When we count cards in online blackjack, we assign a value to the cards that have been displayed in order to evaluate whether or not the shoe is rich in high cards or low cards.


Why Count Cards in Blackjack

Counting cards helps the decision making process in blackjack for two primary reasons: the more high cards left in the shoe, the greater chance for blackjack to occur.  Additionally, the more high cards left, the greater likelihood of a bust occurring on a hit.


Assess Likelihood of Blackjack

The more high valued cards are left in the deck, the more likely a player or dealer will be dealt blackjack.  Despite the chances of scoring blackjacks are equal for the dealer and a player; the player benefits due to the bonus paid when the player acquires blackjack.


Assess Risk of Bust

In blackjack, the dealer is forced to take additional cards if their total is 16 or less. In situations where the player knows that the deck is rich in high cards, the player would be wise to increase the initial bet, as the likelihood of the dealer busting would increases.


How to Count Cards in Blackjack

The basic system of counting cards gives a point value to each card.  The cards two through six have a value of plus one.  Seven through nine have no value in this system of card counting.  Cards ten through ace have a value of negative one.  Each time the deck is shuffled, the count resets. Once the new deal starts, the cards that have been visible to the counter should be on a “running tab” based on the exposed cards.  A positive running tab suggests the deck is rich in high cards, and the player is favored, while a negative running tab suggests the deck is low-card rich, and the dealer is favored.


To adjust your bet size properly, increase the bet size when the tab is positive, and decrease the bet size when the count is negative.  Additionally, the risk of busting decreases with a negative count.  As a result, a player can draw in normally marginal situations.


By keeping count of cards in blackjack, a blackjack player can better assess the risk and reward of playing blackjack in a given hand.