Card counting is maybe one of the fewest blackjack strategies that could be applied successfully even by beginners. Of course, you will need to have a sharp mind, and to be fresh. I know, when you are in a casino, the drinks and the nice girls could be distracting, but you will need to be in good shape if you want to remember streaks of 10 or maybe 20 cards. The main advantage: the strategy is all about mind; it is not about experience or playing style.
MIT students are forbidden in some Las Vegas Casinos, as they managed to grab some serious winnings there. Therefore, you must also take care about the Casino Pit Bosses. Try to loose from time to time, as a long winning streak will surely draw the attention of the casino supervisors.
A simplistic interpretation
A simple method to apply this strategy is to assign values to the cards. Therefore, you must consider the cards 2 to 9 as being valued at 1. The Royal cards could be valued 2, and the Ace must have a value of 3. As the dealer gives the cards to the players, you will be able to see some of them. Don't forget to consider the cards on the table, and you should come up with a total.
This total won't tell you the exact cards that are still in the cards pack. However, if you already have a total of 30 and only the first hand was played, it means that the majority of high cards (Royal Cards - 10, J. Q, K) and Aces are out of the game. Therefore, you must build the strategy for the future games considering this aspect.
Advanced cards counting strategy
You won't need to "force" this strategy. Play with it for a long time, and even if you are a little jealous on your colleagues that could remember all the cards, don't try to force your mind. As the time passes, you will realize that it is easier to remember some of the cards, and you will naturally begin to replace the 1's and the 2's with actual cards.
You will start to remember that there is no "6" left in the package, therefore it is useless to try to create a winning strategy based on this number. As a simple mind exercise, try to keep the values for the small cards, and start thinking about the Royal cards as actual cards. This way, you will remember what royal cards are still in the game, and your total of 10 or 15, let's say will give you an idea about the small cards that are still on the game. |
