Card counting

Why Professional Blackjack Players Use Card Counting

Friday, May 1st, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Blackjack is one of the most popular casino card games in the world of gambling. It is probably so because Blackjack is a game that involves both chance as well as skill and decision making. Blackjack players often make use of a practice known as ‘Card Counting’. This is an important strategy that helps the player to gauge his probability advantage. It is a system for improving the player’s edge which is done by assigning ‘weights’ to each card face and then summing the card weights as each new card’s face is turned up. The ‘count’ gives an indication of when the game is favorable for the player. This in effect helps the player to place larger bets and also make changes in his playing strategy. In a nut shell what it really means is that the player is able to track the ratio of high cards to low cards so that he can benefit from the entire deal. It is far more effective amongst handheld games and can therefore be used by serious as well as recreational players. And remember that most card counting methods do not involve counting how many of each card has been played.

As a rule of thumb, one has to remember that low cards favor the dealer and high cards favor the player. Therefore players who use correct blackjack strategy with card counting system can actually beat the casinos by following this strategy. High cards are generally considered good for the player as the player gets paid more when he gets a blackjack. For dealers however low cards are considered better since they allow help him make winning totals on his hands when he is stiff.

Now the question arises as to how much edge a typical card counter will have. Depending upon the counting system being used, as well as the skill of the player, and not to forget the house rules that the player is fighting against, the edge can be 1.5% or less. Very rarely does one come across playing conditions that allow the player to get more than a 2% edge against the house.

While prima facie Card Counting might look like it is only for the mathematically inclined or the extremely gifted but what it actually needs is some time and lots of patience. All that a player has to do is keep a track of certain cards as they leave the Blackjack deck and formulate a single ratio number that indicates the composition of the remaining deck.

Another reason for Blackjack players to use Card Counting is that it is not illegal. That is to say that if the strategy is an outcome of the brain of the player alone with no outside assistance with devices or additional people, it is not illegal. Using an outside aid however is illegal.

Blackjack Favorable Rules - Play the Casino With the Best Rules to Win!

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

In any casino game, knowing the factors that affect your chances of winning are all important. Here you will find everything you need to know about playing with favorable rules.

Keep in mind you can be an expert card counter but unless the rules are in your favor you will lose.

Casinos are not going to advertise that the chances of winning at their game are less than if you play in other casinos, but the fact is some casinos offer far more favorable rules than others and you have to find them and play in them.

Bring Those Odds Down – Look for the Favorable Rules

Any blackjack player can increase their own odds advantage by including in their strategy ‘card counting’, which will eventually shifts the odds advantage in their favor.

Card counting is not enough as we have said; you must play blackjack with favorable rules.

The calculated odds of different rules below show how favorable and unfavorable to the player they are.

They can make the difference in winning and losing, so note them.

Rules Favorable to the Player

Early surrender +0.62%

Late surrender Single deck +0.02%

Double down after splitting +0.13%

Drawing to split aces +0.14%

Re splitting of aces +0.03%

Double down cards any number +0.20%

2:1 payoff blackjack +2.32%

Rules Unfavorable to the Player

no doubling on hard 11 -0.89%

no doubling on hard 10 -0.56%

no doubling on hard 9 -0.14%

no doubling soft hands -0.14%

dealer hits soft 17 -0.20%

dealer takes no hole card -0.13%

2 decks (v single) -0.35%

4 decks (v single) -0.51%

6 decks (v single) -0.60%

pairs no re splitting -0.05%

Card counting plus the infleunce of the casino rules can clearly be seen in numbers of decks.

By increasing the number of decks used in play the casino shifts the odds in their favor.

Understanding this fact is essential for any player before they play a game. Card counting is severely effected by the number of decks used.

For example, in a single deck game, of a player against a dealer – a +2 count is a 2% advantage to the player. As the number of decks is increased, with more cards to be dealt, the increased remainder of cards reduces the odds of success for the player.

Card counting How to make money

Is simply a probability theory whereby you calculate the odds of winning by the number of cards in play to decide what cards may come out of the deck.

With multi decks the odds are obviously reduced, as there are simply more cards to come out of the deck and your probability of being right is reduced.

