BJ Ebook
BJ Ebook
BJ Ebook
Playing Perfect BlackJack and Card Counting eBook
Contents
1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 2
2 Blackjack Rules ..................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 The Basics ...................................................................................................................................... 3
2.2 The Options ................................................................................................................................... 3
2.3 The Outcomes ............................................................................................................................... 4
3 Perfect Blackjack Strategy .................................................................................................................... 5
4 Card Counting ...................................................................................................................................... 6
4.1 How & Why it Works ..................................................................................................................... 6
4.2 The Hi‐Low System ........................................................................................................................ 7
4.3 Learning to Count .......................................................................................................................... 8
4.4 Converting to True Count ........................................................................................................... 11
4.5 Betting Strategy .......................................................................................................................... 13
5 Card Counting at an Online Casino .................................................................................................... 14
5.1 Where Online .............................................................................................................................. 14
6 Card Counting at a Land Based Casino ............................................................................................... 16
6.1 Overcoming Casino Distractions ................................................................................................. 16
6.2 Getting Started at a Land Based Casino ...................................................................................... 17
6.3 Bet Spreads at a Land Based Casino ........................................................................................... 17
7 In Short ............................................................................................................................................... 18
8 Suggested Reading List ....................................................................................................................... 18
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1 Introduction
Passionate about improving your Blackjack skills? This eBook provides you with
step by step instructions that will teach you to count cards, apply perfect
strategy and ultimately become an expert at Blackjack. We cover the following:
Blackjack Rules
• Before you get started you need to understand the basic rules of the game.
Blackjack Strategy
• A comprehensive matrix tells you how to play every hand you’re dealt in
order to maximise your odds of winning.
Card Counting
• To get a statistical advantage over the casino, you need to know how to
count cards. We cover one of the easiest systems to learn.
Land Based Casinos
Although card counting is perfectly legal, most land based casinos frown upon
it – IF they catch you at it. We provide you with tips on how to card count in a
real casino environment.
Online Casinos
• Online casinos prove to be the best place to practice your card counting
skills as they are more tolerant of this practice, offer better odds and
promise great sign up bonuses.
This strategy system is undetectable on this casino. Play safe!
Click on logo to visit this online casino or click here
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2 Blackjack Rules
2.1 The Basics
The objective of the game is easy. The total of your cards must be closer to a
total of 21 than the dealer’s cards but without exceeding a total of 21.
How does a Blackjack game work?
• You are dealt two cards and the dealer one, with that card face up. The
dealer can also be dealt two cards, but one will always show.
• All picture cards (jack, queen & king) have a value of ten whereas aces
have a value of either one or eleven.
• Once dealing is complete, you must play your hand and choose your
strategy.
2.2 The Options
While playing Blackjack you’ll have a number of playing options:
• Hit
o You can choose to be dealt another card.
• Stand
o When you’re happy with your cards and do not want another one
you stand. Your hand is over and the dealer plays his hand.
• Split
o If your first two cards have the same point value (for example two
fives, two jacks, or two aces) you may split the cards and play them as
separate hands. This doubles your bet.
• Double down
o If you choose to double your wager you’ll be dealt just one more
card.
• Insurance
o If the dealer’s up card is an ace, you are offered insurance against
the dealer having a Blackjack. We never take insurance.
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2.3 The Outcomes
During a game of Blackjack there are various possible outcomes:
Stiff
The dealer has to keep drawing cards if his hand totals 16 or less – he must
stand if his hand draws 17 or above. When the dealer has a 12, 13, 14, 15 or
16 total on his first two cards this is known as being “stiff”. It’s a bad position
for the dealer to be in, as you, the player, can stand any time you wish and can
win a hand with a very low total, by having the dealer bust.
Win
Once the dealer has completed his hand and drawn enough cards to take him
above 16, you review your hand relative to his. Whoever is closer to 21
without going over, will win.
Bust
If you draw cards and go over 21, you have "bust" and you lose the hand.
Blackjack
If you win the hand, you are paid at even money – for example if you bet $1
you are returned $2. If you have a "Blackjack" (an ace and a ten or face card)
and beat the dealer you are paid at 1.5/1. So if you bet $1 your return would
be $2.50.
Push
If your hand is equal to the dealer's hand it is called a "push". Both players tie
and your stake is returned to you.
This strategy system is undetectable on this casino. Play safe!
Click on logo to visit this online casino or click here
4
3 Perfect Blackjack Strategy
Use the matrix below to perfect your Blackjack game. This will help you plan
your move for every possible combination of hands between you and the
dealer.
