So, you’ve read about the MIT blackjack team and want to try your hand at card counting? In recent years, blackjack card counting has become one of the most famous methods that people can use to increase their chances of winning at casino games. The rules are easy to understand, and relatively quick to pick up. But since blackjack card counting is such a source of interest among professionals and amateurs alike, there is a lot of false information surrounding the culture. Read this article to find out more about 7 myths and facts of counting cards in blackjack, and you’ll play like a winner in no time!

• Counting Cards For Dummies

What Andrew Gutsch said. Simple is better as mistakes easily negate your advantage. Assign each card a value of +1, 0 or -1. Small cards: 2 thru 6 count are +1, big cards: 10 thru Ace are -1. The rest are zero. As you look across th. Rummy games first appeared in the early twentieth century, and are probably derived from the Mexican game Conquian. This page describes basic rummy, also known in the card game literature as Straight Rummy.For other types of rummy, and related games, see the rummy index page.Note that many people use the name Rummy to refer to the game called 500 Rummy on this site. IT'S HARD TO LEARN. First, you have to learn about the rule variations (things like 'double after. Credit card debt is a financial challenge that many people face. The average credit card debt is $6,194, so it could take time to pay off what you owe in full. But you'll get there if you.

Myth 1: Blackjack card counting is illegal

Because of the way that mass media presents blackjack card counting, people are often led to believe that counting cards in blackjack is an illegal offense that will land you in the back room taking a few bloody punches for breaking the casino’s – and state’s – rules.

Fact: Blackjack card counting is a form of AP

The myth that counting cards at blackjack is illegal is just that: a myth. While some casinos frown upon blackjack card counting, the practice falls under the larger category of advantage play, otherwise known as AP. This is important to you, because advantage play isn’t a form of cheating. You are taking in information while playing the game, and then using that information to evaluate what kind of bet will yield the highest reward. When counting cards, you are effectively using the stats to improve your odds of winning, giving you an advantage. But try to keep your counting discreet because some casinos may ask you to leave the game, or even the premises.

Myth 2: Big brains are required

With the release of the blockbuster film, 21, card counting was popularized through the story of the MIT blackjack team. This group of Ivy League mathematicians used their natural-born talent and top tier education to ensure their success at the tables. To prove how smart these people actually were, the film tossed in a few extra scenes where the protagonist did some mental long-division and statistical analysis when helping customers pay. A lot of aspiring card counters may feel discouraged because they aren’t bona fide math geniuses. But counting cards in blackjack doesn’t require a deeper understanding of quantum physics, so have no fear.

Fact: Anyone with brainwaves can count cards

While you may need a little more than a vegetative brain, it doesn’t take a genius to count cards in blackjack. The whole process of counting cards requires easy mental math – all you have to do is add and subtract single digit numbers at a quick pace. If you can nail that without pulling out your calculator, you’ll have no problem mastering the skill of counting cards.

Myth 3: Winning is guaranteed

For the same reason that blackjack card counting is legal, you are not going to win 100 percent of the time. In reality, counting cards in blackjack is a game of probability and likelihoods, not surefire winning methods. It may seem it’s not worth it, but on the off chance you get caught trying your hand at card counting, you won’t find yourself sitting in a jail cell. Some might say that’s a big win after all.

Fact: You can get lady luck (and lady house edge) on your side

If done correctly, this form of advantage play will help you lower the house edge. If you’re really good, you can even potentially tip the odds in your favor. For an inexperienced player, the house edge in a game of blackjack hovers around 2-3%. This means that the casino is more likely to win at any given hand. But if you utilize basic strategy and other methods, such as card counting, you can easily lower the edge to a measly 0.5%. Master card counters, like those on the MIT blackjack team, can sometimes engineer environments where the house edge tips in their own favor. If that doesn’t convince you to give counting cards a try, I don’t know what will!

Myth 4: Photographic memory is a must

It’s a part of common perception that the best card counters have photographic memory. By memorizing every card in the deck, they know what has been placed and what is left in the deck. Using this method, they can then determine the likelihood of the next deal providing a winning hand.

