What is card counting?

And if you're going to play blackjack, you've already heard that the card counter has reduced the 1.52 edge against the strong basic strategy player, to a neat 2% in favor of the counter.

But, you gotta be a perfect counter. So get yourself prepared for heavy concentration, although the actual part of counting is a snap.
Here's the reasoning behind card counting. It is the Theory of professional Blackjack players that when there are more picture cards in the deck, as opposed to small cards, then the deck is rich in 10's, and thereby beneficial to the player.

That's because the player must make his hitting or standing decisions before the dealer and knowing when your chances of getting a picture card is increased, because the deck is rich, helps you to make stronger decisions. It also helps to know when the deck is poor or short in ten valued cards. You can adjust your basic strategy to coincide with this imbalance.
Suppose we're playing Blackjack on the train coming home from work with a group of guys and a single deck is being used. Everyone has a good knowledge of the game.

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Pritt E. Solit is a pretty solid player with a strong approach to the right moves. Sitting next to him is Hyma Kounter, who is a polished card counter.
They are both dealt fourteen vs the dealers up card of nine. PritL E. Solid, knowing basic blackjack strategy, hits his 14. Hyma Kounter, already aware that of the remaining half deck of cards to be dealt, there are 13 tens sitting in that group, opts for a stand.
The other players think he's a jerk 'cause every good player knows you must hit all breaking hands against the standing cards of seven thru ace. They smugly smile to themselves at Hyma's ignorance.
It ain't ignorance. He knows that there were 16 ten valued cards when the deck began and only three came out so far. That left 13 still sitting in the dealers deck.

The chances of drawing a ten and busting that hand of 14 has increased, so the card counter will adjust his basic strategy and stand, rather than buck the odds against him.
Pritt E. Solit has a pretty good possibility of drawing a ten and getting whacked. I know, I know, I know!!! If the desk is rich, there's a good chance the dealer has a ten hidden and will beat you by just turning his hidden card over.

True, but let's look at the logic:
a)    If you positively knew that your chances of drawing a ten card had increased, you're not gonna go looking for trouble by drawing,
b)    That hand of 14 is rotten to begin with, even with a neutral deck. Now that you are sure of an imbalance against you, another point is the fact that even a 9 or 8 could also break you,
c)    By holding back and not taking the hit, there is the possibility that the dealer could turn over his down card and show a 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, putting him in the same position as you (a breaking hand). But now he must hit and since the deck is rich, he’ll probably catch a ten.

You see the thinking in utilizing even the tiniest of edges towards decreasing your chances of losing? All these little things add up. I personally use card counting to add a new wrinkle to my basic blackajack strategy.
I believe tht card counting is getting to use all the little things we can find, in order to allow us to make stronger hitting or standing decisions.

The next article tells you how to use card counting in conjuction with the way you think.

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