What does the count mean in card counting?

Question

I read about systems for counting cards and how each number is given a value. But if you count the cards and you get "plus seven" or "negative two" what does that mean? In what system of card counting is a high count good or a low count bad?

Answer 1

I suggest that you go back and re-read the systems.

Most of them attach a positive number for good cards and a negative for bad cards.  So you keep a running track in your head by adding or subtracting a number depending on what cards come out of the shoe.

But as to what the number ultimately means, that depends entirely on the system you are using.  Some are far more complex than others.

Answer 2

Matt, your fired end of discussion

Do to the nature of the manor in which blackjack is dealt, card played in previous rounds are effectively removed from the game untill the shuffle.  Each cards removal has a small but measurable impact on the house advanatge, the removal of cards 2-7 have the effect of making the house edge smaller, the removal of an 8 has such a  tiny effect is is not even really measurable, the removal of a 9, ten value card or an ace all make the odds slightly worse for the player.  Card counting systems will assign point values to represent the change in the house edge each card has on the game as it is removed, naturally they will be broken into negetive and positive categories to represent their negetive and positive effects.  Some cards have larger impacts on the game when they are removed when compared to others, so the card countig system may assign more points to one type of card than the otehr types.

By adding together all the point values as the cards are dealt you are left with "the count" either positive or negetive.  Negetive numbers are assigned to the cards that hurt the player when removed, and positive numbers are assigned to the cards that hurt the dealer when removed.  When the count is positive, you know that the cards removed have had and effect of making the house edge smaler, and when the count is negetive you knw0o that the cards removed have had the effect of making the house edge larger.

Beating the game is not that simple though, you need to gauge how much of an impact each point has on the games in terms of itsa actual percentage effect on the house edge, this is learned by using computers to simulate the game being played with the acrtual number being used in the card counting system.  Just because the count is positive does not mean you are playing wiht an edge over the casino, you need to knwo the trheshold where the house edge is ENTIRELY eleminated.

Go buy a book on blackjack, its the best way to go.  If your too lazy, just read more about it here:  http://www.qfit.com/blackjack.htm

Answer 3

A lot of systems apply a + to cards 8 and higher, and a - to cards 5 and lower, with a 6 and 7 being 0.  They say the lower the count goes the more favorable it is to the player and it's time to increase your bet.  It also helps to know if you are rich in small cards when it comes time to hit a 16 against dealer showing an 8.