How they work

Blackjack remains unique in that it is the only game in which the cards can be considered to have a form of “memory”. A player must remember that one-third of each card deck used will always consist of 10-value cards. Essential in the formation of Blackjacks, it is these most abundant of cards that offer the greatest value to a player.

Because there are three times as many of these 10-value cards in a deck, the odds that one will appear in favour of any other card are much greater. It is through astute analysis of which cards have been played previously, that a player makes the correct strategical decisions based upon the information they have received.

Depending on which cards are left to be dealt, the odds will be in one of three states: 1. They will be neutral. 2. They will be with the dealer. 3. They will be with the player.

It is here that Blackjack sets itself apart from other luck based card games. It is only an experienced counter however, that can tell with whom the advantage lies before any given deal.

The object of counting systems is simple; to inform the player of which cards are likely to appear in the next hand thereby allowing them to raise or reduce their bet accordingly.

A counter can tell when the deck is obviously skewed i.e., when it is impossible that they will be dealt certain cards. For example, if, through analysing the deal, a player was to correctly observe that all four Aces had already been dealt in a single deck game, then they will know that the chances of these cards appearing again is impossible. The chances of receiving a straight Blackjack are, therefore zero.

In this unfortunate situation, the player cannot receive any soft hands, nor can they hope to split Aces. The player’s advantage exists because they have noted this fact, and are therefore less inclined to place a large bet on the coming hand. The player may even choose to bow out of that hand altogether, (in a casino environment the player should always check the rules pertaining to mid-shoe entry. If mid-shoe entry is forbidden, they should stick with the game and simply place a smaller bet.)

On the other hand, if towards the end of a game, a player observes that no Aces have been dealt, they should be inclined to place larger bets due to the probability of them being dealt in the near future. Obviously the dealer also stands an equal chance of receiving a Blackjack. If this turns out to be the case, it is unfortunate for him that he receives only even money while the player is paid off at 3 to 2.

If the first ten cards to come out of a shoe have a 10-value, despite a player being unable to predict with complete accuracy the likelihood of the next card being of a 10-value, they can assume that the odds are against it. Similarly, if the first ten cards to appear are of a low rank, then the odds are smaller that the next card to appear will also be of a low rank. The moral of the story is simply this: A player should bet more when their chances of winning are higher and less (or nothing at all) when they are not.

The fact that counting diminishes the randomness of the remaining cards may prove justification for a player to slightly abandon basic strategy in favour of a “modified basic strategy.” Although these systems will be touched upon presently, they will be explained in full later.

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