In conclusion, the more decks the more cards there are to be dealt and the less your chances of winning are. Card counting + Favorable rules = long term success

As carding counting gives you an edge of just 2%, you can see how critical the number of decks used are.

You can also see how other rules affect the odds, our example of number of decks is just one variable influencing your success but as you can see there are many others. Take your time and find a casino that tips the odds in your favor.

So if you want to make money card counting you must combine this with favorable rules or your skills will be wasted.

Why are the Black Jack Odds so Good?

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

As a decent player of black jack odds are good, especially compared to other casino games. The black jack card game is so popular some even say that it's the most popular game. It is played in almost every country all over the world in land based casinos as well as online. The blackjack websites have really grown in numbers the recent years, and now it has become even more popular to play it from the comfort of your home than from a traditional land based casino.

Why is blackjack so popular? The main reason that blackjack is so highly embraced and loved all over the world is that when played properly, it has a house edge of less than one percent, which is the lowest house advantage of any table game. So with these odds, why are casinos - offline as well as online - not losing money to the players? Well, the most obvious reason is probably that the game is not played properly or good enough by the majority of players. It’s really a pity that players can give up such huge advantage to the house by lump playing. The reason why this game has such good odds is that, unlike other games such as craps and games of chance like roulette is that in blackjack the choices you make as the game progresses, will impact the house edge. You see

• in roulette each spin is an independent event
• in craps each roll of the dice is also an independent event

But in Blackjack however, instead of being a game based on independent single events, each hand is dependent on the cards that have previously been dealt so that big cards left in the deck will favour the player while small cards will favour the dealer. This is the reason why card counting is so important for winning in blackjack. You simply have to memorize what cards are left in the deck.

To a large extent, blackjack results are based on your actions as a player and not solely on chance. Your chances to win in this game is much better than the chance based games. So the secret to winning at blackjack is to keep track of the cards. As soon as you master this - which you definitely can do with training - you can start a pleasant and fun blackjack odysse.

Keno Game Basics

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Out of the many popular casino games that you can lay your hand on and pray, pray hard that the luck be on your side (like horse race, poker for instance), keno is one such game that will intrigue you into its trouble-free approach. Keno is basically the game from which another widely popular game lottery has evolved. The number of casino games might be many and though poker has the most important spot in all of them, still keno has enough following to intrigue the players. The Great Wall of China might have given birth to the game, but the game has been around for almost three thousand years and that is one remarkable achievement for it.

Keno is the simplest game around to play. You have to remember the basic of the game that is to pick out four to ten numbers out of the given ninety. The numbers used to be one hundred and twenty when keno was played in china. But as the game moved from China to the United States of America it was made simpler by reducing the numbers from one twenty to ninety. It is a highly profitable game too. A dollar can win the player a prize up to $50,000. Quite a gamble…eh? Thus keno has gained immense popularity due its simplicity and the prize attached.

There are different variations of kenos developed in different parts of the world. Keno has also made it to the Internet and 'internet keno' has become a choicest game of the net and gamble freaks. Video keno is also very popular among the masses as it involves live and direct results. Keno is played in most of the casinos in United States, but as a gamble game it is not yet played in China due to the fact that in China all kinds of gambling are illegal.

The odds attached to winning keno are very low and therefore numerous techniques such as combination betting etc. have to be formulated to maximise the chance of winning. A dichotomy exists between the believers and non-believers of keno strategy. Some firmly believe that keno is played using different strategies while the other group are of an un faltering belief that keno is a game of pure chance and no technique. But the same was believed for poker too. Such thinking was proved wrong by express usage of card counting by the master players.

Keno and lotto are somewhat similar games but there are some differences that make them distinct. However, both the games are played many times at the same venues and the winning strategies are almost the same i.e. no strategies. It is a very common belief that numbers similar to those of birthday's anniversaries etc. are used. This goes on to show that the game is played on chance and thus the element of gamble remains as it is in the game.

The game is good and simple enough to be played with family thus keno has stood the test of time and competition and it is going to do so in the years to come. So say yes to KE-NO.

