If you play blackjack in a land-based casino, you can card count. Well, you can use it but casino staffs frown on it and you can get thrown out of the casino if you are caught. So while you can employ this skill, it is best to make sure that you have practiced it well enough before attempting to do so. You certainly do not want to get thrown out of a favorite casino.
That being said, the first thing you must know about learning to count cards in blackjack is to be patient with yourself. This is not a skill that is learned over night. It requires practice.
Next you must learn the counting values of a card counting system. The Hi-Lo count is one of the easiest to use. The counting values are as follows:
2-6 = low cards, counted as +1
7-9 = neutral cards, counted as 0
10, face, Ace = high cards, counted as -1
Begin practicing by counting your way through one deck. Once you can count through it quickly and in our head with no outward signs, practice counting with two decks. Once you have two decks down turn a TV or stereo on. Give yourself some distractions because casinos are full of them. You need to be able to count when surrounded by distractions. Start again with one deck and distractions. And then continue on to two.
It sounds really easy, but this is one of those easier said than done blackjack skills. You must practice. Yes, it will take time but the time will be well worth it once you start to use your card counting skills in a blackjack game.
The running count you have in your head during a blackjack game reflects the cards that have already been played. When your count goes positive, like a +3, it means that a good number of low cards have been played; they have to have been since they were played in order for you to count them. If you count goes negative it means that a larger number of high cards have been played.
Counting gives you the idea of how rich the remaining deck is in high or low cards. You can then adjust your betting accordingly. It is like a gauge. If your count is reflecting that many low cards have been played, then the remaining deck is rich in high cards. This is a good time to raise your wager. Conversely you would lower you bet when your count goes negative.
But what you need to keep in mind when teaching yourself how to count cards for blackjack is to be patient with yourself while learning. This is a skill not a trick after all.