This video teaches you the easiest way to learn how to count cards for beginner blackjack players easy! In counting cards, you add up card values to see what your odds are of getting a good. Simply count all the 'small' cards on the table as '+1' and at the end of each round, subtract the total number of hands dealt. This includes split hands. As your count gets higher, there are fewer 'small' cards in the deck, giving you an advantage. How Much of an Edge does the Speed Count Offer?
Welcome to black jack card counting 101. If you're interested in learning how to count cards to gain a real edge in the game of blackjack, this is a great place to start.
Unfortunately, card counting is not a skill that you can pick up with a secret handshake or a cheat sheet. Counting cards is difficult, and learning how to do it well will require patience, determination, and lots of practice. The key is to reach a level where counting cards is no longer just a novel trick but an ingrained instinct – and that takes time.
Luckily the training process can be fun, especially if you enjoy playing blackjack (online). Once you've mastered even the most basic card counting techniques, you'll be part of an elite group of blackjack champs who will forever be one step ahead of the competition.
Card Counting Step by Step
This guide is meant for absolute beginners. If you're already a blackjack champ, you can skip to Step IV.
I. Learn the rules
First thing's first! Read up on the blackjack rules. It's no use being a counting whiz if have not yet mastered the basics of the game. Blackjack comes in a rainbow of game variations so make sure you know what style you intend to be playing. (Hint: novelty, online and tournament variations are not suited to card counting.)
II. Master basic strategy
Once you know the basics, it's time to learn more. Our blackjack strategy guides are a great place to start. Required time for memorization: 20-30 hours.
III. Playing and practicing
Now it's time to play as much blackjack as you can. A good place to start is with these online blackjack games free. After a while you will begin to notice common card combinations, and you will start to understand how to react to each one. You should expect to spend another 20 hours or more on this step. It's important to have as much experience playing with basic strategy as you can get.
IV. Learning the card values of a counting system
By now, playing blackjack should be easy, and you should know instinctively how to react to any situation. It's time to start counting cards!
First you must decide which system you want to learn. In general the two systems most often recommended for beginners are the Knock-Out KO Count or the Hi-Lo Count. The primary difference between these two is that the KO count does not require a conversion to the true count and saves an extra step by sacrificing a little accuracy.
The first step towards counting cards once you've chosen a system is memorizing the relative value of each card in the deck, and learning to count down a deck. Since we have recommended the Hi-Lo count we'll base our examples on that system.
Count +1 |
Count 0 |
Count -1 |
In the High-Low card count there is only 1 level of value, so cards are counted as +1, 0, or -1. All 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 cards have a value of 1. 7, 8, and 9 have a value of 0. 10, J, K, Q cards all have a value of -1. Some counters will advise you to learn not to notice that 7, 8, and 9 cards exist at all to minimize the number of things that you must pay attention to.
IV. Counting down the deck
Once you remember these numbers, try counting down the deck. Do this by dealing cards one at a time, and mentally count all the cards until you have gone through all of them. If you have counted correctly you should wind up with zero, because the Hi-Lo count is a balanced card counting system. Practice counting down the deck until you can quickly and accurately count through the deck to a zero count with no cards remaining.
When you're actually playing blackjack, keeping track of the cards in this way is known as keeping a 'running count' of the game.
The time required to learn how to keep a running count of a single deck is approximately 30 hours.
VI. Converting to the true count
When you can count through a single deck, it's time to learn how to apply it to a multi-deck shoe. This involves converting the running count, which you calculated above, into a true count.
True count takes into consideration the number of decks being used, as well the number of decks still to be dealt. It is calculated by dividing the running count by the number of decks still in the shoe.
The reason we need to do this when playing with more than one deck is because the same running count can mean different things depending on how far along the game is. For example, a running count of +10 is much better if there are 2 decks remaining as opposed to a shoe with 5 decks remaining.
Let's look at an example. If you have a four deck game with a running count of +6 you have to look at the discard tray to calculate how many decks are remaining. In this case we'll estimate that 3 decks remain so that the true count is then +2.
Eventually you will run into the problem of dividing with fractions or numbers with decimals and you will learn to handle these calculations smoothly as you switch between the running and true count.
This is usually the step that takes the longest to master at a conservative 60 hours.
VII. Distraction training
Counting cards while dealing out of a deck at home is one thing. Sitting in a crowded, noisy casino and trying to keep a true count of an 8 deck shoe is completely different. The last and most difficult step in learning to count cards is learning to do it in a distracting environment.
Start small. While counting at home, add background music. When that fails to throw you off, add something like a loud television and a roommate or spouse. The best practice session would be at a loud party or a rambunctious family reunion. Of course you'll want to make sure that this new skill doesn't prevent you from also enjoying other people and activities going on!