Fact: Card counters use tags

Because photographic memories are not that common, card counters often use a system called tagging. Each card is assigned a numerical value (-1, 0, +1), and as they are laid out on the table, counters simply add and subtract. This system is easier to keep track of, and when the total numerical value of the cards reaches a certain point, players know to start making bigger bets. Tagging is easy to learn and it gives players a solid grasp of what their odds of winning are.

Myth 5: You have to go for 21

It may be confusing, especially considering one of blackjack’s most well-known nicknames is none other than “21”. A hand worth 21 is the highest winning hand, and a guaranteed win. But only a novice would think that the game requires you to always go for 21. It’s one of the biggest and most damaging myths out there. If your hand is high enough, drawing yet another card will almost guarantee a bust.

Fact: Go for the win, not the bust

It may seem complicated at first, but the general truth behind standing and drawing is about staying in the game. No matter what, you want to avoid busting because it automatically disqualifies your hand. By always going for 21, you are effectively your own worst enemy. When making the decision to draw again, first consider your own hand, and then the dealer’s upward facing card. Remember, you’re playing against the dealer, not yourself!

Myth 6: A bigger bankroll means a better win

A common myth in the gambling community is that a bigger bankroll allows players to win more money. Often, it is believed that with more money to bet, a gambler can play more games, therefore having more opportunities to win. But this is a totally false myth. The richest player in the world could come in with money pouring out of his pockets. Without the proper strategy, he can lose it all in the blink of an eye. Don’t let the high rollers fool you, it’s not about the size… of your bankroll.

Fact: Brain vs. Brawn… and the winner is brain!

As a player walking on the casino floor, try not to get intimidated by high rollers flaunting their never-ending bankrolls. Money doesn’t make a player, strategy does. If you want to learn how to count cards, then go for it. Start with smaller bets and work your way up. If you’re good at card counting and you play it smart, then pretty soon, you’ll be the one rolling in dough!

Myth 7: Insurance is a good idea

One of the greatest injustices that blackjack myths have done for gamblers is glorifying insurance. Insurance is when the dealer has an Ace, and you place a bet on their hand as well as your own. In the case that the dealer gets a blackjack, or a hand worth 21, you win back your insurance with a payout of 2 to 1. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but the reality is that by taking insurance, the player puts the odds back in the casino’s favor.

Fact: Insurance is a bad bet

Despite its name, “insurance” isn’t meant to protect your hand in the case of a loss to the dealer. It’s a separate wager, and not a very good one. The odds of the dealer with an ace getting a blackjack are not in their favor. The dealer in this position has 9:4 odds of losing. And by wagering on insurance in this situation, which relies on the dealer’s success, you are making a bad bet.

Blackjack is easy to learn, and it’s one of the best casino games for advantage play. If you’re looking to pick up blackjack card counting, then use these myths and facts to get a leg up on your opponents. Don’t let the casino fool you with common misconceptions. If you play it smart and read up on some facts about blackjack, you’re sure to start winning in no time.

Until you’re ready to try to your hand at card counting at a land-based casino, head over to Planet 7. Online casino games like blackjack will help you brush up on your skills. And if you want to practice blackjack card counting without getting caught, check out Planet 7’s online blackjack. It’s the perfect environment to master your strategy without having to show your face. Escape to Planet 7, and start making the big bucks today!

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Types of Rummy

Rummy games first appeared in the early twentieth century, and are probably derived from the Mexican game Conquian. This page describes basic rummy, also known in the card game literature as Straight Rummy. For other types of rummy, and related games, see the rummy index page. Note that many people use the name Rummy to refer to the game called 500 Rummy on this site, in which more than one card can be taken from the discard pile, and points are scored for cards melded.

Basic Rummy

The game is best played with two to four players, but up to six can take part. Either a fixed number of deals are played, or the game is played to a target score. The number of deals or the target score needs to be agreed before beginning to play.

The Deck

One standard deck of 52 cards is used. Cards in each suit rank, from low to high:

Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Jack Queen King

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen randomly, and the turn to deal alternates if there are two players, and rotates clockwise if there are more than two. In a two player game, each player is dealt a hand of ten cards. Seven cards each are dealt if there are three or four players, and when five or six play each player gets six cards. The cards are dealt one at a time, and after the deal, the next card is placed face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remainder of the deck is placed face down beside it to form the stock. The players look at and sort their cards.