The following abbreviations apply: Hit (H), Stand (S), Double (D) & Split (SP).
Dealer's Up Card
Your Hand 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 A
5,6,7,8 H H H H H H H H H H
9 H D D D D H H H H H
10 D D D D D D D D H H
11 D D D D D D D D H H
12 H H S S S H H H H H
13,14 S S S S S H H H H H
15,16 S S S S S H H H H H
17,18,19,20,21 S S S S S S S S S S
A+2, A+3 H H H D D H H H H H
A+4, A+5 H H D D D H H H H H
A+6 H D D D D H H H H H
A+7 S D D D D S S H H H
A+8, A+9 S S S S S S S S S S
A+A SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
2+2, 3+3 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
4+4 H H H SP SP H H H H H
5+5 D D D D D D D D H H
6+6 SP SP SP SP SP H H H H H
7+7 SP SP SP SP SP SP H H H H
8+8 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP
9+9 SP SP SP SP SP SP SP SP S S
10+10 S S S S S S S S S S
This strategy sheet is the result of much mathematical analysis and featured by
some casinos on their web sites. It’s been proven that it works.
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4 Card Counting
4.1 How & Why it Works
Understanding the concept of card counting is the first step towards mastering
the skill. You need to know the following:
Low cards will favour the dealer in Blackjack, while high cards will favour the
player.
• The low cards favour the dealer as they help him to make winning totals
on his hands when he is stiff, (i.e. he has a 12, 13, 14, 15, or 16 total on
his first two cards).
• As a player, you can stand on your stiffs if you want to, but the dealer
can’t. Here is your odds advantage.
• The rules of Blackjack require the dealer to hit his stiffs. If the deck is
rich in high cards, the dealer will bust. If you know when the deck is rich
in high cards, you’ll know when to increase your stakes and take
advantage of having the odds slightly in your favour.
The only way to know whether the deck is rich in high cards is to card count.
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4.2 The Hi‐Low System
There are different card counting methods to choose from. The Hi‐Low System
is one of the easiest to master, but that doesn’t mean it’s less effective than
the more complicated techniques. It’s important to note that a simple card
counting system executed without errors, is always far better than a
complicated one with errors.
With practice, you can become an expert at the Hi‐Low System as it requires a
simple balanced count. It is perhaps the most widely used system in casino
Blackjack.
Why not study the following sections of this eBook and then test your newly
acquired skills at one of the following online casinos?
This strategy system is undetectable on this casino. Play safe!
Click on logo to visit this online casino or click here
7
4.3 Learning to Count
Evaluate Each Card
The 7, 8 & 9 are neutral in this count and it’s best to train your eye to not even
see these for counting purposes. If the low cards are good for the dealer why
are they counted as plus value you may ask? It’s simple. When you see a low
card come out of the deck, the ratio of high to low cards remaining has
changed slightly in your favour.
Score +1 0 ‐1
Card Value 2‐6 7‐9 10‐A
Keep the Count
Start with a deck of cards, flip them over one at a time and keep the running
count. For example, if they come out in the following order: 8, K, 3, 3, 6, 2, 7, A,
you count 0, ‐1, 0, +1, +2, +3, +3, +2. Keep practising like this.
At the end of the deck your count should come to "0".
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Rule of Thumb:
The higher the running score, the more high cards are left in the deck and the
more the deck is moving in your favour therefore the higher your bets should
be.
The lower the running score, the more low cards are left in the deck and the
more it’s moving against you as it becomes easier for the dealer to not bust,
despite being stiff.
Testing Yourself
Good news! You can now practise your card counting skills by yourself. Try
pulling a card out of the deck face down. Set it aside. After running the deck,
"guess" what the remaining card is. Your validation will come when you say, "It
has to be a ten or an ace," and then flipping it over to find yourself correct.
Card Counting with Blackjack Online
Once you have some proficiency keeping a running count through a single
deck, it’s time to get some real practice by playing in an actual game. You’re
likely to find this a little harder as you have to apply the Perfect Play Strategy
as well as having to count cards. Having money riding on the outcome of
course adds to the pressure.
General Tips
In a face‐up shoe game some people advocate waiting until the second card is
dealt to each hand and counting the hands as whole units, as often a hand will
cancel itself out, i.e. 10‐6, or two consecutive hands will: K, 10 ‐ 3, 5. Other
folks insist it’s easier to count the cards as each one comes out. Try both
methods and find what works best for you.
In a pitch game it’s a little different. Count your cards and the dealer’s up card
first, then all exposed cards from hits, splits, doubles, and busts as they
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happen. Next count the dealer’s hole card and subsequent hits. As the dealer
exposes the remaining hole cards one hand at a time a quick glance should
suffice to carry the count forward.