Blackjack – An Overview

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Blackjack, a favorite game for centuries, is sometimes known as "21," from its French origin of Vingt – et –Un. Although its history goes back as far as the 1700's, along with roulette, it wasn't until the colonists brought it to America in the 1800's that it became one of the world's most popular games. Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1930 and the casinos coined the term blackjack by adding the incentive of 10 to 1 odds for winning with the Ace of Spades and a black Jack. Today, these odds are seldom offered and the cards can simply total 21 with an Ace and a face card; however, the tradition of a real or true blackjack remains.

Blackjack gained even further attention when various theories and books were published on strategies and tips toward winning this exciting game. "The Optimum Strategy in Blackjack," by Roger Baldwin, delved deeply into probability, statistics, and mathematical compilations. Edward Thorpe, the "Einstein of Blackjack," went on to write of card counting in his book "Beat the Dealer." Other contributors to learning the game of blackjack included Stanford Wong, whose book is still considered a valuable handbook on "Professional Blackjack." The movie "Rain Man" further enhanced the widespread appeal of blackjack, as well as other books such as "How to Gamble at the Casinos without Getting Plucked Like a Chicken," written by James Harrison Ford, great fun for beginners to read.

The basic concept of blackjack is to get a total of 21, or to beat the dealer, without going over 21. There are a number of websites that offer free information to beginning players, as well as online casinos where you can follow tutorials before playing with real money, if you like. Blackjack is not a difficult game, and although some players continue to rely on the more complicated strategies, these practices are not welcomed in casinos. Far better to just enjoy the game in its relative simplicity than to try and predict how the cards will fall and face the possibility of being asked to leave. Casinos have devised various methods such as card shuffling machines, card burning, and multiple decks to discourage card counting and other techniques.

Although the odds of winning at blackjack vary from casino to casino, there is always a good chance of winning. All it takes is a moderate amount of skill and understanding of hit or stand, and with a bit of luck, the profits can be real. Whether you play a few hands at home with family or friends, go online, or experience the live excitement of the casinos, blackjack is really a great game.

Online Gambling Casinos - Wear Your Thinking Cap and Prosper

Monday, April 13th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

I receive many emails each week from people who deposited money at an online casino, only to walk away empty handed merely minutes later. Most of them are quite upset and understandably so. When you have lost money you want to blame someone. It’s part of the human psyche and a natural reaction.

When I ask people if they were playing according to a strategy the answer is normally something like ″Huh? What’s that?″. Enough said. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting we all go out and obtain science degrees and start crunching numbers in every playing session. I am however suggesting that you arm yourself with a few important tools before you deposit your hard earned money at an online casino. These basic tools are not rocket science, but they require you to do some work before you spin the reels or lay a chip.

Money Management

This is by far one of the most important aspects of gambling at online casino but astonishingly one of the least discussed subjects. A sound money management strategy consists of three important elements: budget management, bankroll management and betting limits.

Budget management is simple enough. Set your monthly budget and stick to it. Only gamble with more if you are playing with winnings. In fact, I have a rule for myself where I don’t even do this. I cash my winnings in immediately. There’s an old belief in gambling that money you have won will go back faster to the casino than your own and I buy that.

A bankroll management strategy simply relates to how you are going to spread your budget across several playing sessions and across a variety of games. This will maximize your playing experience. It is no use dumping your entire session bankroll into an expensive slot machine if you are looking to get entertained for a couple of hours. Finally, manage your betting limits. Decide how high you are prepared to go and stick to it. Too many people get an adrenaline rush and cross their limits. Although you may win every now and then you’ll spend far more time in front of the TV over time.

Game Strategy

No matter which online casino game you prefer, following a basic strategy is a hundred times better than having no strategy at all. Online casino gambling strategies range from very simple to highly sophisticated. Take blackjack for example. Basic strategy involves a simple strategy card that will guide your decision to hit, fold, or stand on a given hand. More sophisticated strategies involve things like card counting. As far as slots go, a simple spin and hope strategy won’t get you far. There are simple strategies like machine selection to more expansive progressive loss betting systems. The net is littered with gaming strategies so you won’t have to search for too long.

Some basic but careful planning could make your experience a lot more worthwhile!

