Card counting in blackjack

One of the reasons behind the great popularity of black jack is the thrilling combination of skills and chance. Using a strategy, a skilled player can significantly reduce the house advantage. To increase their chances even more, some players choose a more risky strategy – card counting.

Card counting in blackjack is surrounded by an air of mystery and risk. It is seen as a very successful strategy which can be used only by the most analytically skilled players and at the same time forbidden by most of casinos, which for is a proof of its value.

To put it short, card counting means keeping track of the cards already used in the game of blackjack, which helps the player to roughly predict what sort of hands he may receive in next rounds and bet accordingly to those estimations. If for example a blackjack player knows that most of the tens and aces have already been played, he or she knows there is much smaller chance of hitting a blackjack, both for the player and the dealer.

Card counting in blackjack requires some analytical skills, concentration and fairly good memory, but rather than counting every card, blackjack players usually introduce a system assigning each card a number of points, which makes it easier to keep a track on which cards have already been played.

While not illegal, card counting in blackjack is not well see by casinos and the staff usually keeps an eye on the players to spot those who may be using this method. If you are caught, casino staff may ask you to leave and sometimes it may also mean that you will not be able to play blackjack or any other game in this place. So while this blackjack strategy is definitely tempting and thrilling, you should be aware that it can have you banned from your favourite casino.