The middle cards or “Neutral Cards” 7-9 are given a zero value, or +0. However, their behavior and gestures while at the blackjack table may also be indicative of whether or not the player is using an advanced play strategy. Blackjack Champ > Black Jack Card Counting Strategy > Ace Tracking and Side Counts Ace Tracking and Side Counts Ace Tracking and Ace Side Counts are not black jack card counting methods on their own, but are actually extra counts that you can track along side your running count in order to improve the accuracy of your favorite system. This technique of gaining an advantage over the house's edge does not end with memorizing the values of the cards. You can’t really see where in the deck a card lands or is discarded when the shuffling begins, so there’s no way to know or guesstimate which portion of the deck the card ends up in. Counting cards can be used to impress friends, and maybe help you earn back money lost on a vacation, but it is not recommended as a source of income. However, by implementing a perfect Blackjack Card Counting technique, it is not only possible to deplete the house edge but to turn the tables into the player’s favor. When halfway through a deck, if your value is high, there are more 10’s, face card and aces remaining than low cards. There are many individual “counts” or systems. Big brains are required. The Wong Halves system is quite a complicated card counting strategy. So if you start at zero, and a low card is played you’ll add one. And over time, he will win larger sums of money. The basic strategy may vary, depending on the number of decks that are used in the game. The KO System is one of the easiest card counting strategies to learn and use. The math itself is simple—the worst problem that will arise is X+3. Again the running count should be converted to a true count to determine what are the odds of winning. There are also slight variations in strategy when you play a 6 deck game versus a single deck game. If you count all the pieces in a 52-card deck, your final count won't be a zero but +2. It's advisable to start practicing with a single deck, turning one card at a time. The Ace/Five system is influenced by blackjack rules variations. The KO Strategy is one of the very easiest Blackjack card counting strategies, contained in the book Knock-Out Blackjack--The Easiest Card Counting System Ever Devisedby Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs. At the beginning of the first deck, starting from 0, add the number 1 for each dealt 5-value card you notice. This minimizes one's loss rates and at least partially eliminates the advantage the house has over less-skilled players. For starters, you may even try writing down the results on paper as you play Blackjack online, just for the purpose of educating yourself. So if you start at zero, and a low card is played you’ll add one. Since Edward Thorp developed his initial card counting system, dozens of other systems have been developed, with varying degrees of difficulty and effectiveness. As the title suggests it's rather advanced, so card-counting beginners will hardly make heads or tails of it. For those who are new to the idea of Blackjack Card Counting, a more simplistic method is encouraged. The higher-value cards such as tens and Aces, that are more advantageous to players, are assigned as -1, as after each hit fewer of those are left in the remaining deck. The story is based on the real MIT Blackjack Team, formed in 1979, but the script of the film took a significant artistic license, to say the least. The reason this strategy is so popular is that it is simple to learn and easy to implement. There are plenty of blackjack rules and strategies out there, but none offer a higher Betting Correlation than the Uston SS system, which is also much easier to implement than other high-yield strategies. Such methods are known as advantage play and are perfectly legal and safe as long as the player does not gain a considerable advantage over the house's edge. If the 7 is red in color, it is treated as a low-value card and is thus marked as +1. The smaller cards in the deck are given a value of +1 (cards 2-6). All you need to start counting cards is basic math skills and innate knowledge of a deck of cards. This presents an advantage to the player. The Hi-Lo Card Counting System . That’s much easier than using a system like the Zen or Uston Advanced Count, where you’re assigning 3+ values, as well as keeping running, true and side counts. Similarly to the Hi-Lo system of Dubner, the player should keep a running count in the course of the game. 3) BC = Betting Correlation 4) PE = Playing Efficiency 5) IC = Insurance Correlation 6) SUM = SUM OF POINT VALUES = (A+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9)*4 + (T*16) Just because this technique is defined as basic doesn’t mean it is not effective. Red 7s are assigned with a positive value, while black 7s' worth equals zero. It will be easier for Shuffle tracking depends on where cards land, providing that that can be correctly predicted. Choosing suitable blackjack counting systems largely depends on the degree of skill and experience of the players. It would be a good idea to calculate the final count after each deck is dealt. Updated January 22, 2019 Blackjack can be beaten using a simple Plus Minus count. The Uston SS Blackjack Card Counting System is more advanced but more accurate with a Betting Correlation of 99%. In case there are two decks, remaining in the shoe, the total count so far is 1,5. In the Knockout Card Counting (KO Count) system, as explained in the book Knock Out Blackjack, all card values are the same as in the Hi Low system, except for the value of the 7. Keeping track of dealt cards is by no means illegal as it is based chiefly on statistics and mathematical probability. It's a game of probability that also requires lots of skill, concentration and discipline. The higher the total sum of the dealt cards is, the more 10-value cards have remained in the deck. Face cards such as kings, queens and jacks are of a 10-point value; the Ace, on the other hand, is a special case as its value can be either 1 or 11, so respectively the Ace can also be a high-value card. This can be very costly if you make a simple addition error. Got It! It also means the dealer is more likely to bust a stiff hand. The idea is the same as in the Hi-Lo Card Counting System but involves 6 values, rather than 3. It’s definitely a must see. It assigns all cards between 2 and 6 a value of +1, and face cards and 10 a value of -1. With four Oscars, two Golden Globes and an Eddie award, Rain Main is quite possibly the best known and most beloved movie about card counting. In case both have a hand of 21, the player receives their bet back. Again cards are assigned a value and the player should keep track and add or subtract the respective value. We are But the game is still offered because not enough players take the time to learn how to play blackjack very well. Because blackjack players must use information gained by the process of elimination when using this very basic strategy, the method becomes completely useless, as the half cut method makes it virtually impossible to determine which cards remain in the deck. Because card counting is not allowed in any casinos, partners not only have to focus on the cards, remember the profile of the deck, win only slightly more than they lose, and help their partner… They also have to communicate discreetly and pretend not to know each other. Even though card counting is not considered illegal, most dealers are wary of the practice and a problem might ensue. The cards are counted throughout the game and special attention is paid to their value. So a two and a king would cancel each other out. You must account for multiple decks in a shoe when using a balanced system. The fact that it is unbalanced makes KO Count a Level one Strategy. The KISS counting system is an unbalanced system that is easy to learn and apply. Let's say the player has kept track of the following cards in the course of a game: 5, 2, Ace, Queen, 3, 4, 8, 9, 7, King. Hi-Lo System. It is important to remember that casinos do not allow counting cards and will throw you out if they catch you, and they will keep your winnings. Colour here also plays a role, in relation to 7s. But if you already have a firm grasp of the game, it's a great way to help you understand when the odds are in your favor. These correspond to +1, +2, -2, +2, 0 and a running count of +3. The basic strategy is suitable for recreational players who partake in the game just for fun. Furthermore, card counting may be essential for skilled blackjack players as their chances of winning greatly depend on the value of the cards obviously. For instance, if the up card's value of the dealer is from 2 to 6 the player may hit. This 1988 classic is about an autistic savant, his less than perfect brother, and their journey across the USA with an inheritance in the balance—it has it all. The 9 is equal to -1 while 10 and the face cards King, Queen, Jack are marked with -2. 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