Card counting is an advanced technique used to gain an edge when playing blackjack. A player must first know the basic strategies for blackjack before learning "counting". By educating yourself with any system of counting cards you will definiately be able to put the odds in your favor.

The whole concept of blackjack card counting is that having multiple decks filled with lots of Tens and Aces will be to your advantage. When these decks of the dealer are stacked with smaller cards the advantage is surely on the dealer's/casino's side . Simply put, when the card decks are in your favor you should bet a larger amount (max. bet if possible) and when the advantage is with the dealer, only bet the minimum.

This is because decks filled with 10s increases the chance of the dealer going bust. You on the other hand can just opt to stand when the dealer's showing card is equal to or less than Six. In an opposite manner, a deck filled with smaller cards makes the dealer's chance to go bust much less. Knowing if decks are heavy with 10s or smaller cards, can give you the advantage of  knowing what money management strategy to use. Having this information can make you a game of 21 dealer beater ;-).

The dealer must always hit until having a soft 17. Having the dealer being forced to hit with a hand of 10 & 6  when the decks are filled with 10s is great news for you the player.

Also, if the usual three to six deck shoe is weighted with lots of aces, there is higher chance that you'll get blackjack. When the player has blackjack, the pay off odds are 3 to 2
The dealer will only win on that hand if he/she also gets a Blackjack.
That's why a deck filled with Aces & Tens  is always to the player's advantage.

Blackjack card counting is not done by memorizing each card that has come out of a multi deck shoe of cards. Such a feat would be impossible for any mere mortal. Card counting is done by assigning the different card numbers with different point values. Always remember to pick a system that is easy to remember. This will cause fewer mistakes and you will lose less money.

Remember, you will need to assign a point value for each card and you will have to add the value of the cards that have come out. This is called the running count. Based on the plus/minus strategy, here are the values assigned.

2, 3,4,5,6 = +1;
7, 8, 9 = 0;
10, J, Q, K, Ace = -1

To illustrate this more clearly:
The first card dealt is an ace, so we start by having -1. Then 6 is the next card dealt so we add 1. This makes the run count back to zero. Then a 3 and 4 follows, making the run count now 2.

After figuring the run count, you can try to figure the true count. You take the running count you have and divide it with the number of decks remaining from the shoe.

The true counts tell you the appropriate bet size and you can base your betting strategy from there. Good luck!

Author
G.E. Stowik