Blog Posted on 18/06/2019 | Author: Karen Macarthur
The Significance of Blackjack Numbers in Card Counting
Card counting has been an integral part of Blackjack since the 1940s. The strategy holds so much importance in the history of this game that it has produced a number of legendary players over the years. Including the Blackjack Hall of Famer, Sir Edward O. Thorp, the father of card counting. This skill sounds rather easy in theory than it actually is in real-life practice. It requires a good knowledge of Blackjack numbers to grasp card-counting.
What are the Blackjack Numbers?
Blackjack numbers are not game-related terminology. Rather these are used to signify various values that could be related to cards, decks or a strategy like card-counting. In a game of Blackjack, numbers could signify the following
- Players involved in a game: One table can host up to 6 players at one time. Mostly, 4 players are involved at one time.
- Card value: This is where a player can notice the significance of Blackjack numbers at its best. All the cards in a game of 21, has a value from 1 to 10. The Number cards have the same value as their respective number. All the face cards are valued at 10. An ace could be of a value of 11 or 1, depending on the player.
- Decks: Different versions of the game see the use of a different number of decks of cards. Every standard deck of cards has 52 cards in it. A game of Blackjack can have 1 to up to 9 decks.
But what is the importance of Blackjack numbers in card counting, let’s learn.
Blackjack Numbers and Card-Counting
Card counting is a tricky art to master or at least it is not that simple as it sounds on paper. To make things easier, virtual numbers were invented that were assigned to a different set of cards. Later these numbers will help to figure mathematically which bets to play and when exactly to play. This strategy involves 4 steps.
- Assign number: This method requires the player to divide the 13 cards into three groups. The first group includes cards 2 to 6, they are assigned a number or value +1. Next group includes cards 7-9, they are all value at 0. The third and the final group has all the cards from 10 to Ace and they are assigned a value of -1.
- Running Count: This step requires the counter to keep a count of all the cards dealt on the table. Later, he/she has to calculate the total sum of all the cards. Increasing running count means a better chance of a win for the player.
- True Count: A true count can be calculated by dividing the running count by the remaining number of decks of cards. Casinos use multiple decks to complicate the card counting strategy. This is where true count comes to the rescue of counters. An increasing true count is an indicator of better winning chances for the player over the casino.
- Change the bet: The final most step of this strategy depends on running count and true count. A player should know when to raise the bet and when to lower it based on the count. As an increasing running or true count signifies better winning chances for players, the player should raise the bet and vice-versa.
