Card Counting Chart
Basic blackjack strategy
A card counting system assigns a point score to each rank of card (e.g., 1 point for 2–6, 0 points for 7–9 and −1 point for 10–A). When a card is exposed, a counter adds the score of that card to a running total, the 'count'. A card counter uses this count to make betting and playing decisions according to a table which they have learned. Colin is the founder of Blackjack Apprenticeship. Colin has been counting cards for over 15 years, and ran a multi-million dollar blackjack team. You may have seen his team featured in the documentary Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card Counting Christians, and has been covered by New York Times, CNN, and The Colbert Report. The chart has all two card hand types on the x-axis, dealer upcard on the y-axis and difference in winnings on the z-axis. The z-axis is winnings on the Diamond game minus winnings on a normal game. Looking at the chart, the games are equal where the blue and green meet. Green is a slight advantage for DD, red is a serious disadvantage for DD. The basis of any card counting system is playing perfect basic strategy, since making simple mistakes will undermine whatever advantage you hope to gain through counting. Even if you have to use a basic strategy chart to help you at the table to help you, always remember that you need to master the fundamentals before moving on to more advanced. Learn how to count cards with these 4 simple steps: Start by assigning cards a value of either +1 (cards 2-6), 0 (cards 7-9), or -1 (cards 10-Ace). Keep a running count with each card the dealer.
The single most important thing that you need to understand about the game of blackjack is that it is a game of player decisions.
Unlike any other game in the casino, when playing blackjack your decisions can have an outcome on how the hand plays out and thus can contribute to the wins or losses of the players at the table. Because of this fact, there is a mathematically proven strategy that gives you the best advantage when playing, and this should be used every time you play if you want the best odds in the long run.
This strategy is known as basic strategy and is illustrated in the blackjack strategy chart shown below:
As you can see from the diagrams in the chart, basic strategy outlines exactly how you should optimally play when considering what you have been dealt in relation to the dealer’s hand. Many new blackjack players make the mistake of going with gut feeling and being afraid to bust when they play, but using basic strategy every time is the best way to give yourself favorable odds during play.
If you are familiar with casino games, you will know that the house has the advantage in every game in the casino, which is how they turn a profit. Blackjack is no exception, however is one of the lowest house edge games in the casino, which is why it’s such a great game for players to learn and play.
The house edge in a typical blackjack game is around 0.50 percent when a player uses perfect basic strategy during play. This means that for every $100 you bet, the casino expects to win $0.50 from you over an infinite number of hands. The reason why basic strategy is so important is because if you take this same example of a $100 average bet and apply it to an unskilled player, the house advantage can go as high as 2.5 percent or more, meaning that the house would expect to win $2.50 or more over time.
Because of this, it’s easy to see why playing with basic strategy is the best choice for players each and every time.
There are different theories regarding the origin of blackjack. Despite this, however, the game has hit different countries around the world by storm. Blackjack is one of the most sought after card games in the industry, available across both online and land-based casinos.
Blackjack’s fast-paced gameplay and massive winning opportunities – especially when using a blackjack strategy – is what draws more players to it.
As you play blackjack, your main goal, like the majority of other online casino games, is to help you win! And while the majority of the other online casino games are left to chance, blackjack stands out. With a good blackjack strategy guide, it’s easy to greatly reduce the house edge and increase your winning opportunities.
We’ve included several online blackjack strategies, explaining each one of them in detail. Our main objective is to ensure that even the newest of gamers can play like professionals. The strategies include:
- Blackjack basic strategy
- Blackjack strategy chart
- The famous blackjack card counting strategy
- Martingale blackjack strategy
- Splitting and doubling down
The strategies above can be implemented at either land-based or online casinos. It may take some time and practice for you to fully execute them with perfection. Also, it’s necessary to know the basic blackjack rules before using any strategies.
- Want more knowledge on casino game strategies? Find out in our Best Roulette Strategies article.
Blackjack Basic Strategy
Before we look into the more complicated strategies, it’s important to review some basic ones. These are what we’d like to refer to as industry standards, as they are widely used by players worldwide:
- If the first two cards give you a hand value of 16, it’s best you surrender
- Remember when to split a hand
- Know when to double a hard hand
- See what is the right time to hit
Blackjack Strategy Chart
Blackjack strategy chart might be a little confusing at first. As we’ve already stated, these strategies take time but with practice every day, you’ll soon be playing like a pro. In fact, after using this blackjack strategy chart, you’ll start observing a pattern, linking the gameplay with certain parts of the chart.
A small blackjack strategy chart will help the players decide when to split, stand or double down.
