How to practice card counting – Let your inner Rain Man out

Card counting is a touchy subject. It’s not exactly illegal, but if casinos pick up on it, they might ban you, but it does not mean you can’t learn it. Imagine how smart you would feel after mastering card counting! In a friendly game with friends and family, they will look at you as if you were a genius! In this article, we will show you how to practice card counting and become a genius!

How Do People Do That?

During card counting, speed is essential. If you can’t keep up with the dealer, there is no point in even trying. However, the good news is, you can practice it at home. There are geniuses out there who don’t have to practice card counting and be successful, but that is extremely rare. Most of us weren’t born with this unique ability. Some professionals have photographic memories, which helps a lot. Others claimed to just know or see the upcoming cards. Their methods are a mystery, but even the average gamblers can learn how to practice card counting, according to  Ignition Casinos .

The Three Aspects

Before we get to the part about how to practice card counting, you need to know that there are several card counting systems. Each system is divided according to three criteria. According to these three aspects, we examine how the given system handles some factors. The first aspect is betting efficiency, which helps you determine how much advantage or a disadvantage you have against the house. Of course, this requires you to have an adequate amount of bankroll at your disposal, as you may have an advantage, but it does not necessarily mean that you win the round. 

Playability shows whether you make the right decisions during each hand by changing your strategy based on the card counting results during the game. The third one is insurance efficiency. Insurance efficiency shows that if the dealer’s top card were an Ace and you were to insure your bet, you would be doing the right thing or not. Check out the detailed card system guides at online gambling sites in America!

How to Practice Card Counting?

Let’s suppose you know about the cards, their value, and the rules. A little experience won’t hurt either. If you are determined and diligent, your speed will improve. Don’t give up, and you will do fine! In this article, we focus on how to count pairs. So, let’s see how to practice card counting step by step! After you have learned the values of the different cards, you can take it up a notch and learn the values assigned to the various pairs. This is one of the main elements of the card counting process. 

For example, a King and a Jack are worth minus two. An Ace with a number between two and six is worth zero. Check out every pair value at online gambling sites in America! This type of counting will make card counting much easier. There are different card counting systems, so make sure you know their values match the method you chose. If you understand and remember the numbers, you can start practicing. 

A Little Practice Never Killed Anybody

Grab a deck of cards and turn over two cards at the same time, then determine their value. You don’t have to count them, just try to guess their value by following the instructions above. Go through the entire deck and keep doing it until you master it perfectly for every possible pair. When you have it down pat, continue with the next exercise, which will help you increase your counting speed. As soon as you have learned to count two cards perfectly, add a third card.

This skill will come in handy against the dealer, as you will be able to determine the value of the first three cards immediately after each hand. So turn over three cards at the same time to guess their worth. Remember, you don’t have to keep counting every value you see, practice first. This ability will be even more advantageous because the game will be slower at a table full of players.

Finally, we have arrived at the step where you can add together the various values. Grab a deck of cards and take three cards out without looking. No peeking! Then turn over two cards and continue looking at two cards at a time, until you finish the deck. Remember the result you have counted, then turn around the three cards you put aside in the beginning to test the punctuality of your counting.  

How to Practice Card Counting

If you have practiced the exercises mentioned above, you are only one step away from card counting. As you practice, your speed will gradually increase, and you will eventually get to the point where you will be able to calculate the value of the cards at the same time as you turn the cards over. If that goes well, we will raise the bar again.

Pick three cards again without looking at them. Hold the deck in one of your hands, and look through the cards in twos or even threes. Then determine their worth using continuous counting. How fast are you? Measure the time. At a table of two or three players, it usually takes 20 seconds, although it’s even better if you can do it between 15 and 20 seconds. You can achieve this effortlessly with practice. 

Don’t Give Up Now 

Can you count a deck in between 15 and 20 seconds without forgetting the result? Excellent! You can start working on increasing your endurance. You will be doing the previous exercise, but the only difference will be that now you will be counting two decks at once! Grab two decks of cards and shuffle them. Take out three cards again without looking at them. Then carry on counting the decks as described above. This exercise helps develop endurance. 

Of course, measure the time the same way. The time should be about 40 seconds or slightly below under disturbing circumstances. We got to a crucial point. The previous exercises work great in a relaxed home environment. What if you have to count your cards in a noisy, crowded casino at night? Many people who practiced card counting at home messed it up at the casino table. That’s why you have to take it up a notch again. 

Turn on the TV or radio, preferably do not put it on one of the music channels, but look for a show where they are talking. News shows and sports broadcasts work the best. If you have already gotten better at counting and your time is good too, don’t be surprised if it will not go well this time! This is how you should practice card counting until you can complete it again and again in 20 or 40 seconds.

How To Practice Card Counting

Let’s speed things up a little bit! For this next exercise, you will need six decks of cards. If possible, they should all be of the same type because the different sizes and figures of the cards can be very confusing. Shuffle the six decks, and take out three cards again without looking. Divide the decks into piles of different sizes. Count them as fast as you can. The ultimate goal is to count them in less than two minutes. The ideal time is between 1 minute 30 seconds and two minutes! 

After some practice, try to add some noise. You will see the advantage of this later in the casino. You can test your skill at any casino near you or online at  Ignition Casinos. One more tip: Learn to count the odd numbers backward by two! We all are capable of counting in pairs: 2; 4; 6, etc., but only a few can count odd numbers backward quickly: 9; 7; 5; 3, etc. Start counting backward from 25 with odd numbers in twos until minus five or more over and over until you get it right. It is also part of how to practice card counting and the best news is that you can do it whenever you can. 

Some More Tips

Most people think that the gamblers who count cards follow each card with their eyes. That is why security members monitor players who noticeably watch every card the dealer hands out. However, the pair counting method helps you look back and forth at the table without being suspicious. This seems much more natural because it simply gives the impression that you are just looking at what other players are getting. However, always make sure that nobody notices that you’re counting! 

Once you have mastered the skills discussed in the previous sections and practiced playing blackjack at home, let your inner Rain Man out. In the meantime, of course, repeat the steps every day and practice card counting! If you can, ask someone to help you as if they were the dealers. However, you should avoid taking on the role of the dealer! You need to practice as a player. The more you learn to see things from the player’s point of view, the better. Don’t forget to use a little noise; turn on the TV or radio! 

Sounds complicated at first? Don’t worry! You will get the hang of it with practice. After you finish a game, stop and always check your accuracy using the dealt cards. This exercise is the most important. Later on, you will realize that these extra difficulties will be helpful later on during the actual casino game. You will apply what you have learned in the casino with ease. Get in the mood with some casino movies. Check out the list of the best blackjack movies you need to watch here!

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