How much does blackjack pay?
A natural blackjack traditionally pays 3 to 2, but some casinos pay only 6 to 5, which is worse for players.
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- How do you count cards in blackjack?
How do you count cards in blackjack?
A blackjack card counter performs a simple calculation...over and over and over again. The goal is to bet more money when a deck is loaded with big cards 10,Jack, Queen,King, & Ace because the chances of a dealer busting increases. To figure out when the deck favors the player they do the following:
The card counter begins with zero. For every card that appears either they add 1, minus 1, or keep it the same.
If the card is a 2,3,4,5,6 you add 1. If the card is 10,j,q,k,ace you subtract 1. If it's a 7,8,9 the score remains the same.
So, a card counter will bet small while they keep count and if their tally reaches +5 or greater they increase their bet. This system relies on the law of large numbers which says while the bettor will lose or win money on a given day over time the bettor will have the advantage and thus be profitable long-term.
p.s. This is much easier said than done. This formula was introduced in Beat The Dealer in 1966 and the casinos are doing just fine. Good luck!
Reference: "Beat the dealer" - Edward O. Thorp
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Who proved you could beat blackjack?
Mathematician Edward Thorp showed that card counting could beat blackjack in his 1962 book "Beat the Dealer."