Counting Cards in Blackjack: Every Important Detail

Discover the purpose and how to count cards in blackjack, the main techniques and methods to win the most playing blackjack in any online casino in South Africa.

Why Count Cards in Blackjack?

Casino games are a source of inspiration for Hollywood and there are a multitude of films based on blackjack betting, roulette, etc.

Many of these films share a common thread: they deal with card counting, a battle that often takes place between casinos and gamblers.

The first thing to know is what card counting in blackjack is.

In this game, each card has a value, and you have to try to add up different cards to get as close to 21 as possible.

To simplify the game, there are four possible outcomes: if the player busts, he has lost; if the dealer busts, the player wins; if no player busts, whoever gets closest to 21 wins; and if there is a tie, the game is called back.

The best possible play is blackjack and consists of having an ace and a face on the first two cards.

But, if you don't get it, you have to take a risk to get as close as possible to 21, but without going over.

To do this, it is essential to know what cards are in the deck, because depending on whether they are higher or lower, we will have more or less chance of going over.

This is where what is known as counting comes into play: some players count the cards that are coming out of the deck to find out if there are more figures or more low cards to be dealt.

If there are more figures left, it is more likely that the player or the dealer will go over 21, so the game should be more conservative.

If, on the other hand, there are more low cards to be dealt, it is riskier because the table is more likely to go to 21.

Is it Legal to Count Cards in Blackjack?

The answer is yes… but there are some nuances.

No casino can prohibit players from counting cards, but that doesn't mean they like it.

Casinos around the world have a right of admission, so when they find out that someone is counting cards, they are usually kicked out straight away.

In online casinos, however, things are different.

No one can ban or kick out a player for counting cards when they are at home or simply in front of a computer screen.

However, card counting in online blackjack is useless because the software used is programmed to start dealing from scratch with each new hand, so the number of cards to be dealt is never reduced.

How Do You Count Cards in Blackjack?

If you have decided to count cards when playing blackjack, you need to know how to do it.

Make sure, that you choose proper blackjack version where only 52 cards are played.

There are several methods, although the best known is the ‘high-low' method.

In this method, cards are given a value:

  • 10 and ace: – 1
  • 7, 8 y 9: 0
  • 2 to 6: + 1

Once we have memorized each card, we add one or subtract one depending on whether the cards are high or low.

You need to be careful, as it is very easy to make a mistake while counting.

After several hands, if the number we have is very low or negative, it means that there are a lot of cards left, so we have to be conservative and let the dealer pass.

If, on the other hand, the number is very high, it means that there are a lot of low cards left, so the dealer has a good chance of winning the hand.

Lerato Dlamini

Lerato Dlamini

Content Writer

Lerato Dlamini, a 35-year-old content writer from the picturesque town of Franschhoek, Western Cape, has a talent for creating compelling, informative articles. Holding a degree in English and Communications from the University of Cape Town, Lerato expertly communicates the intricacies of the casino world to Casinoble's audience. When she's not writing, Lerato dreams of starting a non-profit organization to empower young South African women through education and mentorship.

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