Play Blackjack Like a Pro

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Blackjack is known as the king of all games simply because it is the most popular casino game in the world. In part due to its popularity as well as because of its deceivingly simple play, blackjack is also the most researched game in the casino world. The complexity of the game is due in large part to the variability of probabilities in different hands and even at different stages within a hand. That is to say, the odds of winning change with the composition of the deck.

In a game of blackjack, the house advantage can be brought down to around 1 percent, provided the player follows certain rules. These set of rules are referred to, rather irreverently as 'Basic Strategy', and it is this owing to these guidelines which gives blackjack the reputation of one of the most fair games played at casinos.

Basic Strategy Therefore the first tip with regard to a strategy in blackjack pertains to learning this 'Basic Strategy'. A new player must learn this before getting into a real game of blackjack. Basic Strategy is a mathematically precise formula that is an indicator of the best decision, be it a hit, stand, double, split or surrender which the player makes in a given situation.

It is easier to learn basic strategy by following color-coded charts. Such charts are available in books as well as for free online. The charts are focused around the main actions that can be taken by a player. So there are charts for split pairs, for double down and there are hit or stand charts. In almost all charts, the action is colored red and this is the key to learning the basic strategy.

Intermediate Strategy Having mastered the basic strategy, the player can adopt the 'wagering' or 'money management' strategy. Among all the different wagering schemes, the one's that minimize losses are 'The consistent-wager system', The Margingale System, Labouchere and Oscar's Grind. However, players just initiated into the game must remember that they must master the basic strategy first because the intermediate strategies can be effective only if players can count on winning and losing an equal number of hands. Without perfecting your basic strategy if you get into memorizing how to play each hand in each specific situation, in an attempt to implement an intermediate strategy, you will only maximize losses.

Advanced Strategy Advanced strategies in Blackjack, include: card counting, clump reading and shuffle tracking. These enable a player to even the odds at casino blackjack. Card counting is often discouraged but is totally legitimate and can dramatically influence a player's winnings. In card counting, the player keeps track of the cards dealt. A card counter can predict when the odds are in his favor.

Another method is clump reading. The decks have a great degree of clumpiness at the start of the game. This is because it is difficult to shuffle the new card decks very greatly for randomness in just a brief minute or so. Hence long spells of like cards get dealt after the initial shuffle. This clumpiness decreases after several shuffles are made. The strategy is to get a seat next to the dealer's left hand side. If the player can track the streak of cards (count the highs and lows) he can make changes to the basic strategy. Then he should try to get into the last position that is next to the dealer’s right hand so as to be able to see all the other player's cards.

Blackjack is a game which requires a certain degree of self-education. It is relatively easy for beginners to learn the basic game strategy by employing the color coded charts. Unlike many other casino games, mastery of these basic strategies can go a very long way to improving one's odds, whereas intermediate and advanced techniques provide only marginally better results.

Blackjack Card Counting - is It Worth It? Well you Won’t Get Rich That’s for Sure!

Friday, April 10th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Blackjack card counting is logical and gives the player a small advantage but the advantage is so small that you will never make a fortune card counting, lets see why.

Basic Strategy

The house edge can be diminished to just less than 1% if the player uses basic strategy.

Blackjack card counting is then supposed to put the odds really in favor of the player but does it do it enough to make it worthwhile?

You can play with nearly even odds but it’s hardly exciting if you are looking to make really big money. Now lets look at blackjack card counting and see how much of an edge that can give us

The Myth Of Card Counting

Blackjack card counting was introduced by an IBM computer scientist, Edward O. Thorp who published ″Beat the Dealer″ in 1962.

The book introduced card counting to a global audience and many were attracted to its logic and method.

Essentially the blackjack card counting Thorpe introduced considered the ten-valued cards and the Aces as ″positive″, and the cards 2 to 6 as ″negative″. If the net result in the remaining deck was positive, the player must increase the bet accordingly. The method had visible results when only one deck was used and very few cards remained in the deck.

You won’t get rich card counting!

The casinos now use multiple deck blackjack decks which make the number of cards coming put more and the odds of card counting working decline.

