Article: Cards 2-6 are considered low value cards. These add one point to your count. 7-9 are neutral cards and do not carry value. 10-Ace are high value cards and subtract a point from your count. Continue to add and subtract point values for each round dealt from the deck. You will better be able to assess the deck after several hands have been dealt and you have an idea of the value of cards remaining in the deck according to your calculations. For instance, if you have 5 players and the cards dealt to each player were: [2, King] [7, 10] [Jack, Ace] [4, 9] [Queen, King] The count for this round would be: [+1, -1] [0, -1] [-1, -1] [+1, 0] [-1, -1] This leaves you with a deck count of: -4. Deal through an entire deck of cards on your own and count the value of each card as you go. If you count correctly, your final count should be zero. Dealers have to draw on hands of 12-16, therefore a deck full of low value cards is beneficial to the dealer making it less likely that they will bust, or go over 21 on a hard draw. This means, if you have assessed the deck at a negative point value, it is more beneficial to the dealer, and there are more low value cards left in the deck. Do not bet against a dealer on a hard draw with a low value deck. You may also benefit from "hitting" or drawing a card if the dealer is showing a face card and you have a hand with a hard draw. Make larger bets when you have a high value deck, meaning there are more 10 and face cards left in the deck making it more likely to be dealt a blackjack or 20. Most casinos deal several decks at one time. Take your running count of the cards being dealt and divide it by the number of decks left in the dealer's hand or "shoe." This will give you a better idea of the actual probabilities of being dealt a good hand, or the dealer going bust. For example, if your running count is +4, and it appears there are 2 decks left, you would divide 4 by 2, leaving you with +2. This is still a positive count and means you can bet higher on this deal.
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Assign a point value to the cards being dealt. Calculate the point value of the deck with each hand that is dealt. Practice counting an entire deck of cards. Play your cards right. Assess the true count.