What do you do when you see a strange pattern when you are card counting in blackjack? Let’s say you have been counting and have accumulated 21 or more points towards making a blackjack. Then suddenly that 21 you are counting upon just fell out of the sky! Chances are when you count, you know the next card to be dealt, at least that is what your digitally programmed intuition told you.
If you are playing four of a kind then the same thing will probably happen. Your hand will probably be very strong if you have such high pair as in AK, AQ, or AJ. Many times people will throw away such hands and will never get another hand that will probably win. With 21 points you can at least tie for first with KQ or AT, or maybe win if you have a higher kicker.
If you see lows cards in your hand, then the best thing to do is to throw them away. You shouldn’t be playing with low cards if you are playing for a higher payoff because the odds of getting low cards are very low. If the hand is already good before you even see a low card it is better to wait for a better hand.
So keep your eyes peeled for cards that may give you a bit of an edge, but most of all study your cards carefully and make sure the pattern is the same as all the other cards that are being shown. If you see a pattern or any particular number coming up repeatedly then it is worth continuing the count, but if you see an odd number or a high number coming up, then it is probably best to toss the cards immediately.
Learning to count cards takes time and patience. Because the game is slow you can’t expect to count all the hands in an hour. If you are a beginner then you can expect to spend at least one hour a day, learning the various hand signals used by the various dealers in the game, and getting to know the digits and colors better. Counting cards slowly and carefully may be easier than the speed of thought, but it is not something everyone can do.
Although there are no exact ways to beat the game of blackjack by counting cards, there are certain methods that may elevate your chances. Dual strategy is one of the more simple systems. Although the cards themselves may be essentially random, a skilled player can sometimes make a EDGE with the cards. The system is simple, but the application is complicated. You have to watch for the dealer to see when they are about to bust. A dealer’s down card may or may not be a 2. It may be a 6, 7, or even a 8. The point is, if you see a lot of high cards come out, you know the dealer is likely to bust and you can build a strategy towards seeing more low cards come out and maybe even a high card coming out. A hand like this is an ideal bet for the player holding a 12 or higher, as the chances of them getting a high card are much higher.
Another system is to determine the dealer’s face card value. A face card is valued as 10. However, many face cards such as a 10 may be valued at 11, so plastic dealer may have an ace as well as a face card. If you don’t know this concept, it is best to memorize this value to keep placing the same bet. A similar technique is to determine the chance of a dealer to have a “bust” hand. If a dealer’s up card is an ace and a face card, this is called a “deposit 20 bonus 30,” and a 10 card will drop. If the dealer’s hand is high, a 10 card may or may not drop. This is a good technique to use if you have a strong hand, since a 10 card is a strong hand.
Another important thing to remember is that not all pairs make a hand. You have to understand the various hand combinations and whether they are strong or weak, or drawing. Pairs can be improved into a set, three of a kind, or a straight. The same applies for two pairs, which may be improved into a set, or a full house. As well, some combinations are unstoppable Holdem pitchers. For example, a pair of fives is strong rather than a pair of tens. The reason is that a five is more likely to be the best card in the mix rather than a ten.
Certain pairs are unstoppable, like fours and threes, or even eights and eights. The reason is simple. Tens can be combined with other sets to form different combinations that are also strong. Two eights can beat two fives. Two nines can be combined with other sets to form straights. Two sevens, although they look like two sevens, can be combined with nines to form straights.