[Mathematics] [Casino] Blackjack and Card Counting 07-22-2015, 03:16 PM
#1
This is the second in the casino series for mathematics. The first can be found here, and the make-shift mathematics section is here.
If you don't know how to play blackjack, look here or here.
In the previous thread, I explained why most games at casinos are pretty much against you, but blackjack is the exception, if you know what you're doing. Of course you'll all have heard of card counting, but never bothered to learn the specifics. You were probably fooled into thinking that it was extremely difficult and only maths prodigies could do it. Wrong. It's a simple case of adding, subtracting, and (sometimes) dividing very small numbers in your head. The only trick is to do it fast and without letting on.
Before you start counting cards, you should be familiar with the game. I mean, you can't expect to win using only card counting if you don't know basic blackjack strategy. Practice in casinos, not in your kitchen. You should get good enough at the game that you can play without thinking, or pausing. Once you get good enough to tip the odds in your favor without counting, then you're ready to start counting. Note that counting doesn't dramatically shift the odds in your favor, you'll get a 1 or 2 percent edge, with a higher count equaling a better advantage. You'll have to have your technique down to an art, and you can win insane amounts of money with your measly 1% advantage.
General card-counting strategy is simple. The Hi-Lo method assigns a -1 value to high cards and a +1 value to low cards. When added up, you get the running count. Now, card counting works because high cards improve a player's chances of hitting a blackjack. They also make the dealer's chances shittier. Low cards, on the other hand, are bad for the player (who wants a blackjack and to beat the house) but good for the dealer.
Therefore, by counting the value of the cards, you can figure out if the ratio of high cards to low cards if higher than normal, and so increase your bets to win a higher amount. If the ratio in lower than normal, then you lower your bets to cut your losses. When the count is positive, that means there's more high cards than low left. The higher the positive number, the higher your chances of winning. Negative numbers means there's more low cards, so the lower your chances are of winning. Increase your bets when the count is positive (+2 and above).
A tip, however, is to make your bets seem erratic. Bet large amounts when the count is low and small amounts when the count is high. This will put the casino off the trail and make it harder for them to ascertain whether or not you're counting. Also, when the count is increasing, don't suddenly bet high. Only drive your bets up relative to the count. If the count goes up by 1, raise your bet accordingly. Dealers shuffle the deck if you make an unexplainable increase in your bets. Up your bets at seemingly random points and in small amounts.
You should tip the dealer. They know how to count cards, so get them on your side. If he likes you, he's more likely to wait on a good deck and shuffle sooner on a bad one. This goes for the whole pit crew. Make them like you.
You'll also need to blend in. Act like a tourist, be interested in things other than the game. Act like a normal guy in a polo shirt who's out for a good time. Don't just concentrate on the game, it's a dead giveaway. Socialize!
Also, keep an eye on who's watching you. There will be hundreds of cameras and the people behind them are very perceptive. If they think you're counting, they might assign you a quick dealer, or start a conversation with you or change the betting rules. If this happens, back down slowly but immediately.
And take everything slowly. Don't hop between tables as soon as the count is low. Keep your bets at the minimum and slowly increase. Think about your moves. Act like a normal blackjack player. Be casual.
This brings us to the legality of card counting. It's completely legal, but casinos don't like it. So they chuck you out and let their casino buddies know that you're a counter so they chuck you out too. Make sure you don't get caught.
The tehnique is simple. Start at 0. As each card comes up, add its value to the running count, in this case 0.
It's that simple. One thing the casinos do to put carders off is to have multiple decks. There's a simple way around this. You simply count all the cards as normal and divide by the number of decks left to get the true count. Don't make it obvious, just count the decks left when you have some time and no one's looking.
A single deck is more simple. If you want the true count instead of the running count, you have to invert and multiply. Say you have 1/2 of a deck left and the count is +2. Multiply the count with the denominator, and divide by the numerator. So (2 * 2)/1 = 4/1 = 4. Some people choose to go with the running count in a single deck, but just know that the true count will be different.
Of course practice makes perfect. Get a deck of cards (without the jokers) and flick through it seeing how fast you can count all the cards. If you do it right, you should end up with a count of 0. You'll be a pro the day you can do it under 25 seconds. Only start timing yourself when you can consistently end up at 0. This might take a while. Or take a card out of the deck and put it face down. Count the deck and try to figure out which card is on the table. Also, practice with distractions. Put some headphones in and listen to some loud music. Now start running. There'll be a lot of noise, movement, and distractions in a casino. You'll have to be able to count regardless, and be low-key at the same time.
You need to be doing this automatically. If you see a high card and a low card, you shouldn't be thinking: '+1 + -1'. You should straight have 0 in your head. A high card and a low card cancel.
That's pretty much it. Your homework is to research the other methods of counting, the differences, and the statistics of each variety. Hi-Lo is the most popular for a reason. It's simple and yields good results. Other methods include Omega, KO, and halves. Research the differences and whether or not they work. They each have their advantages. FIND OUT. There's so much to counting cards. There's numerous techniques like wonging or back-counting. You'll only know if you try.
If you don't know how to play blackjack, look here or here.
