
Read More - Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
Introduction
Let me say loud and clear that card counting is hard and is not as rewarding as television and the movies make it out to be. If it were an easy way to make money, then everyone would be doing it.
If you do not know the basic strategy, trying to count cards is highly ill-advised. The big payback slots youtube. Experienced card counters still play by the basic strategy the great majority of the time.There can be no short cut around learning the basic strategy, those who attempt card counting without a firm foundation in the basic strategy are making a big mistake.
To be a successful counter you have to be able to countdown a deck fast and memorize large tables of numbers as well as make it look like you're just a casual player.Furthermore, with today's rules, a realistic advantage the counter will have is only 0.5% to 1.5%. You will not win money slowly and gradually but your bankroll will go up and down like a roller coaster in the short run. Only in the long run, over hundreds of hours of playing, can you count on winning.
The underlying principle behind card counting is that a deck rich in tens and aces is good for the player, a deck rich in small cards is good for the dealer. When the counter knows the odds are in his favor, he will bet more, and adjust his playing strategy to stand, double, and split in some plays where basic strategy says to stand. All the options the player has at his disposal favor the player even more when the deck is ten and ace rich. Here is a list and a brief reason why.
Standing: The player may stand on stiff totals of 12 to 16, and the dealer may not. In ten-rich shoes, hitting stiff hands becomes more dangerous, favoring the more conservative player strategy.
Insurance: On average, when the dealer has an ace up, the remaining cards in blackjack will be 30.87% tens (based on a six-deck game), making insurance a bad bet. However, if the probability gets above 33.33%, it becomes a good bet. Counters know when the remaining cards are ten-rich, and make powerful insurance bets at those times.
Doubling: Usually, when the player doubles he wants a ten. In ten-rich shoes, the player makes better double downs, getting closer to 21.
Blackjack: Both player and dealer will see more blackjacks, but the player gets paid 3 to 2, and the dealer does not.
Surrender: The alternative to surrendering is much worse in ten-rich shoes. If the alternative is hitting, the player is more likely to bust. If the player would otherwise stand, due to the high count, the dealer is still more likely to get a 10. While the counter will surrender more in high counts, the savings will be greater.
Splits: The player is usually splitting high cards and/or off of a weak dealer card. Either way, a ten-rich shoe helps the player get higher totals, and increases the probability of the dealer busting.
I'm working on an in-depth study of how these effects break down. The contribution to each factor depends on the rules, deck penetration, and bet spread. However, based on average conditions in a six-deck shoe, my initial results break down the benefits of counting as follows.
Why Card Counting Works
Player Option | Portion of Benefit |
---|---|
Stand | 40% |
Insurance | 34% |
Double | 9% |
Blackjack | 7% |
Surrender | 6% |
Split | 4% |
The probability for insurance was taken from Don Schlesinger's 'Illustrious 18' list, as found in Blackjack Attack. The rest of the breakdown is mine.
To gauge the richness of the deck in good cards, the player will keep track of the cards the are already played. Strategies vary, but all assign a point value to each card. For example, the hi-lo count assigns a value of +1 to 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and -1 to tens and aces. Everything else is 0, or neutral. At the beginning of a deck or shoe, the count is 0. Then the counter constantly adds and subtracts from the count, according to the cards played. This running total is called the 'running count.' A positive count means that a disproportional number of small cards have already been played, which means that the deck is rich in large cards. To determine the 'true count,' divide the running count by the number of decks left to be played, or in some strategies, the number of half decks. This will tell you the relative richness of the deck in good cards.
The true count is used in two ways, to determine how much to bet and how to play your hand. Unless it is obvious, every situation has a line in which you should play one way if the count is above the line and another if below. For example, a 12 against a 6 may dictate that you stand if the true count is -1 or greater and hit if the true count is less than -1. The counter will also bet more when the true count is high, meaning the deck is rich in good cards.
A problem arises when it comes to treating aces. The player should bet more when the deck is rich in aces since they add to the probability of getting a blackjack. However, when it comes to playing your hand, the number of aces left is not nearly as important as the number of tens, so it is desirable, but not necessary, to distinguish between tens and aces. Some card counting strategies keep a side count of aces. In the Hi-Opt I and Revere Plus/Minus aces are counted separately and only considered when making the wager. This is a more accurate and powerful way to play than assigning a negative value to aces and not keeping a side count, as some strategies do. Yet, many people feel that for the beginner it is too confusing to keep two counts. A player is more likely to make mistakes keeping two counts and that costs money. The efficiency of a strategy that does not keep a side count of aces is only modestly less, but you likely will gain more from fewer mistakes made. Different experts fall in various places in the spectrum in terms of what to recommend for the beginner. The Zen Count takes the middle ground and gives aces a value of -1 and tens -2. Personally, I have tried both and would recommend against a count that requires a side count of aces to a person ready to take up card counting. The Uston Advanced Plus/Minus is a good strategy that does not involve an ace side count and can be found in the book Million Dollar Blackjack. How well you know a counting strategy is much more important than which strategy you know.
Legally speaking, the player may play blackjack any way he wants without cheating or using a computer, and the casinos may do anything from making conditions unfavorable to barring, in an effort to stop anyone who they deem has an advantage over the game. Much of the challenge of card counting is avoiding suspicion that you are anything but a normal non-counting player. The most obvious indication that somebody is counting is that they make a substantial increase in bet size after a lot of small cards leave the table. Although the greater the factor by which you can increase your bet the greater your odds of winning, more than doubling your last bet is a fast way to arouse 'heat'from the dealer and pit boss. Usually when casinos employees realize you are counting, they will either shuffle the cards whenever you increase your bet, essentially removing any advantage, or ask you to leave.
This is only scraping the surface of the subject of card counting. I suggest the following pages of mine.
Practice
Practice your card counting skills with our trainer.
Card Counting Blackjack Practice
Internal Links
- Blackjack main page.
- Hi-Lo Count.
- The Ace-Five Count, possibly the easiest way to count cards.
- Book review section, for suggestions on good blackjack books.
External Resources
Blackjack Counting Cards Practice
- Blackjackinfo - A complete course covering everything from basic strategy to card counting
- BJ21 - By Stanford Wong; A membership based community covering all aspects of card counting.