When you can keep track of a deck and hold a conversation with someone while there are all sorts of noises going on in the background, then you're ready to take your new skills to the casino. Estimated time for mastery is generally around 25 hours.
If you've paid attention to the time estimates for each step, you are looking at about 165 hours of training. The exact number will depend on you, and on how determined you are to come out ahead. Learning to count cards in blackjack is a big undertaking, but trust us when we say that it's a very rewarding experience!
Card Counting Tips
Before you dive in and start learning, here are a few tips you should know.
Be subtle
Counting cards is not against the law, but casinos don't like it, and you can get thrown out if you're caught. The biggest mistakes beginners make is not being subtle. If the dealer sees you muttering under your breath, or constantly checking the discard pile as you try to calculate the true count of the game, he will get suspicious. Learn to act casual, and practice counting until you can do it instinctively.
Don't bother counting online
Online blackjack is a wonderful thing, but internet games are no good for card counters. The reason for this is simple: the deck gets shuffled after every hand, making card counting useless. This makes sense, since counting cards online would be so easy. You could even use a pen and paper! Of course, playing online is still a great way to practice, so keep your blackjack casino online accounts open while you learn to count cards.
Read, read, read
We have covered the basics here, but there are literally hundreds of blackjack card counting books out there. Grab a few and learn more!
Don't overestimate your skills
Like we said from the very beginning, counting cards is difficult. Even if you think you're ready to hit the tables, you probably have quite a lot to learn. Don't expect to fumble about with a deck for a few hours and think you can count cards, it takes a lot of practice to perfect.
That's it – you have completed Card Counting 101. Good luck!
Card counting is a system that experienced blackjack players use to get a profitable advantage over the casino. There are many individual 'counts' or systems. Many of them are named after colorful professional gamblers from times past.
The 2008 movie '21' bought card counting to the attention of the general public. It followed the true story of members of the MIT blackjack team as they won millions from casinos in LasVegas. This movie also highlighted the key challenge faced by card counters. To make a profit using these systems, you need to bet significantly more when the odds turn in your favor. Casinos are aware of this — and will quickly ban players they believe are counting cards.
This page has everything you need to know to get started with card counting. Below you will find the basics of how it works. Famoussystems, the ideal games for counters and how online blackjack can help you learn to count are also covered below.
How to count cards in blackjack
Blackjack is a game of incomplete information. Players act based on their own two cards and the single dealer up-card. Players must risk busting in many situations, even though the decisions are mathematically correct.
Small cards are the enemy of blackjack players. Values of two through six can make for the trickiest decisions. In fact, if you remove any significant number of small cards from the shoe, blackjack not only becomes easier, the player gets a mathematical edge over the house.
This is where card counting comes in.
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Counters track the proportion of small cards to face cards and aces. At a certain point, the deck turns 'positive.' The higher proportion of face cards means every hand played will generate long term profit for the player — not the house. This is because profit comes from doubling, splitting and hitting blackjack (natural21). All of these are more frequent when there are more high cards in the shoe.
To take advantage of this edge, counting players must boost their bet size. Without this bet size boost, money spent playing while waiting for the deck to turn positive would cancel out any wins.
There are multiple factors that affect whether a specific game is a candidate for card counting. The number of decks of cards in play, the rules on splitting and doubling down, and how the dealer reacts to a soft 17 all come into play. To get the best from counting cards, you need to find the games with the lowest house edge.
Level 3 card counting systems & true count explained
Card counting systems have three levels of complexity. The simplest systems are Hi-LoCounts. You count low cards as +1 and high cards as -1. The higher the count, the bigger the proportion of high cards to low cards.
Advantage players will increase their bets once a specific count is reached. To be sure that they have an advantage, they need to translate the current total into the 'true count' first. This involves dividing the count by the number of decks still in play. If the count is +10, with five decks remaining in a six-deck shoe, then the 'true count' is 10/5 = 2. This means games like double-deck blackjack are better for counting. Players do not need to play through those first decks in the shoe while waiting for the true count to be positive.
Level two and level three counting systems are more accurate. They assign +2 to some cards and +1 to others. This splits the twos and sevens from cards three throughsix, with some systems also counting nines differently. There are systems with separate counts for aces. Your bet sizes need to increase in line with the positive count — for example adding a unit every time the true count increases by two points.
If you are new to cardcounting, then a simple Hi-Lo Count is the place to start. Once you have mastered keeping track of the count while playing each hand perfectly and chatting with the other players, you will be ready to move to the next level.
