Counting Cards in Blackjack

Counting Cards in Blackjack

Card counting is a technique and strategy that reduces the casino advantage and directly increases the player's chance of winning. There are a number of card counting options that include simple card counting, standard card counting, and professional card counting. They differ in the method of counting used and in their complexity. Learning these techniques requires excellent memory and long study.

The player has no advantage under certain conditions of the game. The advantage goes to the player when there are more high value cards (scores and picture cards) in the croupier deck than low value cards. This is a drawback for the croupier as the rules can force the casino to pull a card instead of a pass. The player can pass at any number of points, while the croupier must draw a card at 16. The greater the number of cards worth 10 in the deck, the greater the risk for the croupier to lose. This is the basis of blackjack counting. A player may increase his bet when he knows that the casino has less chance of winning. Smart card counters are known as "counters" and can gain up to 2.5% advantage over casinos when using card counting in combination with the main strategy. The basis of card counting technique is the tracking of the cards that have been dealt. Bets increase when specific values are exceeded. that the casino has less chance of winning. Smart card counters are known as "counters" and can gain up to 2.5% advantage over casinos when using card counting in combination with the main strategy.

The basis of card counting technique is the tracking of the cards that have been dealt. Bets increase when specific values are exceeded. that the casino has less chance of winning. Smart card counters are known as "counters" and can gain up to 2.5% advantage over casinos when using card counting in combination with the main strategy. The basis of card counting technique is the tracking of the cards that have been dealt. Bets increase when specific values are exceeded.

A simple black card counting method

Even beginners can understand and learn the simplified method. It is based on the counting of ten dots in the deck, compared to the number of remaining low value cards. The higher the number of high value cards left, the more likely the player to have a good combination and the croupier to lose (the croupier must draw a card until there are at least 16). In the opposite case, the larger the number of remaining low value cards, the greater the advantage of the dealer. This is easy to remember since one-third of the cards are worth ten + aces, which are also easy to remember. If more than 1/3 of ten or many aces are left in the deck, you must double your bet. Otherwise, the player must halve his stake.

Standard blackjack counting

The standard blackjack counting method more precisely determines the ratio of high and low value cards during the game. Each card is given a number and the total sum is estimated as follows when the cards are dealt:

  • +1 for low value cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
  • 0 for cards: 8 and 9
  • -1 for cards with a value of 10
  • -2 per ace

In the deck there are more high cards with a value of 10 if the sum for a given deal is positive. More low value cards remain if the sum of a given deal is negative. The higher the positive total, the more likely the croupier to lose, and the player can increase his stake. The chance of croupier becomes greater as the negative sum decreases. Decisions are made entirely on the basis of the estimated sum of the cards dealt. Your total bet cannot be affected by the last result, ie. whether you have won or lost. This is the only way to get the most out of this blackjack strategy. At the same time, you need to learn how to count cards automatically and quickly so that the croupier does not notice you.

A professional blackjack card counting method

The professional card counting method is not new. It is simply a more precise and sophisticated version of the standard method. It allows you to determine the precise probability at any point in the game and allows you to identify the best strategy at every turn. The results of this method are generally best in the long term, but mastering the strategy is difficult and successful implementation requires long and thorough study and extensive experience. There is not enough space here to fully explain and understand this method; we encourage you to study the professional literature you can find online.

Advantages and disadvantages of blackjack counting

It is important to note at the outset that card counting cannot be used in online casinos due to the shuffling of all cards in the deck at each game. In non-virtual casinos, the players who count the cards are not welcome and various measures are taken to prevent them from playing. These players try to hide in the crowd, often change tables, avoid certain casinos, and often try to appear as casual tourists or irregular players.

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How to Play Baccarat

How to Play Baccarat

If you are a fan of the iconic James Bond and have watched his old movies, you have certainly been impressed by his skillful play at the Baccarat.

Today, this game is among the most popular casino games and you can find it in almost every high-quality online casino. The elite of the society are seldom ignited by something of no value, and the game of baccarat is definitely among the favorites of the intelligent and serious gambler.

This does not mean that the game is overly complicated. On the contrary, it is quite entertaining and relatively easy to learn.

Here we give you the opportunity to get acquainted with the Baccarat and its rules and, with a little time and attention, to learn how to play as a true professional.

What is a Baccarat?

Baccarat is one of the oldest casino games. The first details of this game date from the beginning of the 15th century in France and Italy (arguing about the exact origin). In fact, the word baccarat is Italian and means zero.