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to dispose of all the cards in your hand. There are three ways to get rid of cards: melding, laying off, and discarding.

• Melding is taking a combination of cards from your hand, and placing it face up in front of you on the table, where it stays. There are two kinds of combination which can be melded: sequences (also known as runs) and groups (also known as sets or books).
  • a sequence or run consists of three or more cards of the same suit in consecutive order, such as 4, 5, 6 or 8, 9, 10, J.
  • a group, set or book is three or four cards of the same rank, such as 7, 7, 7.
• Laying off is adding a card or cards from your hand to a meld already on the table. Thecards added to a meld must make another valid meld. For example to the 4, 5, 6you could add the 3 or the 7. You are not permitted to rearrange the melds in the process.For example, 2, 2, 2, 2 and 3, 4, 5 have been melded,you are not permitted to move the 2 from the group to the sequence, so as to lay off the A.
• Discarding is playing a card from your hand on top of the discard pile. You get rid of one card this way at the end of each turn.

Play

If there are two players, they take alternate turns starting with the non dealer. If there are more than two players, they take turns in clockwise rotation, beginning with the player to dealer's left.

Each turn consists of the following parts:

1. The Draw. You must begin by taking one card from either the top of the Stock pile or the top card on the discard pile, and adding it to your hand. The discard pile is face up, so you can see in advance what you are getting. The stock is face down, so if you choose to draw from the stock you do not see the card until after you have committed yourself to take it. If you draw from the stock, you add the card to your hand without showing it to the other players.
2. Melding. If you have a valid group or sequence in your hand, you may lay one such combination face up on the table in front of you. You cannot meld more than one combination in a turn (but see House Rules). Melding is optional; you are not obliged to meld just because you can.
3. Laying off. This is also optional. If you wish, you may add cards to groups or sequences previously melded by yourself or others. There is no limit to the number of cards a player may lay off in one turn.
4. The Discard At the end of your turn, one card must be discarded from your hand and placed on top of the discard pile face up. If you began your turn by picking up the top card of the discard pile you are not allowed to end that turn by discarding the same card, leaving the pile unchanged - you must discard a different card. You may however pick up the discard on one turn and discard that same card at a later turn. If you draw a card from the stock, it can be discarded on the same turn if you wish.

If the stock pile has run out and the next player does not want to take the discard, the discard pile is turned over, without shuffling, to form a new stock, and play continues - but see the variations section for a discussion of alternatives and problems that can arise.

A player wins an individual hand by either melding, laying off, or discarding all of his or her cards. Getting rid of your last card in one of these ways is called going out. As soon as someone goes out, play ceases. There can be no further melding or laying off, even if the other players have valid combinations in their hands.

Scoring

When a player goes out, the other players add up the value of all the cards still remaining in their hands, as follows:

• Face cards (K,Q,J) are worth 10 points each
• Aces are worth 1 point each
• Number Cards are worth their face value - for example a six is worth 6 points, a four is 4 points, and so on.

The total value of all the cards in the hands of the other players is added to the winner's cumulative score.

The game continues with further deals until a player reaches the points target that was decided before the game began, or until the agreed number of deals has been played.

Optional House Rules.

These optional rules should be discussed and decided by the players before the beginning of the first deal.

Multiple Melds

1. Some people play that you can lay down as many melds as you desire in each turn.
2. Most people allow a player who has not previously melded or laid off any cards to earn a special bonus if they can go out in a single turn by melding or laying off theirentire hand. This is called going rummy, and the score for the hand isdoubled, or in some versions the winner gets a bonus of 10 points.

Laying off

Some play that you may not lay off any cards on other players' melds until you have laid down at least one meld of your own.

Ace High or Low

In the standard game, aces are low. A-2-3 is a valid run but Q-K-A is not. However, some play that aces can be counted as high or low, so that Q-K-A is also a valid run. When playing with this rule, aces are given the higher value of 15 points instead of 1 point, reflecting their greater usefulness.

A few players go further and allow 'round the corner' runs with an ace in the middle (K-A-2), but this is unusual.

Last discard

Some people play that in order to go out, you must end your turn by discarding your last card. You are not allowed to meld all your cards, leaving nothing to discard.

