In Blackjack the best strategy is using the basic Blackjack strategy chart. There are other, more advanced, strategies that you can use and card counting is one of them. If you count cards in Blackjack you can help tilt the odds in your favor. There are various card counting strategies out there but the easiest one to learn can be the Hi-Lo card counting strategy.

The Hi-Lo card counting strategy assigns one of three values, represented by numbers, which are 1,0, and -1. Any card that is worth 10, which are the 10's, Jacks, Queens, and Kings are given the value of -1. Aces are also given a value of -1. The cards of 7's, 8's and 9's are given the value of 0. 2's-6's are assigned a value of 1.

When you are playing Blackjack and a card is dealt you will count the cards based on their values. You are not only counting your cards but everyone else's cards that is playing the game, such as the dealer and the other players. When you have a positive count, for example a +3, this will mean that there will be more cards with a ten value, as well as aces, that are still in the deck. Having a positive value can be advantageous to you, as the higher the positive count the more money you can bet on your hands.

For example, if you are betting $10 for each hand but when you start to count cards and the positive value is +4 or above the odds of you getting value cards of tens and Aces increases, which will increase your chance to win. If this is the case you should increase your bet to increase your payouts. Conversely when there is a negative number the odds will not be in your favor so you should decrease your bets, bet more conservatively, so you will not lose as much money. Having a positive count will also help you if you are not sure to double down or split. If you have a positive count, such as +3 or above, there are still more value 10 cards in the deck so it will increase your chances of hitting one when splitting or doubling down. Conversely if the count is negative you should hold off on doubling down or splitting, as the odds are not in your favor.

The right time to start using this Blackjack, or any card counting strategy, is when the decks are shuffled. You have to know that you cannot start to use any card counting strategy when you are in the middle of the deck because you do not know what cards were previously dealt. If you start to count cards in the middle of the deck your number count will not be accurate.

You can practice this card counting strategy at home when playing with a single deck or you can try it out when playing free online Blackjack games. Practice will make it so you can learn how to count cards quickly and make quicker decisions. You should only use this strategy when you have it down cold, because if you do not you should not use it, as it can cost you money.

You can use this card counting strategy in conjunction with the basic blackjack school strategy chart. Basically when the count is positive you can bet more, as well as being more aggressive if you decide to double down or split. When you use a card counting strategy you can increase your odds in Blackjack, therefore increasing your chances to win.

Basic Blackjack Strategy for Multi-Deck Game

Basic Blackjack Strategy for Single-Deck Game