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.

1. Blackjack 101
2. Blackjack 101 Basic Strategy
3. How To Play Blackjack 101
4. Blackjack Rules For Beginners
5. Blackjack 101 App
6. Blackjack Card Counting 101

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.

A Jack (or other 10-valued card) and an Ace are worth a total of 21 together and this hand is known as “blackjack”, which is where the game gets its name. Before a game of blackjack begins, players must place bets. If you are playing a free game of blackjack online then you can play with fun money.

Blackjack 101: Dealers share 5 best tips for walking away a winner. By CultureMap Create. Sep 26, 2017, 2:02 pm Know the rules, and listen to your dealer. Instead, most blackjack systems rely on small, incremental changes that hope to keep the player from getting caught, while still doing enough to overcome the house edge. One other danger in card counting is overestimating how big an edge you have over the house. Yes, in the long run, a good card counter does expect to come out ahead of the casino. Blackjack 101 Blackjack, also known as 21, is a simple card game with good odds, even for amateur players. It originated in France around 1760 and became popular in America during World War I. Black jack card counting 101 is a complete course in the basics of card counting. Learn the best blackjack card counting strategies online.

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.

Blackjack 101

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.

Blackjack 101 Basic Strategy

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.

How To Play Blackjack 101

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.

Blackjack Rules For Beginners

That’s it – you have completed Card Counting 101. Good luck!

• Appendices
• Miscellaneous
• External Links

Rules

I overhear a lot of bad gambling advice in the casinos. Perhaps the most frequent is this one, 'The object of blackjack is to get as close to 21 as possible, without going over.' No! The object of blackjack is to beat the dealer. To beat the dealer the player must first not bust (go over 21) and second either outscore the dealer or have the dealer bust. Here are the full rules of the game.

1. Blackjack may be played with one to eight decks of 52-card decks.
2. Aces may be counted as 1 or 11 points, 2 to 9 according to pip value, and tens and face cards count as ten points.
3. The value of a hand is the sum of the point values of the individual cards. Except, a 'blackjack' is the highest hand, consisting of an ace and any 10-point card, and it outranks all other 21-point hands.
4. After the players have bet, the dealer will give two cards to each player and two cards to himself. One of the dealer cards is dealt face up. The facedown card is called the 'hole card.'
5. If the dealer has an ace showing, he will offer a side bet called 'insurance.' This side wager pays 2 to 1 if the dealer's hole card is any 10-point card. Insurance wagers are optional and may not exceed half the original wager.
6. If the dealer has a ten or an ace showing (after offering insurance with an ace showing), then he will peek at his facedown card to see if he has a blackjack. If he does, then he will turn it over immediately.
7. If the dealer does have a blackjack, then all wagers (except insurance) will lose, unless the player also has a blackjack, which will result in a push. The dealer will resolve insurance wagers at this time.
8. Play begins with the player to the dealer's left. The following are the choices available to the player:
   • Stand: Player stands pat with his cards.
   • Hit: Player draws another card (and more if he wishes). If this card causes the player's total points to exceed 21 (known as 'breaking' or 'busting') then he loses.
   • Double: Player doubles his bet and gets one, and only one, more card.
   • Split: If the player has a pair, or any two 10-point cards, then he may double his bet and separate his cards into two individual hands. The dealer will automatically give each card a second card. Then, the player may hit, stand, or double normally. However, when splitting aces, each ace gets only one card. Sometimes doubling after splitting is not allowed. If the player gets a ten and ace after splitting, then it counts as 21 points, not a blackjack. Usually the player may keep re-splitting up to a total of four hands. Sometimes re-splitting aces is not allowed.
   • Surrender: The player forfeits half his wager, keeping the other half, and does not play out his hand. This option is only available on the initial two cards, and depending on casino rules, sometimes it is not allowed at all.
9. After each player has had his turn, the dealer will turn over his hole card. If the dealer has 16 or less, then he will draw another card. A special situation is when the dealer has an ace and any number of cards totaling six points (known as a 'soft 17'). At some tables, the dealer will also hit a soft 17.
10. If the dealer goes over 21 points, then any player who didn't already bust will win.
11. If the dealer does not bust, then the higher point total between the player and dealer will win.
12. Winning wagers pay even money, except a winning player blackjack usually pays 3 to 2. Some casinos have been short-paying blackjacks, which is a rule strongly in the casino's favor.

Wizard's Simple Strategy

I've been preaching for years that to play blackjack properly requires memorizing the basic strategy. However, after pitching the basic strategy for 20 years, I've learned that few people have the will to memorize it. In my book, Gambling 102, I presented a 'Simple Strategy,' which is seven simple rules to playing blackjack. The cost due to incorrect plays with the Simple Strategy is 0.53%, under liberal Vegas Strip rules.

Ever since my book was published it has bothered me that the cost in errors to my Simple Strategy was too high. So in September 2009 I developed the following 'Wizard's Strategy.' The cost due to imperfect plays is 0.14% only, relative to liberal Vegas Strip rules. That is the cost of one hand for about every 12 hours of play. Compared to the 250 cells in the Basic Strategy, the Wizard's Strategy has only 21, as follows.