End of the Stock

Some play that when the stock has run out and the next player does not want the discard, the discard pile is shuffled before reusing it as a stock. This is the version now given in most books. If there is no shuffle, players who can memorise the order of cards in the discard pile will clearly have an advantage.

It is just about possible, though very unlikely, that a repetitive situation could occur where each player is holding on to cards wanted by the others. Each player draws from the stock and discards the card they just drew. In this case, recycling the discard pile as a new stock, whether shuffled or not, will not help. If the players are stubborn, the game could be endless. To avoid this, it may be a good idea to limit the number of times that the discard pile can be reused as a new stock. I suggest that after the stock becomes exhausted for the third time, the play should end if the next player does not want to take the discard. Alternatively, you could agree that the discard pile gets reused only once and the play ends when the stock is used up for the second time.

In the version known as Block Rummy, the discard pile is not reused at all. If the stock has run out and the next player does not want to take the discard, the game ends at that point. Everyone scores the value of the cards remaining in their hands.

If the game ends without anyone going out, all players count the value of the cards remaining in their hands. The winner is the player with least points, and scores the sum of the differences between this and the points in each other player's hand. Example: A has 6; B has 15; C has 7; D has 21. A is the winner and scores 25 = (9 + 1 + 15). If two or more players tie for lowest, they share the winnings equally.

Players are allowed, at their turn, to count the number of cards remaining in the face down stock if they wish. As a courtesy (to save others having to count as well), a player who counts the stock should correctly announce to the other players how many stock cards remain.

Scoring

Some play that instead of the winner scoring points, each of the losers score penalty points according to the cards left in their hand. If the game ends without a winner then everyone scores their cards as penalty points. When someone reaches 100 or more, the player with the lowest score wins.

Some play that each loser pays the winner according to the number of points in their hand (or the difference between their score and the winner's score if no one went out). This method is appropriate when playing for money. The session would last for a set number of hands rather than be played to a target score.

Wrotham Rummy

Daryl Brown describes the following variant payed in Wrotham, Kent, UK. A 55-card pack is used, including three jokers which are used as wild cards. A joker can be used as a substitute for any card needed to melded a set or run. A player who holds the card that a melded joker represents can, during her turn, exchange the real card for the joker.

Six deals are played. Eight cards are dealt to the starting player and seven to each other player. On the first turn the starting player does not draw, but just discards a card (or melds and discards). In the first three rounds players meld and lay off as usual, but in the last three rounds, players may not meld any cards until they are able to lay down all seven at once.

Other Rummy WWW pages

Randy Rasa's Rummy-Games.com has rules for various rummy games, as well as reviews of many rummy software packages and on-line servers.

In several card game books the British author George Hervey published rules for basic Rummy and a variant that amounts to Knock Rummy under the name Colonel. You can read the rules of Colonel on Howard Fosdick's page (archive copy).

Rummy.ch is a German language site offering rules for many rummy games, strategy articles, reviews of online rummy sites and a forum.

In the early 2000's the Deutsche Skatverband organised Rommé events and championships and published Rommé tournament rules.

There are rules in French on Jean-François Bustarret's Rami page.

For other types of rummy see the Rummy Games index page.

Rummy software and on line games

At Game Duell you can play Rommé (German) or Rami (French) online for fun or real money: they offer a variant using two decks and 6 jokers, in which a player's first meld must be worth at least 40 points.

German Rommé, with two decks, 6 jokers and a minimum of 40 points for the initial meld, can also be played at online sunnygames.de.

A Rummy program for Windows (a two-player game against the computer with 10 cards dealt to each player) is available from Card Games Galore.

The Rummy program from Special K Software supports ten Rummy variants, which you can play against computer opponents.

You can play Rummy online against the computer or against live opponents at VIP Games.

Windows software for Italian Rummy (Ramino) is available from Alberosa.

Antonio Ferraioli has written a Rummy (Ramino) app for iPhone or iPad.

A version of Basic Rummy can be played online at CardzMania.

Rummy can be played online at TrapApps.

Gameslush.com offers an online Rummy game against live opponents or computer players.

Counting Cards For Dummies

Sylvain Labbe's Free Card Games includes Net.Rummy, an online Rummy program with customisable rules for play against live opponents. It can be used both on desktop computers and on mobile devices of several types.