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Card counting in the game of blackjack is neither as complicated nor as shady as its reputation might suggest. At a fundamental level, it is nothing more than keeping track of the cards that are dealt so that you can make decent guesses about what is likely to show up later. Any player who wants to win is going to do something like that anyway; card counting is simply paying closer attention, thereby improving your odds. Certain online casinos such as JackpotCity actually allow you to make use of this skill in certain blackjack tournaments. Though the more decks are being added to the game, the more difficult it will get due to duplications. And there’s no better place to practice card counting techniques than while playing online blackjack.

Card counting isn’t the sole practice of mathematical geniuses with computers for brains; even the more complex and involved methods only require you to keep one number in your head and add or subtract once per card. All these card counting strategies – from the most simple to the most complex – hinge on the basic premise: you want the high cards and you want to see the dealer get the low cards (and vice versa) and you should bet accordingly. It certainly doesn’t take a Rain Man-level savant to do those sorts of calculations…

In fact, the simplest card counting system in blackjack is the kind of math you were doing in your first year of school. It’s called “Wizard Ace 5″ and consists of adding one when you see a 5 and subtracting when you see an Ace. Doesn’t get much easier than that…

Even the second stage of blackjack card counting is elementary-school stuff; the most-used system, called “Hi/Lo”, uses +1 for cards 2 – 6, and -1 for 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. Add or subtract from your running total, and you’ll always know when and how much to bet. The system called “KO” or “All Sevens” is pretty much the same, except that you also give a +1 to a 7 card.

Now, when you start getting into more complex systems, it does get a little…well…more complex. But only slightly; in a multi-level system, some cards are worth 1 to add or subtract from your count, and some are worth to add or subtract. Not too tough for someone who has learned how to go about gambling online or played any kind of online game, such as bingo at such online halls as Gala Bingo.

For instance, the popular “Zen Count” system has you add 1 when you see 2′s, 3′s, or 7′s, and add 2 when you see 4′s, 5′s,or 6′s. You don’t do a thing for 8′s or 9′s, but all the cards worth 10 (10, Jack, Queen and King) get a -2, and Aces get a -1. That’s a little trickier than memorizing your phone number, but probably not as hard as learning how to program your universal remote control.

There are dozens of other systems; entire websites could be (and are) devoted to the many varieties of card counting strategy. Blackjack is inherently a game of options, so don’t be surprised to find dozens of variations that take into account things like “hard” and “soft” rules. But learning even these fundamental card counting sets should allow you to Play Better Blackjack — take some time to practice and you’ll soon find that your odds, and your winnings, will thank you. Some of the online casinos may not.

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Written by jlphillips on August 7, 2009 under .

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