Blackjack is a popular casino game that rewards players for card counting. Card counting is the practice of monitoring the number of cards that are dealt and then betting on which card will be turned up next. Card counting can lead to players winning more money than they would if they simply played the game without counting. In Las Vegas, casinos generally offer a house edge of around 2%.
This means that for every 100 hands of blackjack, the house will earn 22% of the wagers placed. However, with careful card counting, players can reduce this house edge down to almost 0%.
There are twenty-two cards in a deck, and each player is dealt two cards face down. The player then decides whether or not to “hold” or “stand”.
If the player decides to “hold”, they keep their original two cards and no new cards are dealt. If the player decides to “stand”, they replace their original two cards with the new two cards and wait for another hand to be played.
As long as a player does not reveal any of their original cards, they are considered “invisible” and can continue playing without worrying about other players discovering their card count. When a player reveals one of their original cards, it counts as a “hit” and they lose whatever bet they had placed on that particular hand.
There are a total of forty-six possible hands in blackjack, and a player can win up to thirteen hands per hour if they are card counting correctly. A player who is skilled at card counting can reduce their house edge down to almost 0%, which means that they will end up winning money even if the casino has an overall advantage over them.
However, it is important to note that even with perfect card counting skills, there is still a chance of losing money in blackjack.
