Blackjack Simple blackjack card counting technique

What would be a simple blackjack card counting technique that could easily be applied for a single player not in a team? Or does such a method not exist?

If it does then what edge would one expect to achieve?

There are a number of "simple" ones but the one I would recommend is KO (Knock Out). It does not require some of the steps that other counts need.

KO counters can have an edge of about 1% over the casino which is enough to be a winner although the ride may have some big ups and downs.

Most team players use Hi Lo. Google either for details on how they work.

I can teach you to count in about 15 minutes but it will take much longer (weeks) to become proficient enough to do it accurately in a casino in real time. Errors are deadly expensive.

After you learn to count, then study bankroll requirements to be certain you are well prepared.

The amount of decks a house uses is going to play into whatever method you choose to use as well. Experience is the best teacher. Treat it like speed reading in that you should focus more on the generalities than the specifics.

@Stealth, can you explain the bankroll requirements. I think this is the most important thing along with discipline of course. I'm heading to Vegas soon and I would like to prepare. Appreciate any tips.

It is a complex subject for a card counter, but some general advice might be: if you are playing at a $25 table and your max bet is $100 you should have about 30 times your max bet bankroll to protect against going busted. This is an oversimplification that is affected by game rules, advantage (card counting), location of cut card and some math.

The concept is to avoid "Risk of Ruin", which is both an investment term and a gamblers term to determine how much money you need to play or invest in a given game or stock. Volatility (VARIANCE) of performance is the controlling factor for the size of the swings (winning or losing sessions) and can be calculated. Large blackjack teams usually operate at less than 1% Risk of Ruin with bankrolls of 100,000 - 1,000,000. Individuals (pro/semi-pro) play with bankrolls of 10,000 (risky) to several hundred thousand (safer) and at higher Risk of Ruin levels (1-10%).

Learning to count cards is a relatively easy skill built mostly on repetition. Understanding the math of card counting and bank management is more challenging but there are inexpensive software systems (Qfit.com) that allow you to "plug in the numbers" and get quality guidance.

Casual players usually have no clue regarding the "requirements" and play with whatever money they can afford. Which is fine for entertainment.

It looks like money management skills are vital to success when it comes to playing Blackjack and other casino games. I used to think that the strategy was the only thing that mattered.

@Stealth, really appreciate the reply. I understand this is difficult to have a real answer. I think me and most people want to know the minimum. So if I have 3k, which is 30 times my maximum bet, how much does one buy in at a time? Also, I never hear about when is it good to leave a certain shoe. Just ride it out till it get profitable betting the same $25 bet the whole time?

bigginn88 said:

@Stealth, really appreciate the reply. I understand this is difficult to have a real answer. I think me and most people want to know the minimum. So if I have 3k, which is 30 times my maximum bet, how much does one buy in at a time? Also, I never hear about when is it good to leave a certain shoe. Just ride it out till it get profitable betting the same $25 bet the whole time?

Click to expand...

If you are at a quarter table buy in for 500, if $10 or $15, buy in for 300.

If you are not counting cards then the only reason to leave a shoe is if you have seen a lot more large cards (10,J,Q,K,A) than small cards. All the other reasons are social and meaningless. The cards are random, and that is the reality unless you are counting cards.

Betting structures can be complex again for the card counters. If a recreational player, then I suggest a system that can not win long term but may help smooth some of the short term ride. A positive progression is one where the first time you win a hand you bet the same amount next hand and then each time you win a hand you add one chip (minimum) and continue doing so until you lose the hand, then start over.

If you experience good variance (luck) you can make a nice win. I do not like flat betting the same thing each hand, it i s a slow death.

These are way over simplifications and should be used with extreme caution. The bottom line is if you are a recreational player then improving your ability to play longer with a given amount of money is important.

Let me end this with the fact that the range of results that can occur in blackjack is so wide that your results for any session is unpredictable. In fact, you can be accurately counting cards and get killed, having done nothing wrong. Its the law of large numbers and the results in the long term that are your friend.

If you play on long term winning from the casino then you have to learn to count and the associated skills.

@Stealth, makes sense and great response. I've been playing recreationally for years. I seem to never do well. I've had some really good sessions but the bad definitely outweigh the good. I'm beginning to practice counting and that is why I am asking these questions. I want to try and gain an edge but I understand that you need a good bankroll to withstand a bad run even when you do everything correctly. Of course good bankroll management is also important too.

I don't like flat betting either because if I hit a good streak, I want to capitalize. I think that's my problem is I get aggressive after a couple of wins. No real rhyme or reason except that I win a couple hands in a row so I think here's the streak and I press. I want to begin counting so I only get aggressive when the count is good.

I like the advice about focusing more on the generalities than the specifics of it. The truth is that trying to learn all this at once is going to be really overwhelming and exhausting but with these kind of strategies, it will be worthwhile in the end.

Tredger said:

I like the advice about focusing more on the generalities than the specifics of it. The truth is that trying to learn all this at once is going to be really overwhelming and exhausting but with these kind of strategies, it will be worthwhile in the end.

Click to expand...

If you are playing for recreation and willing to do so by giving an even larger advantage to the casino by not knowing how to play correctly, then your comment about focusing on generalities is dead on. And there is nothing wrong with recreational play!

If you are outside of my qualifiers, then seek more knowledge and, yes it can be daunting, but it also can be mastered, one step at a time. You didn't take algebra before you could do your multiplication tables did you?

I can "generally" take a novice and make them a card counter in about 60 days with a moderate, but flexible, time commitment. As I have said, it is fourth grade math (not even algebra) that I can teach you in about 15 minutes. But it will take repetitious practice for a few weeks to master it at casino speeds and distractions. Going beyond that is another matter.