Practise for the game you intend to play but don’t neglect the other – your
favoured game might not be playable because of crowds, bad rules, etc.
Where to Play
Look to play at a game with low stakes or with a good sign on bonus, so that
you can achieve as much practice for as little cost as possible. The following
casinos offer great sign up offers which will allow you to practice Perfect Play
while practising card counting at the same time.
This strategy system is undetectable on this casino. Play safe!
Click on logo to visit this online casino or click here
10
4.4 Converting to True Count
While the running count gives you an understanding of the true count, your
confidence in this count can be diminished if there are still a large number of
cards that you haven’t yet seen. The fewer the cards left unseen the more
confident you can be of the final value. The running count must therefore be
converted to a true count to be effective for betting and playing decisions.
How? You divide the running count by the amount of decks left unseen. For
instance, in a double deck game after the first hand you might have a running
count of +4. Since there are virtually two full decks remaining you divide the
count by 2, yielding a true of +2.
In multiple‐deck games we’ll have to keep an eye on the discard tray to
accurately estimate how many decks are roughly remaining. So with two decks
gone you’d have four left (in a 6D game); dividing the above +4 by four decks
gives you a true of +1. One trick here: practise glancing at the discard tray just
before the completion of the hand, and see what your divisor is going to be for
the next hand. This will give you extra time to compute the true while the
dealer is making payoffs and picking up cards.
What happens when you have less than a single deck left? You simply divide
by fractions. If you have three quarters of a deck left, you divide by three
quarters.* For example; imagine the count is at 8 – you simply divide 8 by ¾
which equals 10⅔ (to divide by fractions simply invert and multiply – for
example to divide by ⅔ simply multiply by 3/2).
Therefore with a single deck: the true count is always more than the running
count, both positive and negative, as we always have less than a full deck
remaining. We can be lazy for betting purposes and use the running count as
the true count in a single deck game.
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Test your understanding of converting running count to true count using the
table below:
True Count Practice Table
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4.5 Betting Strategy
When you can deal, play all hands correctly, count, convert to true count, pay
off hands, and check the remaining deck for the count (and are correct on the
count) – you are well on the way to be able to bet and win as a card counter.
The betting strategy you adopt is very much dependent on the following:
• The environment that you are in
• The context in which you are betting
• Your appetite for risk
Between 70% and 90% of the player edge when counting cards comes from
placing larger bets when the count is favourable to the player. The rest of the
edge comes from changes to basic strategy based on the count. Bet increases
should be proportional to the player advantage. What does this mean in
practice? The higher the count, the more a player should bet on each hand in
order to take advantage of the player edge.
The ideal scenario?
You do not bet at all when the deck is against you and your bets increase
geometrically, as the count moves gradually and then decisively in your favour
and vice versa when the count moves against you. However, unless you play
behind someone else on a land based casino (sometimes known as “wonging”)
you won’t get away with not making a bet. Typically you would work with a
minimum bet of $1‐$5 and gradually increase it as and when the deck moves in
your favour to $20‐$100 and then back down again if the deck moves against
you.
Realistically you will need a minimum bank roll 100 times the minimum bet, in
order to even attempt card counting and ideally your roll will be up to 1000
times the minimum bet.
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5 Card Counting at an Online Casino
Now that you are ready to play, we recommend doing it online before heading
off to your nearest land based casino.
In recent years many players have switched to playing purely online. The main
reasons for this being:
• Improved surveillance in land based casinos to eliminate card counting
• High minimum table limits that could have you running out of money
before you start realising a profit from your play
• Good sign up offers
• Significantly better overall odds across all games
In short, land based casinos face huge overheads, which online casinos do not
have to contend with. As they have to maintain their margins, any strategies
used to minimise those margins are rejected. Online casinos in turn are
tolerant of legitimate tactics which reduce margins, as the incremental cost of
new customer acquisition is so much higher for them. Some tournament
Blackjack games actively invite card counters to pitch their talent against other
players. These often include freeroll tournaments that won’t cost you a cent to
enter yet boast great payouts and prizes.
5.1 Where Online
We’ve already established that safety, big sign up bonuses and a tolerance for
card counting are things to look out for when choosing an online casino. Below
we have recommended a set of casinos that use the Microgaming casino
software platform. Microgaming are big enough to give you peace of mind, but
not too big, that they are too stingy with their free money bonuses!