Let me be perfectly clear that this strategy is not right 100% of the time. I continue to get Emails saying that when this strategy was used with my practice game, the player was corrected for following it. For example, my simple strategy says to stand on 12 against a 2, when it is mathematically better to hit. If you want to learn a strategy that is correct all the time you should use the appropriate basic strategy for the set of rules you are playing.

Here are some comments of clarification.

• A 'hard' hand is one that either has no aces, or has aces that are forced to count as point, lest the hand bust. A 'soft' hand is one with at least one ace, which may still count as one or eleven points.
• With a hard 10 or 11, double if you have more points than the dealer, treating a dealer ace as 11 points. Specifically, double with 10 against a 2 to 9, and with 11 against 2 to 10.
• If the strategy says to double, but you have three or more cards, or table rules don't allow soft doubling, then hit, except stand with a soft 18.
• If the strategy says to surrender (16 vs. 10), but you can't for whatever reason, then hit.
• If the strategy says to 'not split,' then treat the hand has a hard total of 8, 10, or 20, according to the pair in question.

A reader named Jeff provided another table of my simple strategy, with exceptions in small print. Details about the Wizard's Simple Strategy can be found in my Blackjack appendix 21.

Basic Strategy

For the appropriate basic strategy for just about any set of rules, please visit my basic strategy calculator. I still have my traditional charts too:

House Edge

See my Blackjack House Edge Calculator to determine the house edge under 6,912 possible rule combinations.

Rule Surveys

Las Vegas: I'm proud to feature up date blackjack rules for every casino in Las Vegas. The list is updated monthly, based on Stanford Wong's Current Blackjack Newsletter. Effective November 2009 the survey has been moved to my companion site, WizardOfVegas.com.

Rule Variations

Following is a list of some common rule variations and the effect on the player's expected return compared to standard U.S. rules (8 decks, dealer stands on soft 17, double after split allowed).

Rule Variations

Rule	Effect
Single deck	0.48%
Early surrender against ten	0.24%
Player may double on any number of cards	0.23%
Double deck	0.19%
Player may draw to split aces	0.19%
Six-card Charlie	0.16%
Player may resplit aces	0.08%
Late surrender	0.08%
Four decks	0.06%
Five decks	0.03%
Six decks	0.02%
Split to only 3 hands	-0.01%
Player may double on 9-11 only	-0.09%
Split to only 2 hands	-0.10%
European no hole card	-0.11%
Player may not double after splitting	-0.14%
Player may double on 10,11 only	-0.18%
Dealer hits on soft 17	-0.22%
Blackjack pays 7-5	-0.45%
Blackjack pays 6-5	-1.39%
Blackjacks pay 1 to 1	-2.27%

I also have a longer list of rule variations.

Beware Short Pays on a Blackjack

More and more tables are showing up that pay less than the full 3 to 2 on a blackjack. Most of these tables pay 6 to 5, but some even money and 7 to 5 tables are known to exist. I would estimate that 10% of '21' tables in Las Vegas now pay less than 3 to 2. In my opinion, only games that pay 3 to 2 deserve to be called 'blackjack,' the rest fall under '21' games, including Super Fun 21 and Spanish 21. Regardless of the other rules, you should demand nothing less than 3 to 2 blackjack. You should always check the felt to be sure, and if the felt doesn't say, look for a sign. If nothing says the win on a blackjack, then ask.

Articles about 6-5 Blackjack:

Blackjack 101 App

• Taking a hit: New blackjack odds further tilt advantage toward the house, Las Vegas Sun, Nov. 13, 2003.
• Tighter blackjack rules would hurt players' bankroll, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Feb. 4, 2011.

Blackjack Card Counting 101

Bad Strategies

Three popular bad strategies encountered at the blackjack table are: never bust, mimic the dealer, and always assume the dealer has a ten in the hole. All three are very bad strategies. Following are my specific comments on each of them, including the house edge under Atlantic City rules (dealer stands on soft 17, split up to 4 hands, double after split, double any two cards) of 0.43%.

Never bust: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would never hit a hard 12 or more. All other decisions were according to correct basic strategy. This 'never bust' strategy results in a house edge of 3.91%.

Mimic the dealer: For my analysis of this strategy I assumed the player would always hit 16 or less and stand on17 or more, including a soft 17. The player never doubled or split, since the dealer is not allowed to do so. This 'mimic the dealer' strategy results in a house edge of 5.48%.

Assume a ten in the hole: For this strategy I first figured out the optimal basic strategy under this assumption. If the dealer had an ace up, then I reverted to proper basic strategy, because the dealer would have peeked for blackjack, making a 10 impossible. This 'assume a ten' strategy results in a house edge of 10.03%.

Play Blackjack

Practice your blackjack game using my two training tools.

Practice Basis Strategy

Practice Card Counting

Written by: Michael Shackleford