Examples of card counting systems
The systems below range from level one to three. These are five of hundreds of possible systems, giving you an overview of how different systems vary in their complexity.
Counters track the proportion of small cards to face cards and aces. At a certain point, the deck turns 'positive.' The higher proportion of face cards means every hand played will generate long term profit for the player — not the house. This is because profit comes from doubling, splitting and hitting blackjack (natural21). All of these are more frequent when there are more high cards in the shoe.
To take advantage of this edge, counting players must boost their bet size. Without this bet size boost, money spent playing while waiting for the deck to turn positive would cancel out any wins.
There are multiple factors that affect whether a specific game is a candidate for card counting. The number of decks of cards in play, the rules on splitting and doubling down, and how the dealer reacts to a soft 17 all come into play. To get the best from counting cards, you need to find the games with the lowest house edge.
Level 3 card counting systems & true count explained
Card counting systems have three levels of complexity. The simplest systems are Hi-LoCounts. You count low cards as +1 and high cards as -1. The higher the count, the bigger the proportion of high cards to low cards.
Advantage players will increase their bets once a specific count is reached. To be sure that they have an advantage, they need to translate the current total into the 'true count' first. This involves dividing the count by the number of decks still in play. If the count is +10, with five decks remaining in a six-deck shoe, then the 'true count' is 10/5 = 2. This means games like double-deck blackjack are better for counting. Players do not need to play through those first decks in the shoe while waiting for the true count to be positive.
Level two and level three counting systems are more accurate. They assign +2 to some cards and +1 to others. This splits the twos and sevens from cards three throughsix, with some systems also counting nines differently. There are systems with separate counts for aces. Your bet sizes need to increase in line with the positive count — for example adding a unit every time the true count increases by two points.
If you are new to cardcounting, then a simple Hi-Lo Count is the place to start. Once you have mastered keeping track of the count while playing each hand perfectly and chatting with the other players, you will be ready to move to the next level.
Examples of card counting systems
The systems below range from level one to three. These are five of hundreds of possible systems, giving you an overview of how different systems vary in their complexity.
- Hi-Lo Count: This is a balanced count and is the first system that new counters use. You add one to the total for each card value from two through six — and subtract one for 10s through aces. Seven, eight and nine are neutral. You then divide this count by the number of undealt decks and round up as needed. You should increase your bets when the count is positive — betting more the larger the positive number that you count. The advantage of the Hi-Lo system is simplicity. Compared with other blackjack counts, Hi Lo card counting does lackprecision.
- Hi-Opt1 and 2: These systems were developed by LanceHumble, though they can be traced back to the 1960s. There are many more'neutral'cards compared to the Hi-Lo Count. Hi-Opt 1 uses aces, twos, sevens, eights and nines as zero for the count. Three, four, five and six are +1, and 10s through kings are -1. This system works best for single deckgames. Hi-Opt 2 makes 10s through kings -2 on the count, with +2 for fours and fives, +1 for twos, threes, sixes and sevens. Aces, eights and nines are neutral. These are accurate systems, though with single deck games rare (and closely watched), it can be difficult to find a suitable game to use them.
- Ace-Five System: You will need to double your bet repeatedly as the count increases to make the Ace-Five System work. This is a simple count, involving only aces andfives. Every time a five is dealt, you add one, and every ace you see removes one. When the count is +2, you double your bet. Increasing it again for every +2 that gets added. If the count reverts to +1 or less, you go back to your initial bet size. The key advantage of this system is the simplicity. The always-changing bet size is likely to attract the attention of casino pit bosses.
- Uston Advanced Count: Ken Uston was a famous card counter, known for his flamboyant lifestyle. His most complex system is the 'Uston Advanced Count.' Aces count as zero in this system. Fives are +3; 10s through kings are -3; nines are -1; twos and eights are +1; and threes, fours, sixes and sevens are +2. As with the other systems, you increase your bets in line with how positive the count gets — keeping the number of decks in mind. This system is designed to work best with a separate count of theaces. The complexity means that it is for experienced card counters only.
- KO Counting System: This system works like Hi-Lo, with an extra feature involving the insurance against dealer blackjack bet. It counts cards two through seven as +1, eight and nine as neutral and 10 through ace as -1. You should increase your bet at +2 or more (based on the true count). At +3 or greater, the insurance side bet becomes profitable and should be taken.
Which blackjack games are best for card counting?
Big casino resorts in Las Vegas, AtlanticCity, downtown Detroit and elsewhere run a wide selection of blackjack games. At the lowest buy-ins (typically $5 and up per hand), the rules give the casino a huge edge over theplayers. Examples include paying 6:5 instead of 3:2 for blackjack, limiting doubles after splits and having the dealer hit on soft 17. These unfavorable rules can easily boost the house edge to 3% or even more. With six or eight decks, getting a true count can be difficult.
