Counting cards in Blackjack

Why the classical basic strategy does not work

It's simple - the table is designed for a full deck of cards, and as soon as we start playing, the number of cards changes and the table should look different.

Dynamic basic strategy

On our website, you can get a basic table for the deck you are currently playing with.

To see the table specifically for your deck, do the following:

  • Go to the Blackjack card counting page.
  • Adjust the deck rules in accordance with the casino rules in which you are playing.
  • Wait for the dealer to start a new deck (there is no point in counting if the deck is not full).
  • After the dealer starts the game, mark the cards that have been played.
  • Get updated table after each card is dropped.

Realizing the importance of the fact that the table changes dynamically can be aided by a simple experiment - start counting and simply discard any cards. Practically after each discard, you will see changes in the optimal strategy.

Wong Halves

The most advanced of card counting systems. Described in the book "Professional Blackjack" by Stanford Wong. We display the count after each discarded card.

Each card is assigned a rating:

  • 27+0.5
  • 346+1
  • 5+1.5
  • 80
  • 9-0.5
  • 10JQKA-1

As cards are drawn from the deck, we add or subtract the value of the card. We start at zero. The final score is divided by the number of remaining decks. The resulting number is called the true count (sometimes the real count). The true count reflects the current state of the deck. The higher the count, the better the deck.

By combining a dynamic basic strategy (used for decision making) and card counting (for bet sizing), you will achieve the maximum possible result.