Lesson II:Theory of Counting

After learning correct basic strategy the next step in making money is learning how to count. How will this help? It will let you identify times that the deck is better for you than it is for the dealer. By betting a small amount when the house has the edge and betting a larger amount when you have the advantage over the long run you should be able to make money.

Does this mean you will make money every time you enter a casino? In a word no. The edge you will have will be small (1-10%) but over the long haul you should make money. 1% doesn't sound like much but that's all the casinos have over you at the craps table and believe me, casinos make millions off of their 1.4% edge.

Players have the advantage when there are more tens and aces left in the deck. Their are several reasons why this is true. First, dealers must hit 12-16. More tens will result in more busts. More tens and aces will result in more blackjacks. Although this will also result in more dealer blackjacks the fact that you are paid 3:2 for a blackjack makes it ok. Think about it this way. If you are betting $10 a hand and get a blackjack and the next hand the dealer gets a blackjack you are still up $5. (Won $15 on first hand,Lost $10 on second, net $5)

By keeping a running total of the cards out you can identify these positive situations and bet accordingly. It sounds hard but if you can count to 10 you can do it.