Why zero? Baccarat is called any hand whose total point value is zero (we will explain how these are calculated, of course).

As you might guess, the Bakar is a game of our favorite cards.

As with any other game, various variants of modified conditions have emerged over the years, but only three variants have remained and are still popular today: Chiming De Far(James Bond favorite), Baccarat Banquet and Punto Banco .

The rules of these three variants are almost the same, except that each card is dealt differently.

Few casinos today mention the variant they offer, but most often you will encounter a Cuban Punto Banco Baccarat (also called a Mini Baccarat and a literal translation is a player-banker), in which one dealer deals all the cards and players bet on one of the three game exit options.

Once popular with French royalty, nowadays the bakery is accessible to everyone, and you will learn how to play and make the most of it in the next sections of the article.

How to play Baccarat?

We will talk about the baker as a whole, but we will pay special attention to the rules at Punto Banco, because this is also the option that you will most often find in online casinos.

The game features four to eight standard deck cards (52 cards each) mixed in one place, according to the preference of the casino (however, the more they are, the more difficult it is for players to keep track of them and count them).

There can be as many as one player betting against the casino, as well as up to 13 players (again according to the limit of the respective casino), each playing for themselves against the "house". Since there is only one dealer at Punto Banco, some casinos significantly limit the number of seats available to players per table.

Each player's seat is numbered. It is an interesting fact that they are from one to 14, but the 13th place is left blank because this number is considered to be bad luck.

Each card, including the dealer, is dealt two cards. Under certain conditions, a third card is dealt, but for a short while.

Each card carries a certain value, and the value of the hand is determined in a specific way. You have three options: to bet on the player (Punto), ie on your own hand, on the banker (Banco), that is on the dealer's hand or on the draw (Tie / Stand-Off). He wins this hand, which is closer to the total value of 9.

It is obvious, but we should still mention that these bets are made blind, that is, before the cards are dealt and opened. Eight or nine points are automatically considered a natural win, and zero points are considered an automatic loss.

We will also explain to you what each of these bets stands. Now let's take a closer look at the process of the game itself, the value of the cards and hands, the rule of the third card, and without feeling very soon you will be fully confident about a great first game of baccarat!

Calculation of points

For starters, here are the value of cards individually:

  • Aso (A) - 1 point
  • Pop (K), Queen (Q), Valais (J) and Ten (10) - 0 points
  • 2 to 9 points correspond to the value of the card (the nine carries nine points for example)

Here is a more specific rule for calculating the total value of points in one hand. Only the rightmost digit of the sum of points in the cards in the hand is taken and this is considered the value of the hand.

Here's an example: if a two-card hand contains eight and nine, that's 17 points, but only the week is counted, that is, a 7-point hand. For example, if there is a pair and a socket in the hand, this is 2 + 0 = 2, there is no other digit on the right, so the sum remains two.

Therefore, a stronger hand is closest to or equal to nine - this is the maximum possible value in the hand of a player or dealer, whatever card combinations there are.

Rule for the third card

A third card is drawn for the player if the total value of his hand is 0 to five.

However, downloading a third dealer card is more specific. Let us note that you can play calmly without knowing this rule, because it is not done by you, but it is nice to know what is going on in the game anyway.

The dealer draws a third card if:

  • The value of his hand is from zero to two, no matter what the player's hand is.
  • The value of his hand is three points and the player does not have at least eight points.
  • The value of his hand is four points and the player has not drawn 0, 1, 8 or 9 on a third card.
  • The value of his hand is five points and the player is awarded 4,5,6 or 7.
  • The value of his hand is 6 points and the player is awarded 6 or 7.

Even if you find it a little tricky, watching him in the game right now will make you understand and get used to it.

You don't have to slow down to remember this information, it's just nice to know it.

Playing process

Cards are dealt one for a player, one for the dealer, clockwise.

Bets are placed. The cards are opened and the winning hand is announced in the duel with each individual player (if necessary, third cards are drawn, according to the rules we discussed).

You already know that the bigger hand of the two is winning. If there is a draw without anyone betting on it, there is neither a profit nor a win for both parties and their bets are simply returned.

However, if one bets on equality and is right, he wins and any other assumption loses.

House payments and benefits

The banker (Banco / Banker) bet is considered to be the most favorable in terms of profit, over 45 percent, and is almost one-to-one payouts. Why almost? If you win with such a bet, your casino returns your money and 95 percent of it on top because it holds a five percent commission for itself.

