Card Counting Practice – Learn How to Count Cards in Blackjack

Do you want to increase your chances of winning at blackjack without spending any extra money? In that case, card counting might be a strategy you’ll want to try.

Put simply, card counting is a technique that can help you reduce the house edge in blackjack and, therefore, give you a better chance of winning.

The good news is that card counting practice doesn’t involve keeping a perfect tally of which cards have already shown up – instead, you just need to have a rough estimate of the value of the cards that remain in the deck. If this all sounds confusing, don’t worry; that’s what we’re here to explain. 

Unlike some other casino games, which are mainly based on chance, blackjack does have some strategy behind it, and you can advance your blackjack strategy even more by learning card counting techniques.

The aim of blackjack is to get a hand that’s closer to 21 than the dealer’s hand without going over 21, so for that reason alone, it makes sense that you’ll have a better chance of winning when there are more cards with a value of 10 or 11 left in the deck.

In this Betsquare guide, we’ll go into detail about card counting in blackjack, and give you an overview of some of the most popular strategies, like the Omega II method, Wong Halves, and Group Play.

Hi-Lo – The Basic Card Counting Strategy 

Hi-lo is probably the most basic card-counting strategy that you can use in blackjack. It’s been around since the 1960s, and casino players worldwide have used it. 

The premise of the hi-lo card counting strategy is simple. Each card is assigned a value of either one, zero, or minus one, and you’ll keep a running count as cards emerge from the deck. The idea is that you can use this to get a pretty good idea of the value of the cards left in the deck. If it’s looking favourable, you can adjust your bets, as you’ll have a better chance of winning and want to maximise on that.

Here’s how the values are assigned to the cards:

 

Card	Value
2, 3, 4, 5, 6	+1
7, 8, 9	0
10, J, Q, K, A	-1

 

The hi-low strategy doesn’t come without its challenges. For example, even though it’s not quite as complex as some of the strategies we’ll discuss later, it still requires skill and a high concentration level. It’s very unlikely that you’ll simply be able to go off to a casino and start counting cards with the hi-lo method – you’ll first have to do many hours of practice at home. 

Advanced Card Counting Strategies 

If you’ve got the basics of card counting down, you’ll be ready to move on to some more advanced card-counting strategies. These all take quite a lot of time and practice to get right, so if you want to try them out, make sure you’re willing to dedicate the effort they require.

Omega II Card Counting Technique 

The Omega II card counting technique is a little more complex than the ones we’ve discussed so far, and it relies on assigning certain values to each card. There’s a bit of math that goes into it as well. Basically, you’ll add or subtract a certain value whenever a card comes up, giving you a chance to keep track of what’s left in a particular way. These are the values that are assigned to each card:

 

Card	Count
4, 5, 6	+2
2, 3, 7	+1
8, A	0
9	-1
10, J, Q, K	-2

 

The specificity of this system means that it gives you a greater advantage, but as it’s so complicated, it can be quite challenging to apply at a real casino, where it’s usually very loud. There might be all sorts of distractions going on around you. We only recommend this strategy if you’re an experienced player and have put in much practice.

Wong Halves Card Counting Technique 

The Wong Halves card counting technique works similarly to Omega II, but there’s one key difference: rather than assigning whole number values to each card, some are assigned halves.

This can make it much more difficult to keep track of, as the tally can be in fractions. You’ll need high levels of concentration if you’re going to get this one right, but if you do, it can be extremely effective, as it should give you a very accurate indication of whether favourable cards are left in the deck.

Here’s how values are assigned to each card in the Wong Halves method:

 

Card	Value
5	+1.5
3, 4, 6	+1
2, 7	+0.5
8	0
9	-0.5
10, J, Q, K, A	-1

 

Group Play Card Counting Technique 

The Group Play card counting technique is only possible if you have a group of people who will do it with you. This method can be efficient because it allows you to count cards at multiple different tables simultaneously. Still, it can be a lot more challenging to organise, and you run a real risk of the casino staff seeing what you’re up to very quickly. 

To apply this technique, all players in the group must be skilled card counters, so it takes commitment. The premise of group counting is that the various participants are spread across several different tables on the casino floor, and they keep track of the cards using their preferred method while placing small bets.

When the cards at one specific table seem favourable, the player will signal to the main person to come over and start placing larger bets. This has to be done very subtly to avoid getting caught. 

Multiple Decks Card Counting Technique 

Counting multiple decks of cards is even more complicated than counting a single deck, and unfortunately, blackjack almost always uses either six or eight decks. To be comfortable with the multiple-card counting technique, you’d have to get much practice before trying it out in a casino. 

The easiest way to count cards with multiple decks is by keeping a running tally as described above and then dividing by the number of decks. So, for example, if you have a count of +16 and there are eight decks, you’d use 16/8 = +2. When the count reaches +1, that means that the casino no longer has an advantage, and at +3 it swings in favour of the player. 

The card counting strategy you decide to use will depend on a few factors, like which methods you prefer, your skill level, and how much time you have to practice.

If you can dedicate a lot of time to getting familiar with the method, you might want to use the Wong Halves technique. If you’re looking for something a little simpler, you may prefer to opt for Hi-Lo.

And if you have a whole group of people involved in card counting in blackjack, you could attempt the group method. Whatever you do, make sure you work towards perfecting the strategy and also understand the risks involved – after all, if you get caught, you could be banned from your favourite casino. 

Is Card Counting Illegal? 

There’s a lot of conflicting information about whether or not card counting is illegal, but we can safely tell you it’s not actually against the law at all. However, you’re not encouraged to do it, as casinos might see it as trying to cheat.

Generally, casinos have security measures in place to detect if you’re trying to count cards, and you might be asked to leave or even banned from your favourite casino if you do it. 

So, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you should use card counting and if it’s worth the risk for a very small potential reward. Don’t forget, even counting cards doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you’ll win every time, and overall, you’ll likely only decrease the house edge by about 1% to 2%.

Learning to count cards accurately is also a skill that takes a lot of effort and practice, which might not be worth it in the end. 

The Bottom Line 

There are many techniques for card counting in blackjack, with some of them being a lot easier to master than others. If you’re going to give one of these methods a go, lots of card-counting practice is essential, and remember, getting caught could have some pretty dire consequences. 

Rather than trying to count cards, it’s a much better idea to simply keep practising blackjack at your favourite online casino so that you can perfect your strategy. Winning organically is much less risky and complicated, so as long as you’re equipped with some basic knowledge, you should do pretty well at blackjack. 

FAQ

How long does it take to learn card counting? 

Card counting is definitely not something you can learn in a few hours or even by practising for a few days in a row. Aside from actually understanding what you have to do mathematically, it takes a long time to get comfortable with counting the cards subtly and not getting distracted by all the lights and sounds in a casino. It takes most people between 100 and 200 hours of counting cards at home before they’ll be able to try it in a casino. 

 

Can you win at blackjack without counting cards? 

Counting cards aim to reduce the house edge so much that you’ll guarantee a win – however, it’s easier said than done. And even if you don’t want to count cards, you can still use basic blackjack strategy to boost your chances of winning the game organically. 

 

What other games aside from blackjack can you count cards in? 

Card counting is mostly used in blackjack, but in theory, whenever you’re playing a game with cards, you’ll be able to count them, and the results may be useful in informing your bets. Some people use card counting in baccarat or poker, but you have to weigh up whether or not the returns would be good enough for the effort you put in.