How to Count Cards

Intro: Counting cards in BlackJack is NOT that difficult... Counting cards at a casino successfully however is not an easy task. Lets get started shall we...?

1. Practice makes perfect - The key to counting cards is consistency and the ability to focus on the task while acting like you are not.

2. Get a deck of playing cards. Flip those playing cards face up and put them into 3 piles.

Pile 1: 2,3,4,5,6 = +1     Pile 2: 7,8,9 = 0    Pile 3: 10, J, Q, K, A = -1  .... As you can see I put a value next to each pile. Remember those values. (If you don't remember them you can't count... so it is suggested to take a few minutes and get it down.)

3. We all know there is 52 total cards in a deck... right?... Good. Assuming you put them into piles like I had requested you should have counted 20 cards in pile 1, 12 cards in pile 2, and 20 cards in pile 3. That equals all 52 total cards.

4. To start counting cards in Blackjack go ahead and get that one deck and shuffle it up. Put it face down and pulling one card at a time slowly flip it face up and count the value of that card starting at 0.

(The count always begins at 0 at the start of the deck. At the END of the deck the count should return to 0 again.)

5. For example if I were to flip some cards over and it appeared like this.....A  -  7  -  8  -  3

I would be counting in my head. A = -1   7 = 0 .. still -1   8 = 0 .. still -1   3 = +1 .. count is back to 0...

You would continue to count cards like this through the entire deck. If your count returns to 0 by the end of the deck that means you counted correctly.

TIPS: Always start with one deck and practice slowly. Once you get the hang of it you can flip them quicker and quicker. After which you can move on to more decks. I am personally not great at math but started counting cards 2 years ago. I practiced an hour a day for 4 days a week at work and now I can count 5 decks from two different piles.

Winning money in a casino by counting cards in blackjack?

It is difficult to do... but it is possible.

MYTHS:

1. Don't ever try to count cards when the casino has an automatic shuffler called a CSM. No matter what anyone tells you it is impossible to count cards in blackjack when this is being used. (After every hand the true count would return to 0 because all the cards are being reshuffled.)

2. You can't count cards online. It is not possible.

3. Counting cards is illegal? No it isn't illegal. You can be banned from the casino. That is the worst that would ever happen. In most cases when you get caught they will tell you to only make one bet and stick with it or ask you to leave.

4. You have to be a math genius to count cards in black jack? No you don't have to be a math genius. Memory and basic math are the keys to being successful.

How to count cards successfully in a casino and make money.

Bring a friend along and have one of you sit down while the other watches. Both order drinks and have one friend bet randomly... (not heavy though) ... just make it look natural. All the while the other is behind keeping a general count. (It is vital to start counting once the cards have been reshuffled and the dealer is at the beginning of the shoe.) Depending on the decks once a solid count has been established go ahead and sit down and start betting like a fool. (Heavy) and hope for the best.

I have been to the casino and have counted 6 different times. All together I am up $250.00 making max bets of 20.00.

That is how you count cards in blackjack and possibly make some money... No guarantees though...

Happy Gambling to you!

Comments (1)

Tom said:

	... This requires a person with an extraordinary attention span. Very interesting!
	report abuse vote down vote up

January 29, 2011
Votes: +0