Blackjack Card Counting: Stand, Hit, Double or Split?

Card counting in blackjack isn't just about betting minimum when the count is low and betting maximum when the count is high. If that's all it was, it would be just an intelligent betting system. To be a really good card counter and blackjack player, you must know how to adjust your hand decisions, not just your bets.

This page looks at the different hand decisions in blackjack and why you sometimes have to change them based on your knowledge of the deck/shoe.

Card Counting Hand Decisions: Hit or Stand?

When you stand in blackjack, it is either you are happy with your cards or you fear that a hit would result in a bust. Naturally then, if you know that a shoe or deck is rich in high cards, you will stand more often than you hit. This also means that often you will stand even if your basic strategy chart tells you otherwise.

Just the same, if you know the shoe or deck is full of low cards, then it is safe for you to hit even when you would normally stand. This is one thing that makes card counters so different. They do things that it seems only average gamblers would do, yet in fact these are quite advanced techniques.

An example of hit/stand strategy variation is a hard 16 against a dealer up card of 10. If the count is +1 or higher, you must stand. Only if the count is 0 or lower will you hit. To others, you may look like an average blackjack player, sometimes applying correct strategy and sometimes not!

Card Counting Hand Decisions: Double

Doubling your bet in exchange for exactly one more card is often a dangerous move. Card counting tells you when it is safe to do this and when it isn't. It is one of the things that makes card counting so profitable when done correctly.

The higher the true count is, the better it is for the player to double. The lower the true count gets, the better it is to just hit. There are also times when instead of just hitting, you can double for maximum profits. (See how this makes you more money?)

An example is an A-2 hand against a 5. In six-deck strategy, you should double. But when card counting, you will double only when the count is 0 or higher. If it is negative, just stand.

Card Counting Hand Decisions: Split

Splitting is most profitable if the blackjack rules of the casino allow doubling after splitting. If it does, then splits based on card counting will be very useful.

When the count is low, you will split less. As it goes up, you will split more. A pair that may be good to split even with a high count is a 10 pair.

You have to be careful with varying your hand decisions though. Since you will be following basic strategy about 90% of the time, if you suddenly make a weird decision like a splitting a 10 pair against a dealer up card of 4 or 5 may provoke suspicion from the casino.