You see card counting as a component of many a blackjack strategy. In fact, a lot of blackjack strategies actually center around card counting, giving certain parameters with corresponding actions. However, that could make starting out in blackjack difficult because there are a lot of ways to do card counting, many of them multifaceted and requiring years of study and practice. That is why it is a good idea to start with a more basic card counting strategy like the one outlined below.

The Basics

Basic strategy provides the player with the optimal play for any blackjack situation based on millions of hands played in the long run. However in the short run, as the cards are dealt from the deck, the remaining deck is no longer complete. By keeping track of the cards that have already been played, it is possible to know when the cards remaining in the deck are advantageous for the player.

Card counting creates two opportunities. (1) The player can make larger bets when he or she has the advantage. For example, the player can increase the starting bet if there are many aces and tens left in the deck, in the hope of hitting a blackjack. (2) The player can use information about the remaining cards to improve upon the basic strategy rules for specific hands played.

For example, with many tens left in the deck, the player may double down in more situations since there is a better chance of making a strong hand. Virtually all card counting systems do not require the player to remember which cards have been played. Rather, a point system is established for the cards, and the player keeps track of a simple point count as the cards are played out from the dealer.

Using Ken Uston’s Technique

One of the simplest card counting techniques around is credited to Ken Uston, a blackjack player who gained widespread fame in the 1970s. Uston contributed a lot of ideas to how poker could be played and to poker strategy in general. These theories also worked with blackjack, though counting by and large is not done in poker, instead the number of "outs" a player has is deemed of more importance.

His strategy just involves some straightforward counting. Keep a tally in your mind (or on a notepad) and then add 1 when a 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 come up, or subtract 1 when a 10, face cards or aces. If you get anything else, you do not add anything to your tally because such cards are neutral. This is a simple system that anyone can use.

To use Uston’s technique, maintain the running count from the first card dealt and then set it back to zero only when the deck is reshuffled. The lower the number you have, the better the chances that you will get a blackjack or, at least, a high number because you are likelier to get a 10 (because there are more of them left in the deck). Conversely, a higher number means that the circumstances are not in your favor.

So to take things one step further, when you have a low count, it is now good to increase the size/s of your bet/s, and or play more/multi hands. Over the long run this will prove to be a winning system, though, there are no sure fire guarantees that this will work eveytime the count is low. You can only try and milk a good situation when it is presented.

The Theory behind the Technique

Uston’s technique is actually quite sound if you try comparing it to concepts in the study of probability. Simply put, you are a lot likelier to get certain cards when there are more of them to get. It is like putting apples and oranges in a basket; the more apples there are, the better your chances of getting an apple when you randomly grab at a fruit.

The same principle applies in blackjack. Using Uston’s card counting strategy, you can keep track of whether lower or higher cards are more abundant in the remaining cards in the deck. Once you know which range of values has more cards in the deck (and therefore a higher chance of being drawn next), you can then bet or fold as you see fit.

Take note, card counting doesn’t improve your odds of winning. It does not even come close to doing that. In the game itself, it will all boil down to you and how you handle the situation. The famous MIT cardcounting crew made their money through counting, but it took them a long time to accumulate large profits. Several times many MIT players lost large sums of money in single sessions.

It is also wise to keep a low profile whilst counting in a casino. Although not technically illegal in most casinos, casino staff may still exclude you from the casino if they are suspicious of your activities. Obviously you should never keep a running count "out loud", or written down.

Free Tip: Follow Ken Uston's strategy as it is simple to remember and easy to do in offline casinos. For online casinos it is a good idea to purchase more advanced counting softaware.