In the previous thread, I explained why most games at casinos are pretty much against you, but blackjack is the exception, if you know what you're doing. Of course you'll all have heard of card counting, but never bothered to learn the specifics. You were probably fooled into thinking that it was extremely difficult and only maths prodigies could do it. Wrong. It's a simple case of adding, subtracting, and (sometimes) dividing very small numbers in your head. The only trick is to do it fast and without letting on.
Before you start counting cards, you should be familiar with the game. I mean, you can't expect to win using only card counting if you don't know basic blackjack strategy. Practice in casinos, not in your kitchen. You should get good enough at the game that you can play without thinking, or pausing. Once you get good enough to tip the odds in your favor without counting, then you're ready to start counting. Note that counting doesn't dramatically shift the odds in your favor, you'll get a 1 or 2 percent edge, with a higher count equaling a better advantage. You'll have to have your technique down to an art, and you can win insane amounts of money with your measly 1% advantage.
General card-counting strategy is simple. The Hi-Lo method assigns a -1 value to high cards and a +1 value to low cards. When added up, you get the running count. Now, card counting works because high cards improve a player's chances of hitting a blackjack. They also make the dealer's chances shittier. Low cards, on the other hand, are bad for the player (who wants a blackjack and to beat the house) but good for the dealer.
Therefore, by counting the value of the cards, you can figure out if the ratio of high cards to low cards if higher than normal, and so increase your bets to win a higher amount. If the ratio in lower than normal, then you lower your bets to cut your losses. When the count is positive, that means there's more high cards than low left. The higher the positive number, the higher your chances of winning. Negative numbers means there's more low cards, so the lower your chances are of winning. Increase your bets when the count is positive (+2 and above).
A tip, however, is to make your bets seem erratic. Bet large amounts when the count is low and small amounts when the count is high. This will put the casino off the trail and make it harder for them to ascertain whether or not you're counting. Also, when the count is increasing, don't suddenly bet high. Only drive your bets up relative to the count. If the count goes up by 1, raise your bet accordingly. Dealers shuffle the deck if you make an unexplainable increase in your bets. Up your bets at seemingly random points and in small amounts.
You should tip the dealer. They know how to count cards, so get them on your side. If he likes you, he's more likely to wait on a good deck and shuffle sooner on a bad one. This goes for the whole pit crew. Make them like you.
You'll also need to blend in. Act like a tourist, be interested in things other than the game. Act like a normal guy in a polo shirt who's out for a good time. Don't just concentrate on the game, it's a dead giveaway. Socialize!
Also, keep an eye on who's watching you. There will be hundreds of cameras and the people behind them are very perceptive. If they think you're counting, they might assign you a quick dealer, or start a conversation with you or change the betting rules. If this happens, back down slowly but immediately.
And take everything slowly. Don't hop between tables as soon as the count is low. Keep your bets at the minimum and slowly increase. Think about your moves. Act like a normal blackjack player. Be casual.
This brings us to the legality of card counting. It's completely legal, but casinos don't like it. So they chuck you out and let their casino buddies know that you're a counter so they chuck you out too. Make sure you don't get caught.
The tehnique is simple. Start at 0. As each card comes up, add its value to the running count, in this case 0.
||Card||Value||
-----------------------
|| 2 - 6 || + 1 ||
------------------------
|| 7 - 9 || + 0 ||
------------------------
|| 10/Q/J/K/A || -1 ||
--------------------
-----------------------
|| 2 - 6 || + 1 ||
------------------------
|| 7 - 9 || + 0 ||
------------------------
|| 10/Q/J/K/A || -1 ||
--------------------
It's that simple. One thing the casinos do to put carders off is to have multiple decks. There's a simple way around this. You simply count all the cards as normal and divide by the number of decks left to get the true count. Don't make it obvious, just count the decks left when you have some time and no one's looking.
A single deck is more simple. If you want the true count instead of the running count, you have to invert and multiply. Say you have 1/2 of a deck left and the count is +2. Multiply the count with the denominator, and divide by the numerator. So (2 * 2)/1 = 4/1 = 4. Some people choose to go with the running count in a single deck, but just know that the true count will be different.
Of course practice makes perfect. Get a deck of cards (without the jokers) and flick through it seeing how fast you can count all the cards. If you do it right, you should end up with a count of 0. You'll be a pro the day you can do it under 25 seconds. Only start timing yourself when you can consistently end up at 0. This might take a while. Or take a card out of the deck and put it face down. Count the deck and try to figure out which card is on the table. Also, practice with distractions. Put some headphones in and listen to some loud music. Now start running. There'll be a lot of noise, movement, and distractions in a casino. You'll have to be able to count regardless, and be low-key at the same time.
You need to be doing this automatically. If you see a high card and a low card, you shouldn't be thinking: '+1 + -1'. You should straight have 0 in your head. A high card and a low card cancel.
That's pretty much it. Your homework is to research the other methods of counting, the differences, and the statistics of each variety. Hi-Lo is the most popular for a reason. It's simple and yields good results. Other methods include Omega, KO, and halves. Research the differences and whether or not they work. They each have their advantages. FIND OUT. There's so much to counting cards. There's numerous techniques like wonging or back-counting. You'll only know if you try.
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