Card Counting seeks to gain an advantage over the house.
Normally, the house as the advantage. This is due in large part to the fact that the house is the last to play. All players have an opportunity to bust before the house. This statistical advantage means that while any individual hand can be won or lost, over time the house will win more than it loses.
Basic strategy is a defined play based on the odds of wining a hand. By playing basic strategy, the house advantage is kept to a statistical minimum. Playing without the strategy means the house edge is even higher.
However, there are times within a game where a player has a statistically advantage. Any time there are more ten cards in the shoe than low cards the player as the edge. The house must hit below 17 and a ten card will cause the house to bust.
Card Counting seeks to recognize when there are more ten cards in the shoe. There is a known number of ten and low cards in any deck. By remembering what cards have been played from that deck, you know what remains in the shoe. No system requires to you to remember every card played. Instead you keep a running count and add or subtract values from it based on the cards played.
A Card Counter increases his wager when he recognizes there are more ten cards in the shoe. He will wager more to win more. Thus, by betting more when he has the advantage and betting less when the house as the advantage he can actually gain a mathematical edge over the house. That means over time the card counter will win more than he loses.
How To Count Cards
Card Counting Basics
* Count the cards as they are played. You must successfully track all discarded cards to gain knowledge of what remains in the shoe.
* You must increase your wager when you have the edge. Otherwise, the house will eventually win. You have to sieze the advantage when you have it. You must also have a large enough bankroll to withstand a prolonged losing streak.
Most card counting systems combine steps 2 and 3. Each system recommends different wagers. Simplified counts like the wizard ace five require very large wagers. More complex counts require smaller wagers or even tiered wagers.
All systems assume you are going to be doing step one.
There are many card counting systems available. Three very popular systems are discussed below.
How To Count Cards
Wizard Ace Five
The running count begins at zero. Five cards count as plus one. Ace cards are minus one. When the deck is suffled, the count reset to zero.
The wager in Wizard Ace Five can become very large. For any positive running count, you wager 2 time the running count units. A unit is the table minimum. Here is a chart.
RUNNING COUNT
zero or less
1
2
3
4
5
WAGER
table minimum
1 x 2 x table minimum
2 x 2 x table minimum
3 x 2 x table minimum
4 x 2 x table minimum
5 x 2 x table minimum
Wizard Ace Five is a simple recreational system. It doesn't yield much an edge, and to take advantage of the edge it has, you must bet very large.
But it is easy to count, and therefore makes a good introductory system. If you play wizard ace five and really enjoy counting, then you should move to a more advanced system.
How To Count Cards
Red Seven
You must keep a running a count while playing. But the running count does not start at zero. It starts a -2 time the number of decks. This is called the Initial Running Count. Return to the Initial Running Count when shuffling.
DECKS
1
2
6
8
Initial Running Count
1 x -2 = -2
2 x -2 = -4
6 x -2 = -12
8 x -2 = -16
For every card played, you add or subtract a value from the running count. The card values are
CARD
2
3
4
5
6
red 7
black 7
VALUE
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
0
CARD
8
9
10
jack
queen
king
ace
VALUE
0
0
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
Notice the 7 of diamonds or hearts is -1 while the 7 or clubs or spades is +1.
There are two basic wagers, the low wager is the table minimum. The high wager is 5 to 10 times the low wager. You bet the low wager at zero or below. You bet the high wager above zero.
You can choose to stagger the wagers based on the positive count, much like the wizard ace five. In that case, bet the count times 2 times the table minimum.
How To Count Cards
High Low (or Hi Lo)
The hi lo is a balanced count. The running count starts at zero. If you were to count through an entire deck, you would end at zero.
The card values are
CARD
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
VALUE
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
0
0
CARD
9
10
jack
queen
king
ace
VALUE
0
-1
-1
-1
-1
-1
All balanced systems require you to convert the running count into a true count. This is done by dividing the running count by the number of decks in the shoe. You determine how many decks are in the shoe by estimating how many decks are in the discard pile. Subtract the discarded decks from the total number of decks in the shoe.
The wager is below.
TRUE COUNT
zero or less
1
2
3
4
5 or more
2 DECKS
table minimum
2 x table minimum
3 x table minimum
4 x table minimum
5 x table minimum
6 x table minimum
2 DECKS
table minimum
2 x table minimum
4 x table minimum
8 x table minimum
10 x table minimum
12 x table minimum
How To Count Cards

Play Online And Learn
Card Counting as You Play.
hi lo card counting
card counting 21
acting duet disney acting an actor prepares duet acting acting tips disney actress acting lessons acting agency
acting duet disney acting an actor prepares acting tips disney actress acting lessons acting agency
acting duet disney acting an actor prepares acting tips disney actress acting lessons acting agency
by adwords-marketing
Have you experienced any of the following problems using Google Adwords?
* High cost to maintain your Adwords campaign
* Poor quality score affecting...
more »
- 39 featured lenses
- Winner of 6 trophies!
- Top lens » Disney Monologues