This is because the advantage of the house in this case is only 1.06 (the advantage of the house is a measure of how secure the casino is making each player's bets).

With a Punto / Player bet, the payout is one-to-one and the house advantage is 1.24.

With a Tie / Stand-Off bet, the payout is eight times the value of the bet (eight to one), but the casino advantage is 14.44, so this is the least recommended bet type in the game.

Advices

Although the banker's stake is most likely to be hit, in the long run the difference in chances between the banker and the player is very small. The five percent casino commission on winning a banker's bet should not be neglected either, because it also becomes heavy after a long time.

What we are trying to tell you is that the highest chance bet is not always the best and most profitable choice if your goal is to win more after many bets instead of instant win for one, two or three.

As for the bet on equality, unless you are lucky, it is strongly recommended that gambling experts do not make that bet. Even though the payout is huge (as we mentioned, if you feel lucky ...), the casino has a much better chance of taking your money.

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Texas Hold'em Poker

Texas Hold 'em Poker - Rules

Texas Hold'em Poker is played with 52 cards and from 2 to 11 players can take part in the game, although it is usually played by smaller groups of people (about 8-9). At the start of Texas Hold'em poker, the cards are shuffled and the croupier splits. Then, each player receives one open card and whoever has the highest card becomes a dealer and hands out the cards at the first hand.

The poker player to the left of the dealer is called a small blind . This means that he or she is required to place a predetermined amount (such as $ 1). The player to his left is a big blind and he is required to place a bet that is twice the size of the small blind(in our example, $ 2). All other players at the table have the option to opt out of the deal or pay an ante bet - a certain amount that entitles them to participate in the game.

At the start of a Texas Hold'em poker game, the dealership removes the first card from the deck to eliminate the possibility of anyone seeing it beforehand, and then each poker player receives 2 cards. Poker player who is left of the big blind bets first and he can either pay the big blind ( call ) or raise the bet ( raise ). He may also refuse to participate in this distribution ( fold). These options are accessible to all players. A player is not required to place a bigger bet than the big blind unless another player has already raised the bet before. If all poker players have decided to pay or quit, then this round is over and the player can no longer change his bet.

There are three types of Texas Holdem Poker bet limits:

  • No limit. When there is only a minimum wager that poker players can place, and as far as the maximum wager is concerned for each player, it is entirely dependent on the money he has at his disposal. There is no limit here on how many times and how much a bet can be raised.
  • Pot limit. With this limit, the maximum bet cannot exceed the amount collected in the pot(the money that poker players have bet on, in general, so far). There is no limit to how many times a bet can be raised.
  • Fixed limit. In the first two rounds, the maximum bet cannot be greater than the big blind (twice the small blind) and the bet cannot be increased more than three times.

After the first round of Texas Hold'em poker, the dealer hands out 3 open cards to the table (called a flop) and then it's time to place new bets. The poker player who sits to the left of the dealer bets first after each deal. If the first poker player chooses not to bet (wait), then the player after that poker may choose not to bet, and so on. After a player decides to place a bet, everyone else has to decide what to do:

  • To fold and lose what they have bet so far ( fold )
  • To pay the bet that was made before them ( call )
  • Increase your stake even more

In the event that several players decide to raise the bet, the round will continue until all poker players have paid or waived further participation in the hand. If all players have refused to pay the higher bet, then the one who has placed the bet will win. If at least one player has paid the bet, then another round comes when another card is dealt open on the table (fourth card). It runs the same way as the previous one. The fifth round is the last and a fifth open card is dealt to the table and again it is time to place bets.

At the end of the fifth round, each player shows his or her own card of 5 cards (a combination of the two cards in his hand and the five cards that are open on the table). The player who last raised the bet or the player who is in the first position (in the event that no one has placed bets after him) must first show his cards. The poker player who has the highest hand wins all the bets placed on the table during that hand. If two players have the same hands, the winnings are divided equally.

It is extremely important for every Texas Holdem poker player to know the power of the hands because otherwise he will not know when to quit, raise the bet, etc., and accordingly he will not be able to use a good hand if there is such. You can find the hand strength in our article onhand strength in texas holdem poker.

Texas Hold'em Poker is a great game because it allows each player to play according to their character, change their game and strategy dynamically throughout the game depending on their opponents, their abilities and more. The best thing about Texas Hold'em poker is that no matter how much time you play, there is always room for development and new things to learn about the game and yourself.

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