Contrast this with the best games. An ideal setup is a single deck game, with liberal splitting/doubling rules, dealer standing on soft 17, late surrender and 3:2 for blackjack. With a house edge of 0.5% orless, these games are restricted to the high-limit rooms. This type of game is most likely to be closely monitored. Suddenly increasing your bet would be an instant trigger for experienced casino staff to watch closely.
Successful counters look for games with the lowest natural houseedge. They know the basic blackjack card counting strategy perfectly, so as not to give any edge back to the casino in the form of mistakes. If you do not know how to adapt blackjack strategy to subtle differences in the rules, then you are not yet ready to learn card counting techniques.
Is counting cards illegal in the US?
Counting cards is legal, unless you are using a mechanical or electronic device to help you keep track of the cards. Casinos do not want card counters in their games. People who are suspected of counting will be asked to leave the casino. Repeat offenses can see players banned — with trespass laws coming into effect if they attempt to return.
In 1979, Ken Uston took a casino in Atlantic City to court, challenging its right to ban 'skilled' players. The court found in his favor. Rather than banning players, AC casinos now implement measures to stop card counting from working. They include regularshuffling, limiting players to flat bet sizes on each shoe and not allowing players to join a game mid-shoe.
Elsewhere, casinos will quickly ban players caught counting. This was the reason that the MIT team played in pairs. One player (betting small) would keep count, then signal to the big bet player when the count was positive. This player could then join the table, betting big amounts, while the original counter continued with smaller bets.
Card counting in other casino games
Very few casino games use a shoe containing several decks of cards. Casino poker variations like Caribbean stud or Ultimate Texas Hold 'em have a continual shuffle system, where a fresh shuffled deck is used for each hand. Baccarat does use a shoe, though it is not suitable for counting due to the complex scoring rules. Edge sorting is used in baccarat, though it is considered illegal in many jurisdictions.
This leaves blackjack variations like Spanish 21 and Free Bet Blackjack as the only candidates for card counting systems. Many variations of blackjack have a higher house edge than the main game. Spanish 21 removes 10s from the deck — starting the count on a negative.
Experienced advantage players use card counting to beat optional side bets. This requires a separate understanding of how each side bet works, with a counting system developed separately. Separate aces counts in blackjack can determine when the insurance against dealer blackjack bet becomes profitable.
Is it possible to count cards online?
Online casinos in regulated states have both live dealer and software-based blackjack options. They also have a range of games with different rules and side bets. Add in the game variations based on the 21 concept — and you will find a wide array of choices.
Advantage play through card counting is not possible at online casinos. Software based games use random number generator software to shuffle the cards for every hand. This means no count is possible. Live dealer games that are dealt in real time use eight deck shoes. What they do differently from brick and mortar casinos is reshuffle after around half of the cards are dealt. This makes it hard to spot situations where there is a positive true count. Add to this software that will instantly detect the bet sizing changes associated with counting.
What you can effectively do online is practice your counting skills. There are live dealer rooms at many of the biggest online casino brands, including Golden Nugget and BetMGM. You can enjoy a game and learn to keep score of the count while you play. Starting with simple systems like Ace-Five and Hi-Lo is ideal — you can move on to the more advanced systems as you gain experience.
If you live in a state with legal online casinos, make sure you keep a close eye on the casino bonus and promotion offers. You never know when a bonus aimed at blackjack players will become available.
Wrapping up: Card counting in blackjack
Card counting has been a part of blackjack since the1960s. Famous players including Humble and Uston published books on beating the house. Many of them are now considered among the classics of gambling literature.
Counting cards in blackjack gives you an edge over the house when there are relatively more high cards in the deck. This takes advantage of the player's option to split, double down and to take insurance against dealer blackjack. Counting systems are graded into three levels, depending on their complexity. More complex systems are more accurate — though harder to use.
There is an Achilles' heel for card counters. To make your knowledge of the count profitable, you need to significantly boost your bet sizes when the odds are in your favor. These bet size increases are a flag to casino staff to watch your play closely — which leads to card counters being banned. Card counting is not illegal, unless you use a device to help you keep track.
Easiest Way To Count Cards In Blackjack Rules
Online casinos are the perfect place to practice your card counting skills. You will not be able to get an advantage from them — as safeguards are in place. Live dealer casinos show a real table, making this the ideal way to find the right card counting system for you ahead of your next visit to a brick and mortar casino.