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Using the Strategy Chart for Blackjack in Four Easy To Follow Steps>
- Look at the dealer’s up card value and that of your hand.
- On the blackjack table, identify the cells where these two values coincide.
- Use the keys at the bottom of the blackjack strategy chart to determine the move you should make.
*Note the blackjack strategy chart is not a sure way of winning. It only represents the best course of action that you should take as you play blackjack. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the ins and outs of the blackjack strategy chart, you’ll realize you are winning more often!
In some instances, it’s best you combine the use of this strategy chart for blackjack with a blackjack hand calculator. This is meant to give you a quantifiable amount that you stand to lose at any particular instance.
Card Counting Strategy
Card counting is perhaps one of the most known forms of blackjack strategy card. So popular is Blackjack card counting that it’s banned across most of the land-based casinos across the world. The majority of people, especially the newbies, believe that it’s sophisticated. However, all one needs to do is practise it a few times to remember it.
Casinos, both the land-based and online ones, have ways of making sure you don’t win at the tables. At the end of it all, they are a business and all they want is to maximize the profits. And in order to render or make card counting blackjack strategy difficult, they are adding multiple decks to the game.
But despite the number of decks they add to their blackjack games, with card counting, you can always win. What you, however, need to remember is you should always factor in the house edge before making any move. You also need to know you’ll have to learn blackjack strategy and perfect it by practicing it severally. You won’t just execute it perfectly from the get-go, but continuous practice will help you get it right and simplify the whole process.
In order to learn the blackjack strategy, you’ll have to follow these three steps below.
Blackjack Card Counting
How Do You Count Cards In Blackjack
Step 1: You’ll have to assign different cards categories to different values. The first category is the group 2-6. The second category is the group 7-9 and the last category is the group 10-A (high-value cards). As they appear, you’ll have to assign them the following values.
- Group 2-6: Assign them +1
- Group 7-9: Assign them 0
- The 10-A group: Assign them -1
Step 2: This step involves accounting for the cards. You’ll have to keep a total based on the cards drawn by the dealer and the player
Step 3: The last step is referred to as True Count (Doing the actual card counting). To do this, you’ll have to number the decks involved in dealing. They’ll tell you the best time to raise a bet as well as give you an indication of when the dealer will cards in your favour.
Should you need more info on how card counting in blackjack works, here’s Mike Aponte of the famous MIT Blackjack team breaking it down:
If you require more information on counting cards when playing against dealers online, check out our article on counting cards at live casinos.
A More Conservative Blackjack Strategy Guide
If the strategy above seems to be a little more overwhelming to you, then you can always try out the more conservative blackjack gambling strategy. This is especially very important and easy to use for those of you looking to try out blackjack. You can execute it as you try to build your bankroll gradually instead of doing it all at once.
The whole procedure involves staking small amounts while taking fewer risks, being very keen on when to surrender, hit or stand.
We know it might be very boring to do this, especially if you are a thrill seeker searching for the elusive once-in-a-lifetime win. However, over an extended period of time, this blackjack gambling strategy will ease you in with the game, enabling you to understand both the rules and the strategy.
Without wasting much time, let’s get down to these two popular conservative blackjack gambling strategy.
Martingale Blackjack Gambling Strategy
The martingale blackjack gambling strategy is the least conservative form of blackjack strategy, while a different form of the same strategy is used in roulette. It dictates that your bet is doubled every time you lose your bet. Should you lose the bet again, you double it again. This continues until you lock in a win.
It’s not only a crazy strategy, but it’s also a risky one, as you can easily get your bankroll depleted within no time, especially if you are staking huge sums of money. However, once you land a win, you’ll not only recover all the amount that you’ve staked over time, but you’ll also be able to lock in a win equivalent to the initial amount you’d wagered.
For instance:
- Your initial stake is €50 – result; lose
- According to the Martingale gambling strategy, your next stake should be €100 – result; lose
- On the third stake, it should be €200 – result; lose
- On the fourth stake, it should be €400 – result; win
When you do your calculation, amount lost = €(50+100+200) = €350.
Amount won = €400.
Net Profit = €400 – €350 = €50 (which is equivalent to your initial €50 wager).
1-3-2-6 Strategy
The 1-3-2-6 blackjack strategy is slightly less risky than the outgoing strategy. It has found popularity among some of the professional blackjack players because it offers a much better way of managing funds. It’s a systematic form of betting and usually requires you to follow the trail above after your initial win. For instance:
- The first bet is equivalent to €100. If it results in a win, continue to the second bet.
- On your second bet, wager €300.
- If you won the previous bet, wager €200 on your third bet.
