The Thinking Gambler’s Guide to Counting Cards in 6 Steps

All you need to start winning as a blackjack gambler is your mind. You can use your brain and the way you think to win money playing blackjack.

Before you dismiss this and assume that you’re not talented or smart enough to do it, invest a few minutes to learn why you’re wrong by reading this article.

You’re going to learn why you have to count cards, how counting works, and exactly how to get started. By the end of this article you’re going to have a complete plan that end with you being a profitable counter.

1 – Why You Have to Count Cards

I believe that every blackjack player needs to count cards. The reason why I believe this is because the way blackjack is offered by casinos it gives you the opportunity to win if you count cards. And as you’re going to learn before you finish this article, you’re already smart enough to count cards.

Casinos have been taking your money for as long as you’ve been gambling. Don’t you think it’s time to start taking some of your money back?

Counting cards is one of the few realistic opportunities that you have to win when you gamble. I could argue that if you play blackjack it’s your duty to try to use your mind to beat the casino. The casino can’t keep you from using your brain to win.

If you don’t want to win when you gamble, why are you gambling? And if you want to win, why aren’t you using everything at your disposal to win? Counting cards is simply using a tool that you already have, your brain, to gamble and win.

Don’t let any preconceived notions stand in your way. Even if you don’t believe that you can learn how to count cards, if you give me the chance I can show you that you can count.

2 – Why Counting Works

You don’t really need to know why counting works as long as you accept the fact that it does work. But it helps if you know why counting works, so in this section I’m going to show you why it helps you win.

The outcome of every blackjack hand is determined by the cards in the deck and the amount you win or lose. When you get a blackjack you win more than you bet, and when you can get more money in play when you have an advantage it helps your profits.

When you count you learn when you have an advantage and when you don’t have an advantage. With an advantage you bet more so you make more. When you’re at a disadvantage you bet less so you lose less.

For example, when you have an ace you have an advantage. When you have a higher chance of being dealt high cards than low cards you have an advantage. And the way to know when you have a higher chance to be dealt aces and high cards is by using a simple counting system.

3 – First Steps First

Before you start counting, you have to do a few other things correctly. If you don’t get these things right, card counting isn’t going to help you in. Strategy and rules are the 2 main things that you have to get right before you count cards.

The good news is that strategy and rules are fairly simple. As far as mastering blackjack rules, the main thing you need to do is investigate good and bad rules.

Good blackjack rules include 3 to 2 payments for blackjack, surrender, dealer standing on a soft 17, the ability to double down after a split, and the ability to split multiple pairs.


The key is to learn what good rules are and play at tables that have mostly good rules.

The next thing you need to use your mind to do is use good strategy at the blackjack table. Get a strategy card and use it until you have it memorized. This is all there is to learning how to use good blackjack strategy.

When you do these 2 things you’re doing everything you need to do before you start counting.

4 – You’re Smart Enough Already

The main reason why many blackjack gamblers don’t count cards is because they don’t think that they’re smart enough to do it. You need to eliminate this type of thinking right now. I can tell you that you’re already smart enough to count cards.

The reason why I know that you’re smart enough to count cards is because I know how easy it is to count cards and I know that you’re fairly intelligent because you’re able to read this article.

All you need to be able to do is add 1 or subtract 1 from a number to count cards. I know this sounds too simple, but this is all counting really is. And learning how to use strategy in real money blackjack is no harder than learning how to count.

Forget everything that you think you know about counting and use the information in the next 2 sections to learn exactly what you need to know. By the end of this page you’re going to know how to get started and you’re going to know exactly how to get from where you are now to a master blackjack counter.

5 – System Options

The first step to counting cards is determining the right system for you. This isn’t that hard when you learn what makes one system different from another system.

Basically there are 3 types of counting systems. The first group includes the simplest counting systems. These systems are really easy to use but they don’t give you as much of an edge as other systems.

The third type of counting system is much harder to use than the other systems and give you the best edge possible. The problem with these systems is if you make mistakes you lose some of the edge.

This leaves you with the second type of counting system. These systems are easier to use than the most complicated systems and they give you almost as much edge. These systems also give you a better edge than the simplest systems and aren’t that much harder to use.

I recommend using a system in the second group. I like the Knock Out system and the Red 7, but most counters use a system called Hi Lo. I like the other 2 systems a little better than the Hi Lo system because I don’t have to make a conversion when I play.

You should learn about all 3 of these systems to determine the system you want to use.

6 – The 1 – 10 – 100 Method

Here’s a simple method you can use to go from where you are now to a master card counter. If you follow this method you’re going to be making a profit counting cards in a short time.

The 1 in the title of this section stands for 1 hour. Spend 1 hour researching the card counting systems I told you about in the last section and determine which system you want to use.

The 10 in the title of this section stands for 10 hours of deep learning. Now you spend 10 hours learning everything you can about your system.

Learn exactly how it works and why it works. Become an expert in your chosen system.

Finally, the 100 in the title of this section stands for 100 hours of practicing your system. Spend 100 hours practicing counting using real cards and your system. By the time you spend 100 hours practicing you’re going to be able to count perfectly, avoiding mistakes, and making all of the correct bets and plays.

This might seem like a lot of time, but once you complete this method you’re going to be able to use your new skills for as long as you play blackjack.

Conclusion

Every gambler who plays blackjack needs to learn how card counting works. If you know exactly how counting works you learn that it’s easy enough that you can use it. It just takes the right knowledge backed up by an adequate amount of practice.

Counting cards works if you want to be a profitable gambler. It’s been proven by others, and now you know how to do it too.

Start with the first steps, which don’t have anything to do with counting. You know you’re smart enough to do it, so all that’s left is picking the right system and using the 1 – 10 – 100 method to become an expert.