Blog Posted on 26/05/2023 | Author: Karen Macarthur
Multi-deck Blackjack Card Counting: What You Need to Know
Blackjack is a renowned casino classic that can be played using one to eight standard decks of 52 cards. Quite often, the card decks aren’t reshuffled after every gameplay round. This, in turn, leaves Blackjack susceptible to advantageous gambling techniques like card counting.
Card counting is an advantage play technique that allows players to track the ratio of low to high cards. With that, players can determine whether they or the dealer will have an advantage on the next hand. This blog post covers the
Does card counting work in multi-deck Blackjack?
Many players wonder whether card counting really works in Blackjack games that make use of four, six or eight card decks. Sure, the higher the number of decks used, the more complicated the process of card counting turns out to be. However, if used correctly, card counting can turn out to be beneficial to Multi-deck Blackjack players.
Several card counting strategies revolve around the basic principle of assigning specific values to the cards. That way, players are able to determine the ratio of low to high cards. Taking into consideration that every 52 card deck contains 16 ten-valued cards, players can work out the proportions of the cards. Then they can make tweaks to their playing strategy in accordance with that. In order to use card counting in Multi-deck Blackjack effectively, one needs to be extremely disciplined, have knowledge about the important Blackjack rules and know the knit and grits of their chosen card counting system.
The importance of true counting in Multi-deck Blackjack
The true count plays a crucial role in Blackjack games that involve the usage of multiple card decks. As such, players using a card counting system need to pay special attention to it. For improved accuracy and efficiency, several advantage play techniques are balanced. In other words, players must convert the true count to the running count here.
For that, they must take the running count and divide it by the number of decks involved. That way, they can benefit from the information the advantage play technique provides them with. By converting the true count to the running count, players also get to know when they should surrender or go with the insurance betting option.
Naturally, converting the true count to running count takes a lot of concentration and mental effort. Also, owing to the nature of Blackjack online games, players may find it a bit difficult to count cards at casinos online. So, experienced players often practise it at land-based Blackjack tables with distracting environments.
Some popular balanced card counting systems listed
Blackjack players trying to gain an advantage over the house have always used card counting systems in the history of Blackjack. While there exist a number of card counting systems, Hi-Lo, Hi-Opt II, Zen and Omega II are the most popular ones. The popularity of these counting systems can be attributed to their balanced nature and the fact that they’re quite efficient in Multi-deck Blackjack. Although converting the true count to running count may seem hard, it can be helpful for players who want to get the most out of their card counting strategy.
Casino advantage in Multi-Deck Blackjack
As several casino players started using advantage gambling techniques in an attempt to gain an advantage over the house, casino venues also commenced the usage of multiple card decks. The number of card decks used plays an important role both for the players and the casino gambling venue.
The house edge in Blackjack games varies based on the number of card decks used. Also, the number of card decks has an impact on the potential profits as well. In Blackjack games where two card decks are used, the casino advantage stands around 0.35%. The house edge goes over 0.5% in Blackjack games that make use of six card decks. The casino advantage further increases to 0.61% when eight card decks are used. Furthermore, the house edge tends to vary for the different Blackjack side bets.
When playing Blackjack games, players can make use of a basic strategy to keep the house edge to its minimum. You can check out our comprehensive guide on tips and strategies for Blackjack if you want to know more about using strategies in Blackjack games.
