Blackjack was always one of the most popular gambling games. It’s a game that requires a mixture of luck and skill. Blackjack is associated with the excitement and glamor of casinos but it can also be played online and with the use of the latest technology. Those who play blackjack with Bitcoin as a payment option, use the same tactics and have the same odds of winning as those using fiat currency.
In this article, we’ll delve deep into one of the most used strategies for blackjack players – card counting. If used correctly it can increase the odds of winning at blackjack and it’s especially well suited to crypto players with experience in sports analytics.
The Basics of Blackjack
Before we can dive into counting cards, it’s important to understand the basics of blackjack. The game is simple in its main objective but there are countless ways to reach it. Players try to beat the dealer by having a hand value as close to 21 and not going over it. The house has a slight advantage known as “edge”.
The players are dealt two cards and they can choose to take another (what’s known as a hit) or to keep their current cards (called stand). The goal is to have a higher value of cards than the dealer without going over 21. The most valuable cards are therefore 10 and an Ace. Reaching 21 is called blackjack.
What is Card Counting?
Card counting is a strategy players use to increase their chances of winning at blackjack. The concept is simple – all that it takes is for players to keep track of high-value cards that have been used and therefore those that remain in the deck.
Many strategies regulate how to bet on blackjack. These work independently of card counting and players can use both a betting strategy and card counting to increase their odds. Card counting has been widely used since the 1960s and it’s not illegal but the casinos frown upon it.
How Card Counting Works
The main point of card counting is to assign value to the cards and to keep track of the cards as the game goes on. The most common distinction is between high-value cards and low-value cards. Most players assign high value to tens and aces and low value to cards from 2 to 6.
This doesn’t mean however that tens and aces are more desirable as they are more likely to bring the value over 21. The player keeps a running count of the cards as the game progresses and tries to estimate what cards remain in the deck.
The Role of Statistics in Card Counting
Players with experience in sports analytics have an advantage when it comes to card counting. Knowledge of statistical concepts used to bet on sports can easily be transferred and used for card counting. That’s because concepts depend on odds and probability.
The main goal of card counting is to try and figure out the likelihood of drawing the card that you need and at least the card of the right value. This is where sports analytics experience comes into play. Just as is the case with sports betting, sample size plays a big role. For instance, the more hands are played, the better your chances are with counting. The same goes for having to know the team’s history before betting (with crypto) on their matches.
Training and Practice
Counting cards is a skill and as such it needs to be practiced. Learning and mastering the craft takes effort and time, even though it’s helped by an affinity for it. The goal of the training is for the players to be able to keep track of the cards while playing the game.
Sports analysts can take advantage of a data-driven approach and be better organized when it comes to card counting. However, this approach also depends on practicing and making sure you can divide your time between the game and counting.
The Legal and Ethical Aspects of Card Counting
It’s important to note that card counting isn’t illegal, but casinos disapprove of this technique. Online Bitcoin casinos that stream live events with real dealers are perfectly suited to card counting, just as the real on-the-ground casinos. They also have the same policy towards the practice.
Casinos are allowed to ban the players who count cards. They also don’t need any proof that a player is counting cards. Players can contact customer support and challenge the decision but in the end, it’s up to the casino to deal with players counting cards in blackjack. Counting cards isn’t cheating, however, and all players can do it if they manage not to get noticed.
How Sports Analysts Use Card Counting in Blackjack
There are many ways in which sports analysis lends itself to card counting in crypto blackjack. The two share a systemic approach to the game and they turn betting based on luck into an effort that can be improved with skills and hard work.
- Both card counting and sports analysis rely on noticing patterns in large sets of data. It allows the players to track the cards as well as to navigate the past performances of sports teams.
- Probability and statistics are used for both card counting and sports betting. Players are calculating the odds the card they are looking for is still in the decks, as well as the odds of a match outcome.
- In the end, both approaches are about managing risk and making sure that the bet is worth the risk involved in any gambling game.
The Challenges and Risks
Card counting is a useful technique used by many Bitcoin blackjack players, but it has its risks and downside. The most important of these is that the casinos don’t allow it. This means that the risk can sometimes be much higher than the reward as counting cards can get you banned forever.
Another risk comes from the inherent variance of the game. Even if you’re perfectly aware of which cards are still in the deck, there’s nothing a player can do to affect which cards they’ll be dealt. This means that you can always get a series of bad hands in a row.
Advanced Card Counting Techniques
There are also more complex and advanced card-counting systems the players can use once they master the basics. Some of these include:
Shuffle tracking
Shuffle tracking involves tracking specific groups of cards, often aces and high-value cards, through the shuffle process. The player predicts the position of the cards after each shuffle. It can only be used with real cards since the shuffling is randomized in a completely digital version of blackjack.
Ace Sequencing
Ace sequencing is a risky version of card counting. The goal of this approach is to predict when it may be likely for an ace to be dealt with and to increase your bets accordingly. It can lead to going over and losing a hand quickly, but it can also lead to big wins.
Side Counting
With side counting, the players keep track of cards as we mentioned before, but they also keep a count of additional high-value cards – usually tens and aces – separately. This allows the players to adjust their strategy based on how often they can get a valuable card.
Conclusion
Card counting is a technique commonly used when playing blackjack using BTC. The practice is prohibited by online casinos, but it allows the players to keep track of cards that haven’t been dealt yet, and to adjust their crypto bets accordingly.
Players who have experience with sports betting usually have an easier time learning to count cards. The two processes are similar as they use large sets of data to predict the outcomes of games. It’s important to keep in mind that there are no sure things in blackjack, however.
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