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Count Cards
Basic Hi-Low Card Counting is a system of counting cards which involves assigning a point value to the cards that have been played in order to evaluate whether or not the deck is rich in high cards or low cards.
There are two main reasons why counting cards helps the players chances of winning. The first statement that can be made is that the more high valued cards are left in the deck, the better the chances will be that either the dealer or the player will get a blackjack dealt to them. However, even though the chances of scoring blackjacks are equal for both the dealer and the players, the player does benefit more from it. Unlikely the dealer, the player gets an additional 50% of their wager when they get a black jack. The dealer only gets the original amount wagered.
The second difference between the player's game and the dealer's game is that the dealer is forced to take another card if his or her total is 16 or less. In situations where the player knows that the deck is rich with high valued cards, the player would be wise to increase their bet as the chances of the dealer busting would also be high.
Now that the reasons for counting cards have been explained, it is time to understand the method to it. The Basic Hi-Low system of counting cards assigns a point value to each card. You may first start by memorizing these point values.
- 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are given the value of +1
- 7, 8 and 9 are given no value and are not counted
- 10, J, Q, K and A are given the value of -1
After the deck has been shuffled, the player should then pay attention to all the cards that are dealt to themselves, the other players and the dealer. Each card's value should be tallied to the values of the previous cards played, creating a running total. This running total should be zero after every re-shuffle.
The running total offers the player a value which to base their decisions on. A positive running total indicates that that deck is rich with high cards. In this case, the game would be in the favor of the player and not the dealer.
In the case that there is a low running total, the deck is in the favor of the dealer. A low running total indicates a deck that is rich with low cards. Although the deck is in the dealer's favor, this situation gives the player more time to adjust their bets (as they are less likely to bust with many low cards).
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