Counting Numbers Blackjack
Speed Count Blackjack is a recently developed card counting system for Blackjack, which is designed to increase the player’s edge at the casino. The masterminds behind the system are Henry Tambourin and Frank Scoblete, both Blackjack professionals, who invested over two and a half years in order to establish it. Their book is called “Golden Touch Blackjack”, and can be purchased online and in regular book stores in order to find complete details for the way in which the system works.
Tambourin first hit the Blackjack scene during the summer of 1968 as a chemistry grad student at the University of Maryland, where a friend convinced him to make a trip to Las Vegas. It was only after he lost all his gambling funds that Tambourin decided to find a way to beat the system, and he has since dedicated his life to becoming a Blackjack expert. He has been writing and lecturing on the game ever since, and due to a strong history of mathematics, he now boasts over 700 articles, several books and even a range of TV and radio appearances. The Speed Count Blackjack system is his latest development.
Card counting is a casino card game strategy used primarily in the blackjack family of casino games to determine whether the next hand is likely to give a probable advantage to the player or to the dealer. The Knockout “KO” card counting system was created in 1998 when Olaf Vancura published “Knock-Out Blackjack: The Easiest Card-Counting System Ever Devised” (1998). Having earned his Ph.D. In physics from the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in 1992, Vancura found himself studying the origins of the universe at the Harvard. In the Knockout Card Counting (KO Count) system, as explained in the book Knock Out Blackjack, all card values are the same as in the Hi Low system, except for the value of the 7. In this system, the seven is considered a low card and thus a positive value—unlike the Hi Low system where it is a neutral card.
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Blackjack Card Values. The part of the card that matters when playing Blackjack is its number value. For the actual numbered cards, you can gather that their card value is equal to the actual number they represent. Cards 2 through 10, no matter the suit, represent that number. Face cards, whether it’s a King, Queen, or a Jack, have a card. In Blackjack, it is favorable to the player when there are more Aces and 10 Value Cards (10’s, Jacks, Queens, and Kings) remaining in the shoe. So card counting is simply using a system to keep track of the ratio of low cards to high cards. Step 1: Assign A Value To Every Card.
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The Basics of the Speed Count Blackjack System
You’ve probably just searched for pro tips on how to count cards in blackjack and want to know some insider pointers. Well my friend, you are in luck and have certainly come to the right place. Let us break down the ins and outs of this unique card counting system for blackjack.
So, how does the speed counting actually work for playing blackjack in a casino?
It’s based on some simple statistical analysis of the game and how the cards are counted. By counting up and differentiating the small (lower) and big (higher) cards as they are dealt, you can keep tabs on what has been dealt to give you the edge in a game of blackjack.
Firstly, we need to take a look at the ‘average’ amount of cards that a player will have in a single hand of blackjack.
The blackjack experts tell us that the average hand in a game of blackjack works out at 2.7 cards. Now we all know that it’s pretty difficult to have 2.7 cards in your hand without the use of some scissors, so in reality this means that players have a higher probability (chance) of holding 3 cards.
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If the number was 2.3 then it would be more likely that you would have 2 cards in your hand as opposed to 3 or 4 cards during a game. Are you following so far? Great.
What Makes the Speed Count System So Simple?
Now we know that people are more likely to take 3 cards than any other amount in a hand of blackjack, we can count up the cards to get a handle on their value.
The method employed here involves separating the cards into 2 sets of ‘big’ and ‘little’ cards. This is very much like the Hi-Lo method where a value is attached to each card, but instead of +1, 0 and -1 values, we skip the zero value classification here.
Cards are divided up very simply like this. ‘Small’ cards are 2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s and 6’s with all the rest of the cards being classified as ‘big’ cards. This makes it really easy to remember and drops the mid-range classification of some of the more complex blackjack counting systems out there.
When you are in the heat of a round of blackjack and the pressure is on, the last thing you need to be dealing with is running complex calculations through your brain. The Speed Count method keeps things and nice and simple, as we have less numbers to work with overall and can calculate the running totals more easily than you could with the Hi-Lo system for example.
Following along so far? Great, let’s put the system into practice with a simple run through…
The next step is to count up all the ‘small’ cards on the table as a +1 in value. Then at the end of each round subtract the total number of hands dealt out. This does also include split hands, so don’t forget or the system won’t work as it should.
The total number of hands does include the dealer with this system so don’t forget to do this either or again the system will fail and you will have no edge in your blackjack game.
For example, if there were four players plus one dealer at the table, then stats say that there should be an average of 5 low cards dealt. If the final figure exceeds the average, then the player has an edge, and vice versa.
This is because the more low cards dealt on the table, the more high cards left in the deck, and since there are significantly fewer high cards to a deck than low cards, it will be easier for the player to estimate what is left to be dealt.