- On your fourth bet, wager €600, if the previous was won.
- If you won, wager €100 on the fifth bet.
As soon as you’ve recorded the loss, you are required to go back to the initial wager of €100 and start all over again until you record a win.
*The 1-3-2-6 blackjack strategy is highly dependent on the luck of the draw more than any other strategies listed above. Yet despite this, it’s the best way of keeping track of the bets you make, hence enabling you to play for longer.
Splitting and Doubling Down Blackjack Game Strategy
Splitting and doubling down are some of the most common actions taken while playing the game of blackjack.
- In the simplest definition, splitting means you are simply ‘splitting’ a hand with a pair into two new hands. The new hand will require you to stake a hand that’s equivalent to the first hand, which in turn doubles your winning chances.
- In some instances, you can opt to double down your initial wager. Once you’ve doubled down your bet, you’ll be dealt one more card after which you are required to stand. Doubling down is usually highly recommended, especially when you know you have a strong hand over the dealer.
When Is The Best Time To Split or Double Down?
Splitting and doubling down Blackjack game strategy is meant to tell you when is the right time to hit or stand. This section of the blackjack strategy guide is to highlight this!
When you’ve been dealt a pair of Aces, the best move is to split irrespective of the situation. It’s the blackjack community consensus that it’s the most effective way of playing a split hand. Generally, you can split as many times as possible. However, there are online casinos that limit the number of times you can split a hand.
If you’ve been dealt a pair of 8s, you should split the hand automatically. This is the best move because a score of 16 is a very weak hand, especially when you’ll be coming up against the dealer’s strong hand. Therefore, instead of hitting and eventually busting, split the pair and play it as new hands. This is the best strategy!
The only time you can split a pair of 7s, 3s or 2s, is when you the dealer’s up-card is 7. Any other card is too risky and you should avoid it at all costs!
Unless this is your first time playing online blackjack, it should be common sense that splitting a pair of 10s is a suicidal move. Having a hand of 20 is a risky starting point unless you are 100% certain that the next cards to be dealt with will be low-value cards. Instead of splitting a pair of 10s, always stand!
Card Counting Bj
In short:
- Never split a pair of 6s, 5s or 4s
- Never split a pair of 10s and 9s, not unless the dealer’s hand is a 3 or 2
- Only split 7s, 3s, and 2s when observing the soft 17 rule
- You can split and re-split 8s
- Never hesitate to split aces
Check out our splitting in blackjack guide to find out more about it!
When Is The Right Time To Double Down?
Doubling down in blackjack is dependent on two factors:
- The dealer’s up-card
- The value of your two cards
If the value of your hand is either 11 or 10, then you should double down. However, if the dealer’s up-card is a 10 or 9, then you should proceed and hit as normal
If the dealer’s up-card is a low-value card such as a 4, 3 or 2, then doubling down is the best move if you also happen to be having a low-value card. Why? There’s a high chance that the dealer will bust with such cards
You should never double down if your hand value is anything above 11. Should you choose to double down and bust, it will be equivalent to losing twice your bet
What’s The Best Starting Point
All you’ve read can be a little overwhelming, more so if you are new to playing this beautiful card game. So, before you can start playing the game, it’s important you are a little bit comfortable with the blackjack numbers as well as familiarizing yourself with the blackjack strategy chart above. After that, you can always proceed and play blackjack online at recommended online casinos.
Why should you learn how to play blackjack strategy at the online casinos? Well, in addition to playing the majority of the blackjack games for free, you can also receive help whenever you need it. The majority of the online casinos recommended are also optimized fully for mobile play, which means you can always take the game with you whenever you feel like.
Once you are full of confidence and wouldn’t mind switching the play, you can always play the real money live blackjack games. The live dealer platform is energetic, fun and full of players with different characters. When playing the game here, and you implement the best blackjack strategy you’ve perfected, there are very fewer chances you won’t win!
Closing Thoughts on Blackjack Strategy
Above all, it’s important to remind you that there are several other blackjack strategies online. However, regardless of the strategy chart for blackjack you choose, the MOST IMPORTANT rule is to have clear limits from the get-go. This ensures you won’t lose all your bankroll in one sitting (check out our other bankroll management tips).
Also, while the strategies above are sure to improve your blackjack play online, sadly, there isn’t a sure way of winning at every hand that you play. This is because, from the start, the odds are stacked against you all due to the dealer’s experience, the number of decks employed and the casino’s edge.
If you’ve read this far, we would like to believe that the information listed above is sufficient enough to see you off on your quest to becoming a proficient blackjack player.
All the best!
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