Some inexperienced blackjack players who start counting cards do not fully understand many tens and aces are in the deck beneficial for them and not for a dealer. The croupier has the same chances of getting these cards as the player, but they are still better for customers.
In this Casinoz article, we will try to answer the essential questions.
What Is Card Counting?
We will not consider certain types of card counting but will only remind you what it is:
Card counting is a technique of tracking the ratio of low and high cards in the deck or decks still remaining in the game.
A dealer can also get tens and aces, but a player has more opportunities to use them to his benefit, and a dealer is forced to act strictly according to the rules. It creates an advantage for the player. We'll discuss this issue in more detail.
Natural Blackjack
Let's start with the possibility of getting the natural blackjack. If the dealer has a blackjack, and the player holds other cards, the player loses the bet. It means the house wins 1:1. However, if the player gets a blackjack and wins, his payout rates 3:2 (or even 2:1 in rare cases).
In other words, when a player loses and then gets a natural blackjack, he remains in the black.
Thus, the rules for natural blackjack payouts are beneficial for a player. The higher the odds of having a blackjack, the better for the customer.
Doubling Down
In all varieties of blackjack, the dealer is not allowed to double down, but the players use this option all the time. A player hopes to get a high card by doubting down at nine, ten, or eleven points.
The more aces and tens remain in the shoe, the better the odds of winning.
That is, the situation becomes more advantageous for the player.
Splitting Cards
If the shoe contains many high big cards, splitting sevens, eights, nines, tens, or aces is very promising for the player. The dealer may not benefit from splitting, so the circumstances again favor the player.
Hitting Cards
We'll also consider a situation when two cards have twelve to sixteen points. Hitting even one card may lead to a bust. Having 12 - 16, dealers must hit another card.
Suppose there are very many tens in the shoe and the player's odds of beating the dealer increase significantly. A player is free to make decisions.
If he is aware of the high number of tens in the game, he can stand instead of hitting.
Card counters do not always follow the basic strategy because they have more information than regular players. Thus, pros often play differently.
Insurance
Taking insurance in blackjack is usually a poor decision for the player. The payout is not proportional to the actual odds of the dealer getting a natural blackjack. Yet, card counters sometimes do it. Why? When there are too many tens in the shoe, the chances of the dealer's blackjack are very high, so the insurance makes sense.
Low Cards
When there are a lot of high cards in the game, it's undoubtedly beneficial for a player. When the shoe is full of low cards, it is suitable for the dealer.
- Small cards will not help the player if he decides to double down.
- They can create difficulties when splitting.
- The player should not take insurance if the shoe contains many low cards.
But a dealer in this situation is comfortable, which is not surprising. After all, he must hit a card to fifteen or sixteen. If it is a two, three, four, or five, he will get a pretty strong hand that would allow him to win most of the hands.
Conclusion
We hope that Casinoz explained why high cards are more profitable for the player than for the dealer. That's why card counters raise the bets if the ratio of tens and aces in the deck increases. Of course, it does not guarantee they will always win, but this tactic is certainly justified in the long run. And if a counter sees that the ratio of small and large cards is too unprofitable for him, he lowers the bets to a minimum or even finds an excuse to stop playing at this table.
Some blackjack players refuse to learn card counting.
- Some are afraid of problems with casino security.
- Others think it's too complicated.
On the first point, we can say that the maximum problems possible are reduced to the prohibition of playing at the casino that labeled you as a counter. Regarding the second point, there are elementary card counting systems for blackjack. You can learn them quickly, and the benefits of using them are undeniable.
Of course, we mean land-based casinos, because, in online gambling, card counting is practically worthless.
Study and practice counting cards in blackjack because it significantly increases the odds of beating the casino!