How Blackjack Players Can Track Cards Favoring Dealers

Blackjack players are fond of aces, picture cards, and tens, and if they can somehow figure out how many such cards a 6-deck shoe might have in the middle of a blackjack game, they stand a better chance of winning.

Here is a simple method to keep track of such cards by simply focusing on cards that favor the croupier—fours, sixes, and fives. Mathematicians have already shown how fours, sixes, and fives can help the dealer create strong hands, especially as blackjack rules require dealers to hit on 14, 15, and 16. Players, on the other hand, have more flexibility as they can stand on 14, 15, and 16 in the hopes that the dealer will go bust.

Each deck comprises 12 fours, fives, and sixes, which means that six decks with have 72 of each of these cards. This constitutes around 23 percent of all the cards. Twenty-three, therefore, is the magic number. About 23 fours, fives, and sixes ought to have been dealt after playing two decks in order to keep the game balanced. If less have been dealt, the game is in favor of the house; and if more have been dealt, the game is in favor of the player.