In Blackjack, What's the secret to counting cards?

Question

I heard people talk about counting cards, and I was wondering exactly how you do it or what is the secret to it?

Answer 1

its all a matter of pratice..

As they say practice makes a man perfect...

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Answer 2

There are different systems, but the most common one is the 10 count.

2-6 are worth +1

10-A are worth -1.  

7-9 are worth 0 (ie ignored)

When the count is positive, say +5 or +6, then you would increase your betting size.  When the count is negative, you would decrease your betting size.

Thats it, but it still wont help you.  The casino will know your counting and will just ask you to leave.

Answer 3

It's really not that difficult to get started, and if you play blackjack more than a few times a year, it's definitely worth your time. There are a million books and websites that will tell you exactly how to count cards so I won't waste my time explaining it here (just go to a library or bookstore) but I will tell you the "secret" to doing it well: Learning to count a person's entire hand at one time. People that think it's too hard will generally try and count each card individually instead of as a group. Once you get to a point where you can look at each person's hand and know it's value without thinking (which should only take a couple weeks of practice) you're ready to take it to the casinos.

Oh and, you more than likely won't get kicked out for doing it unless you're completely obvious or making ridiculous bet spreads. By that I mean you are going from a $5 bet to a $100 bet from hand to hand. And there are a lot of ways to benefit from counting cards besides adjusting the spread that will help you play better even if you don't want to play at a "professional" level, i.e., good enough for the casinos to care what you're doing.

Answer 4

With a single deck of cards you can kind of count them, but what casino still deals with a single deck, they use 3 desks in most casino's now.

Answer 5

An extremely good memory.....

taking note of every card you've seen while the game is in play and therefore gradually deducing the of the whereabouts of the assorted cards. (in the deck/other player's hands etc)