re: Counting Cards in Blackjack?

I learned to count cards in the early 1990's and while it wasn't extremely profitable, it gave me the feeling that I was increasing my odds of winning and gave me something to do while playing an otherwise monotonous game. Even back then, there were cheap PC games and handheld games that kept a running count so I'm sure apps are out there.

Start by learning basic strategy backwards and forwards. Buy any/all books by Stanford Wong. "Professional Blackjack" has tons of charts while his other books take a lighter approach with good stories mixed in.

What worked for me at the table was to ignore the first card dealt to everyone and then adjust your running count based the the sum of the two cards after the second one was dealt. It helps if you sit at the seat that plays last but some people get nervous about playing there b/c people will criticize them for splitting 7's when it's the right move, for example. You can also try to spy the dealer's hole card from this spot as someone mentioned!

Find the casino that has the cheapest blackjack game, go during off hours, and grind out hundreds of hands. It doesn't matter how many decks there are at this stage because you are really just trying to get the counting mechanics down and get comfortable while minimizing potential losses. These are also the worst/least experienced dealers so you can try some tricks on them. One of my favorites was when I got a complicated losing hand and the dealer was counting it to figure out if I won or lost, I would tap the table to signal a push and the dealer would sometimes just go along with it. If I had the cut card and the count was really good, I would act distracted and put the cut card below the table in my lap and then produce it a couple of hands later - oops!

When you feel more comfortable, be selective in the games you play and try to avoid the big shoe games or the tables with the auto-shufflers. I never liked playing at a table with more than a $10 minimum because you could always bet more than the minimum and pull back when the count was bad.

I never won a lot of money but it was still a fun experience. Don't worry about getting caught as long as you are playing for low stakes. Don't drink...much. Before you know it, you've ruined a game that used to be fun when you were "ignorant."