Blackjack Card Counting
So what is card counting in BlackJack? The main idea behind counting cards in blackjack is that a deck of cards with a higher percentage of high value cards (tens and aces) to low cards is beneficial to the player, while the opposite is the case for the dealer. A deck with lots of tens, face cards and aces raises the player's odds since blackjacks (ie 21 in 2 cards) offer a bigger payout and mean the dealer is more likely to bust. Also double-downs are more successful.People who practice Card Counting in blackjack up their bets when the ratio of high cards to low cards in the deck is leaning in their favour. They change their tactics based on the ratio of high to low cards. These 2 tweaks to their play can give you an advantage over the dealer.
You do not need to be a rocket scientist to count cards, as there are tricks to memorizing specific cards. Card counters assign simple values to each card they see and track the total score or count.
The Plus Minus Card Counting Method
In this method you assign a positive, negative, or 0 value to each card. As each card is dealt, you adjust the the running count as you go.
The Hi-Lo system
Assign a value of +1 for cards 2 through to 6. Any card worth 10, you assign a value of -1. Cards 7, 8 and 9 are neutral and have a value of 0 (just ignore them if they are dealt).
The Hi-Lo system is a balanced system, as there are an equal number of negative and positive cards in the deck, so all 52 cards add up to 0
As you count along, you will be able to track whether the odds are shifting in your favour (positive count) or the dealers favour (negative count).