Many people go to casinos to try and bring home some cash in the hopes of doing just that. Unfortunately, most do not realize how much the casino will actually cost them before they leave. When you start to count, however, the costs can quickly add up. So, initially when you visit a casino, you need to think about your bankroll first.
The Martingale Strategy
Many casino players are known to use the Martingale strategy. This strategy is one of the oldest, and probably the most flawed. Casinos can never be beaten, and no matter your hand it will always pay out more than a standard betting strategy. The Martingale strategy is designed to even out the odds, but in the long run actually cause the casino to have a higher edge than you could reasonably expect. Thus, to use the Martingale strategy would be a great idea, if you’re an odds on player.
However, if you’re an odds on player, using this strategy could be disastrous. Not only does this depend on the cards you draw, but it also relies on the cards being in your favor. This is why cards counting is an effective tool, because it can tell you when you have the advantage and when you do not.
The Hi-Lo Counting System
Some are known to use a different system when counting cards. The so called 8-7 or half-eteen counting systems use fractions to tell whether the cards are more or less favorable. Here are some reasons why:
• First, it is easier to perform card counting with a larger deck size.
• The count is easier to perform with a single deck of cards.
• The only cards worth raising are cards that are beneficial to the player.
• Especially when playing blackjack to a dealer bust, raising aces may be more profitable than raising a 7 for the dealer.
Although this system is still not widely used, it is still a good idea to use when selecting your counting methods. Althougharaoh’s Grind is a more complex system, it is more widely used than any other.
The Hi-Opt II Counting System
This system is more complicated to use and requires more practice before playing. With the Hi-Opt 2 card counting system you will be counting money from the original 30 cards. Each card will be assigned a point. If the point is ending a particular card (for example, Pokerace99), you will add 1 to your running count. If the point is moving towards a card with a point value (like a 6), you will add a point to your count. Each card will be assigned a value, and the system will continue to track a running count as a column of numbers.
When the card is arriving at the 30th position, you will take the 2 numbers that make the Ace and moving them to the 30th position. So, for example, you start off with 30, you add 1 and you end up with the Ace (A). At this point you have a total card count of +30. If you break the Ace down you have a total of eight, so you add 8 to the running count which now equals +8. Now you have a total count of +16.
When the Ace comes you will add 8 to the running count, and your count will now be 32. If the Ace is not part of the run, you will add one and your count will be 16. When the Ace comes you will have a total count of +8. When the Two-card comes, you will add 9 and your count will be 27. Two-card will take the place of Ace in this system.
When the deck is replenished, you will begin the process again. You may be counting for the entire deck, or you may desire to stop and start again after a certain number of cards.
When you desire to stop, you will need to let the count run down to 0. There are several ways to do this. One way is to have a high cards count and then have the cards shuffle to a new card each time. The second method is to have the cards shuffled one at a time, then you count as normal.
With either method, you will undoubtedly find a card counting system that is most effective for you.