For those who aren’t aware, card counting is simply the name given to a means of keeping track of which cards have already been dealt during a game of blackjack; the reason for this is that players are then, theoretically, able to make highly informed guesses to how they should be playing future hands during the game.

Although this sounds simple in theory, the memory of the average person (and even the above average person) doesn’t lend itself well to this kind of task – after all, there is reason that people take telephone numbers down by pen – most people cannot remember a sequence of more than 7 digits at a time, so you can imagine how hard the task becomes with a deck of 52 cards…

Despite being glamourised, card counting is of no practical use in modern casinos...

In addition to the difficulty of card counting, it is also highly frowned upon (or, indeed banned) in all land-based casinos, and such casinos also use multiple decks for blackjack as a fail-safe measure.; while online casinos use algorithms that are modeled on multiple decks of cards, making it impossible to utilise card counting during play.

So, the next time your friend begins talking to you about the “wonders” of card counting, it is best to take such claims with more than a little pinch of salt… Failing that, you could just remind them that there is no chance of being able to card count in modern casinos…

It appears as though Blackjack is better for beginners...

Blackjack, which pits players against the dealer in an attempt to get as close to 21 (without going over or ‘bust’) as possible.

However, the latest research indicates that copious amounts of practice in the game of Blackjack may not be as useful to a player as it might be in other endeavors…

New studies have indicated that completely new Blackjack players may be at more of an advantage and perform better during their games than those players who have been familiar with the game for a number of months. Although this may sound counter intuitive, it is thought that, given the learning curve that Blackjack players face, a total newcomer may be less aware and hindered by more complex potential choices than slightly more experienced players.

This does not mean that Blackjack fanatics should not be deterred from the game! The learning curve and performance in games does level off as may be expected after a certain time period. Blackjack players with more experience than 6 months tend to perform better than both those who have just started, as well as those who have played for a couple of months.

So, even though it seems that practice does indeed make perfect, total Blackjack beginners aren’t so bad either!

Look at the dealer’s open card and make your move based on your situation. If you have a hand total of 8 or less, you should always hit. Most of the time you can get all the way to 17 or 18, which is trickier to play but stands better chance of winning against dealer’s hand.

If you have a hand total of 9, 10, or 11, double if the dealer’s open card is showing anything from 3 to 6. If you have 10, you can also double down if the dealer’s open card is showing a 7, 8, or 9; the same rule applies to when your hand is totaling at 11, with the addition of doubling down when the dealer’s open card is showing a 10 or any of the face cards.

With a hand total of 12, stand when the dealer’s open card is showing 4, 5, or 6 otherwise hit. If your hand total is between 13 and 16, stand when the dealer is showing 2 to 6 otherwise hit. If you have a hand total of 17 or above, always stand to avoid busting.