Also, their casinos are independently certified by eCOGRA the industry
regulatory body – which translates into player peace of mind. In the unlikely
event that should a casino contest a player’s winnings, eCogra, a completely
independent authority will bring about a swift resolution – which is absolutely
binding on the casino. All of the casinos below are advertised as being card
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counting tolerant. The adverts fail to disclose that they don’t really have a
choice since card courting is completely legal as long as it’s unaided by an
electronic card counting device.
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6 Card Counting at a Land Based Casino
Most players are content to play Blackjack among friends or online. A real land
based casino however still remains the ultimate environment for many. One
thing to keep in mind is that unlike their online counterparts, land based
casinos have very low tolerance for card counting. They’re constantly on the
lookout and will throw any player out if they’re caught practising this skill.
Their minimum stakes are also much higher, therefore it’s advisable to get as
much practice in online beforehand as possible.
6.1 Overcoming Casino Distractions
When playing online, you’re in control of your environment. When playing at a
land based casino, you’re at the mercy of others and have to overcome
distractions. Cocktail waitresses will be constantly interrupting, dealers get
chatty, players get obnoxious, slot bells are ringing, the craps table goes
berserk, etc.
You can train yourself to deal with discord. Begin with a radio playing nearby
and continue dealing out multiple hands, playing and paying, until you are
exactly on the count every time. Then add a television along with the radio. If
you happen to have a couple of small children nearby this is even better. Keep
practising. When none of the above disrupts your counting ability and accuracy
you’re ready for the next step: talking.
You can hold a conversation and count simultaneously. People develop very
individualistic methods for "holding" the count while carrying on an in‐depth
conversation – others are fortunate enough to be able to put the count in an
area of the brain where they can retrieve it instantly. Some folks place x
number of fingertips on their thigh under the table, some employ knuckle
joints on top of the table, some use chips to indicate the count. However you
accomplish it, you must remember the count! It might take 20 hours of having
a friend deal multiple hands to you while chatting away. However, be assured
that no practice will ever go to waste.
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6.2 Getting Started at a Land Based Casino
You’re almost ready to hit the tables, but you still need an act. Why? You want
to use everything you can to distract the house from seeing your bets go up
and down with the count. You want to look like the "gamblers" at your table.
The best way to do this is to study them, to emulate their language, their
superstitions, their body language and more. Develop your act and make it
real. To make your persona believable, you need to already assume it when
you leave your room not only when you get to the table. Know that you’re a
shower salesman or a tourist from wherever in town on business or pleasure.
This will help you avoid any uncomfortable moments when someone asks you
a question. If you have to think of an answer, you could lose your count or
worse, be uncovered. The importance of your cover act is also directly
proportional to the size of your wagering unit: the higher the unit the more
cover needed.
It’s important not to reveal that you know anything about Blackjack.
Also dress to fit your act. You have to look the part and not give reason for
suspicion. A dentist on holiday won’t wear a three‐piece suit, but an attorney
attending a convention might.
How do you know when you’ve cracked it? You’ll be able to do all of the above
while speaking to a pit boss about good restaurants.
6.3 Bet Spreads at a Land Based Casino
Always watch your bet range, or spread. Even though everything
mathematical might tell you to jump your bet from say $5 to $100, this is the
surest way to get unwanted attention in the least and outright barring at the
extreme. In order to survive you have to limit your spreads. The pits are
definitely not stupid and basically know how counting works.
In pitch games this usually translates into spreading about 1‐5 units; in shoe
games you can get away with much larger spreads, say 1‐8 or even two hands
at 6 each. Generally counters step their bets up with the count: 1 unit at
negative or 0, then incrementally up with the count.
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7 In Short
Like all great games, Blackjack at its heart is a simple game. It takes moments
to learn, but a lifetime to master. Hopefully this guide will take you a huge
step forward in playing Blackjack the way that the professionals do and with a
bit of practice and played correctly, give you that extra edge to help you
consistently win over the long term against the casino!
Nothing presented here should be a surprise or counter to your common sense
of what makes a good Blackjack strategy. Most importantly, make sure you
don’t give up, have some patience and perseverance and have lots of fun as
you practise!
8 Suggested Reading List
Reading up on Blackjack can only improve your play. Recommended reading
material includes Stanford Wong’s Professional Blackjack and Don
Schlesinger’s Blackjack Attack or any of their other written work as well as
books by Snyder, Uston and other accepted experts. Read, but don’t let it
paralyse you from playing and practising. In short, the more hours you spend
practising and playing the better the results and rewards will be.
This strategy system is undetectable on this casino. Play safe!
Click on logo to visit this online casino or click here
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