Let’s make an assumption that blackjack card counting, realistically CAN give a 1.5 – 2% advantage to the player over time and this is with a single deck, so things can only get worse on games with more decks or unfavorable rules.

That’s a narrow margin if you are trying to make a good income out of it, for the effort involved!

Card counting is NOT a predictive theory

The fact is that blackjack card counting is not a predictive theory as many novices believe; it simply tries to crudely calculate the odds of cards coming out of the pack.

There are huge number of permutations, so even if the odds are in your favor doesn’t mean you are going to win! You need to play for a long time.

Of course over a long period of time (and I mean long) things will even themselves out.

If you think about it is really when the best advantage you can get is up to 2% in a best case scenario are you going to make enough money to make the effort you put in worthwhile?

Do the maths and figure it out for yourself. There is not enough room in this article to cover all the mathematics, but looks like a lot of effort for a very small return overtime.

Don’t waste your time blackjack card counting

Fact is if you want to make big money in relation to effort you need another game where you can increase your advantage to a level where you can earn BIG money and this means competing directly against other players

A better return for the effort

So forget blackjack card counting and learn poker.

Why?

Not only can you calculate odds and have a strategy you also have a lot of ways to get the better of your opponent through psychological strategy and win big and you don’t even have to have the best hand to win!

Poker presents a better challenge and a better opportunity to win if you are interested in Big Money.

How many rich card counters have you heard of?

If you believe that there are blackjack card counters who have made huge money search the net and see how many you find with substantiated winnings and then try it against poker players who have made a fortune and you will see for yourself.

Blackjack Strategy – Playing Blackjack for A Living

Saturday, April 4th, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Anyone using a winning blackjack strategy can play for a living ( its easy to do ) and you know that longer term the edge is in your favor not the casino's, so you will win and you can play blackjack for a living.

You need to have the correct blackjack strategy to win and the correct mindset and this is what this article is all about - having a blackjack strategy to win, even if you have never played before.

1. Learn the Basic Strategy

Mathematically, there only one correct action a player can do, for any of the hands the player is dealt, against the cards the dealer holds.

This way of playing is known as blackjack Basic strategy, and all winning blackjack card counting strategies are based upon it.

It soon is committed to a player's memory but until then you can use strategy cards available free on the net.

2. Learn to Card Count

Most people who use a blackjack strategy don't go beyond the above, but you must as you still play with a small disadvantage to the house, to get the odds in your favor you must learn to card count – then the odds longer term are in your favor.

Card counting systems can be simple or complicated, but simple ones tend to work very well and you can learn these in under a day.

The reason card counting is so effective and are the basis of your winning blackjack strategy is that mathematically its proven that it works for the following reason:

When a blackjack hand is dealt you have choices you the player can make, the dealer has no choices he simply plays by the house rules.

As some cards favor the player and some the dealer, when you have the advantage your choices can give you an edge and allow you to up your bet size, ias the odds come in your favor.

3. Manage Your Money Correctly

All blackjack players will have losing periods and bad runs and so need to manage their bankroll and this means looking at the longer term not short term periods in your pursuit of profits.

A money management rule that is effective is to bet with 1% of your bankroll.

For example, if you have a bankroll of $1000, your betting size is 1%, or $10. If you are playing with a 1.5% advantage over the house, (with a card counting strategy), the chances of losing your entire bankroll are only 5%.

It’s a mathematical certainty that you will hit a losing run as card counting is simply a probability theory not a predictive theory, so you need to be able to stay in the game in these periods of losses.

You will lose more hands then you will win, so in order to make money longer term, you need to up your bet size when the odds are favorable top make sure your winners cover your losers and make you long term profits.

This is the key to a winning blackjack strategy, that can pile up huge profits.

Many players can play well, but they don't adjust bet size enough when the odds are in their favor and lose.

4. Play with Favorable House Rules

The house rules dictate how much money you can expect to win in the long run.

You therefore need to look for favorable house rules to give you an extra edge.

For example, with card counting when playing with a single deck, your count is more likely to be accurate as there are fewer cards to come from the deck.

