As with any casino game the main objective in Blackjack is to win. Unlike most other casino games were the house has a clear advantage over the player Blackjack presents a unique opportunity to the player. Using Basic Strategy the player is able to almost even the odds of winning against the house. One way a Blackjack player can increase the probability that they beat the house is through card counting. There are many different ways to count cards. This article will be focusing on discussing the basic Hi-Lo plus-minus count.
The objective of card counting is for the player to be able to determine when the optimum time to place big bets. In the game of Blackjack the payout for getting Blackjack, natural 21, is paid at a higher rate then just beating the dealer. In order to take advantage of this payout players that count cards will make bigger bets when the deck is favorable to getting Blackjack. This happens when the deck has more cards with the value of 10 and the deck has many Aces left.
When counting cards using the Hi-Lo basic plus-minus count each card is assigned a value of either plus one, zero, or negative one. For the numbers two through six each are given the value of plus one when they are dealt. The numbers seven, eight, and nine are valued at zero because these cards are viewed as neutral. All cards with a value of ten are valued at negative one. Aces are valued at negative one. Using this card counting method the player is able to get a rough idea of the remaining cards. Using this method the count starts at negative one. The more positive the count the higher the number of cards with the value of ten or higher are left. This means the probability of getting dealt a Blackjack increases. During this time players normally increase their bets. The higher number of cards with the value of 10 or higher also increases the probability of the dealer busting. A high count is favorable …