As you play, you will notice the count getting higher, at this point, you will know that there are fewer small cards in the deck and this will give you an advantage in the game.
But, despite what we know about this method, to use it effectively during a game of blackjack we will need more details and tips. To find this out and make best use of the system, we would need to purchase the ‘Golden Touch Blackjack’ book detailing the entire blackjack speed count system in full.
Who is behind the Blackjack Speed Count System?
This revolutionary card counting system was developed by Dr. Henry Tamburin, blackjack expert and best-selling author, Dan Pronovost, blackjack software developer and Dom “Dominator” LoRiggio, software designer and advantage player.
Dr. Henry Tambourin, a chemistry grad student from the University of Maryland, first discovered the perils of blackjack in Las Vegas. It was only after he lost all his gambling funds that he then decided to find a way to beat the system. Therefore he has since dedicated his life to becoming a pro Blackjack player.
It was only after he lost all his gambling funds that Tambourin decided to find a way to beat the system, and he has since dedicated his life to becoming a Blackjack expert. He has been writing and lecturing on the game ever since, and due to a strong history of mathematics, he now boasts over 700 articles, several books and even a range of TV and radio appearances.
Frank Scoblete is an American author who has written books under both his own name and his alias ‘King Scobe’. He’s been referred to by the Washington Post as “a widely published authority on casino games” which is quite some praise. Frank’s books include Beat the Craps out of the Casinos, Golden Touch Blackjack Revolution, and Beat the One-Armed Bandits.
As well as being an accomplished author he has written and appeared in several television documentaries such as the “What Would You Do If …?” program on The Travel Channel. On top of all this he has written numerous columns for gambling magazines and websites, produced a series of videos and DVDs, with most of his work being about the casino games of craps and blackjack.
The Speed Count Blackjack system is just his latest development in a long line of successful card game hack and methods to help you beat the casino.
How do the Stats Backup this Blackjack Count Method?
The beauty of the Speed Count system is that it takes advantage of several proven blackjack statistics:
(1) That there is an average of 2.7 cards to any completed Blackjack hand.
(2) The high percentage of low cards (2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s and 6’s) in each game, which comprise 38% of the standard deck.
(3) Exactly one low card should appear in each completed Blackjack hand. Even though a player may receive no low cards or more than one, the amount he/she holds may still be able to help determine the low card count. And statistics have proven that the more decks used in the game, the more helpful these figures will be.
Despite being more difficult to grasp, the Speed Count system can be a lot easier to implement once learnt, since it eliminates the need to tediously add and subtract the low and high cards as they are dealt, which is common to most other card counting systems.
As always, using a blackjack strategy is always smarter and more worthwhile. In conclusion then, a player will have a better edge with a rising Speed Count, and a lower edge with a falling one. For the full system, lookup “Golden Touch Blackjack” in your local bookstore.
How to Become a Speed Counting Blackjack Pro!
One word on this… practice.
Yep, it’s that simple and old adage rings true right here, practice makes perfect. So, it’s a simple case, as with most things, that the more you practice, the better and more of a pro level you will become at the strategy .
It’s equally important to keep practicing and not to give up. Like learning any new trick or skill, it takes time to fully master it and so patience is the key here. Take it slow and start small, building up to the full technique used in a real game.
Counting Numbers Blackjack Numbers
We would recommend starting off by playing an online blackjack game for free or with very little wagered to see how you get on. This can work as a great, low risk, practice ground which will allow you to build up your confidence and skill level.
When you feel confident enough, you can raise the stakes and play blackjack online for higher stakes or even enter a online blackjack tournament. This will really help you to test out and perfect the speed counting method at your own pace.
The next step up would be to try out the speed counting method with a real-life dealer online at a live casino game. Most of the big online casinos offer a wide choice of live casino action and it’s a great way to try out what you’ve learnt in front of another human without the distractions, sights and sounds of a bricks and mortar casino experience.
It’s a simple step to then take your honed blackjack game tactics into the real world and pitch up at a casino blackjack table to test out your newly acquired skills alongside other players. It will be very different to pull up a stool at a table in real life and use this technique.
Many players report the difficulty they often have with concentration and focus in a real casino environment. The noise and chatter from other players can be really off putting when you are trying to hold numbers in your head and keep a running tally.
Therefore, we would always suggest choosing a good online casino which offers video and live blackjack options, so you can practice and grow at your own pace. Just jumping straight into playing at a blackjack table in a real-world casino can lead to some very costly mistakes and frustrations.
Once you’ve mastered the blackjack speed count technique, you’ll certainly feel like you have an edge over anyone you are playing alongside. Be that at a real-life casino, live online casino or against a video blackjack game.
UPDATED: 16.01.18 – Offer valid as of date published. T&Cs apply.