No matter if you prefer blackjack or poker, card counting can sharpen your game. This approach means keeping a simple tally of cards already dealt so you can guess whether the next hand favours you or the house.
Step 1: Build Your Running Count
Watch each card and assign it a value:
• Low cards (2–6) = +1
• Neutral cards (7–9) = 0
• High cards (10–A) = –1
This "running count" tells you if many big cards remain, which reduces the house edge.
Step 2: Convert to True Count
Most tables use multiple decks. To get your true count, divide the running count by the estimated remaining decks in the shoe. Peek at the discard tray to judge. For example, if you’re at +9 running count with about 3 decks left, your true count is +3.
Step 3: Know Your House Edge
Once you’ve got the true count, you’ll see if you’ve flipped the script:
- True count –3 = 2.05% house edge
- True count –2 = 1.53% house edge
- True count –1 = 0.80% house edge
- True count 0 = 0.42% house edge
- True count +1 = 0.58% player’s advantage
- True count +2 = 1.17% player’s advantage
- True count +3 = 1.77% player’s advantage
Remember: a higher true count lets you risk more with high confidence—poa if Arsenal are smashing it in the EPL, right? Just like you’d back them heavily when they’re on fire, you can up your bet when the deck’s hot.