5. State of Mind

If you are seriously playing for money, make sure that you are mentally alert and focused Don’t play when you have had a row with the wife, or have been drinking or taking drugs

6. Discipline - The Key to Success

If you have a plan, you need discipline to implement it unemotionally, and stick with it even when losing.

7. Be Patient

You cannot hurry your winnings with blackjack you can play with the odds in your favor with the correct winning blackjack strategy, but short term results vary.

Don't worry though over time you will win and that's what it all about.

Blackjack is all about making the right choices (that's your advantage over the dealer), the choices you make in how you play your cards and how you bet will enable you to play blackjack for a living.

Keep in mind that the above blackjack strategy is that will put the odds in your favor and that means money in your pocket - any player can do it if they take a little time to digest and implement the above points.

Baccarat – The Royal Game & Great Odds

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 | Card Counting | No Comments

Baccarat, the royal game, was originally played only by the European aristocracy from the 15th century onwards.

Still today, there is an air of exclusivity about it and today more and more people are discovering at as online gaming becomes more popular.

The players often wear black tie dress, the playing area is set apart from the rest of the casino, and the playing limits are usually higher than all the other games.

Baccarat is truly the royal game as the rules, the manner of play, and the rewards all remind one of the elegant and romantic past.

Baccarat is basically a very simple game, and there are few and limited strategies to win. We shall examine them below. The odds are easy enough to calculate, and the play is rather structured as you shall see.

The rules

The rules to play baccarat are set, and really, when the bets are in, the cards will be dealt and the results are evident at once.

Here is how it works; the 'dealer' (and can be any player or a croupier) will deal two cards to every player, plus the banker (note: in Baccarat, the banker does not have to be the dealer). The sole object of Baccarat is to get as close to 9 as possible.

So, If your two cards equal a 9, or an 8 (both are called "naturals") you are a winner. Should the dealer have a natural, it will be a tie game.

The rules are clear, should any player have a 7 or a 6, he must stand. If any player has 5 or less, he is obliged to take a 3rd card. That is the game.

Card values dictate that any 10 or face cards have no value.

The second digit of the number determines the value in Baccarat, so a 10 = 0. Likewise, a 10 and a 6 = 6. Suppose you receive a third card, the actual total (called the score) will be the right digit of the total of the cards. Therefore, the score of three cards equaling 16 will have a score of 6.

The Dealer's Role.

In Baccarat, the dealer makes no choices whatsoever; His actions are completely pre-determined by the rules. Here they are. Should a player stand, the dealer takes a 3rd card if his score is 5 or less. In case the player took a 3rd card, the dealer must act as below:

If the dealer has a score of 0, 1, 2: he must draw a third card.

If the dealer has a score of 3: he must draw if a player’s 3rd Card is 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-9-0 (but not an
If the dealer has a score of 4: he must draw if a player’s 3rd Card is 2-3-4-5-6-7

If the dealer has a score of 5: he must draw if a player’s 3rd Card is 4-5-6-7

If the dealer has a score of 6: he must draw if a player’s 3rd Card is a 6 or a 7

If a dealer has a score of 7: he must stand.

Betting in Baccarat

Baccarat has only three bets.

The first is on the player, the second the banker, and the third if you think there will be a tie game. The payout on the player bet is even money or 1 to 1, with no commission.

The banker bet is also paid out at even money, but there is a commission, from 4 % to 5% depending on the table.

A tie bet is paid out at 8 to 1 or 9 to 1 (depending on the table) and no commission.

Tips to Win at Baccarat

• Bet with the banker. The bank will win more than the player (that is why the payout has a commission!).

• Don't card count or track the game (like you see everyone else doing). Card counting in Baccarat does not work! If it did, the casino would not supply you paper and pencil to track the game. Card counters in Blackjack are quickly evicted from the casino, because it works, but Baccarat counters are permitted.

• Also play at the table that uses the fewest decks in the shoe.

Baccarat is truly the royal game, and playing it reminds you of the gallant past and you somehow feel its elegance, even now.

Enjoy yourself, bet with the banker, and don't overstay. Allocate your bankroll play have a win and loss target and leave when either have been hit and keep in mind your chances of winning for a game of chance are very good so good luck!