Card Counting vs Blackjack Strategy Play

When it comes to blackjack most players assume that card counting is the ultimate blackjack strategy and that what is good for a card counter is good for all other blackjack players. This however is not the case as the card counter and blackjack strategy player are ultimately after twho very different things.

Card Counting in blackjack requires a few very specific characteristics in a game which enables the player to obtain a satisfactory edge of at least 1-2% over the house. This will involve playing at a table with few or no players which translates to faster dealers and deep cuts into the card deck. Both factors heavily influence the card counters potential for winning.

The card counter is not as concerned about the rules of a particular blackjack game with one exception - he/she will always look for a game that pays out at 3:2 for blackjack. Games that payout at 6:5 are not worth playing as this rule will double the house advantage, making the game all the more difficult to beat.

The blackjack strategy player however, will always look for the exact opposite of the card counter, preferring shallow cuts where many cards are taken out of play and the dealer has to shuffle more often, favourable rules for a variety of hands in the game, full tables and friendly dealers that will slow the game down.

This is all due to the fact that when playing according to sound basic blackjack strategy, a player faces a house edge of around half a percent. If the player can reduce the number of decisions he faces in a game, the edge can be reduced.

Card Counting at online casinos is also impossible as games are governed by Random Number Generators and automatic shufflers which makes finding the true count impossible. On the other hand, online casinos are the perfect setting for blackjack strategy players due to the fact that they have access to hundreds of game variants and can study these to find the most favourable rules, the player controls the pace of the game, and can at any time refer to a blackjack strategy card or chart if he/she gets stuck making a decision.

As you can see, blackjack is a very different game for advantage players who are usually card counters and the rest of us who play according to blackjack strategy and usually what is recommended for one group is the antithesis of what is recommended for the other in terms of game play. Keep that in mind when you're reading up on blackjack tips and winning techniques.