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Start at the top if you’re new. Everything below assumes only what came before it.

Part 1 — The game

Never played blackjack? Read this once and the rest of the page will make sense.

1

The goal isn’t 21

You are playing against the dealer, not the other players. You win by finishing with a higher total than the dealer — without going over 21.

Going over is called busting, and it means you lose immediately, even if the dealer busts afterwards. That single rule is where the casino’s advantage comes from.

You
19
Dealer
17

19 beats 17. Neither hand is near 21.

2

What the cards are worth

Number cards are worth their number. Jack, Queen and King are all worth 10 — which is why a deck is full of tens.

The Ace is special: it counts as 11 unless that would bust you, in which case it counts as 1. You never have to choose; it always takes the value that helps you.

2
7
10
10
1 or 11
3

Hard hands and soft hands

A hand holding an ace that still counts as 11 is called soft. Any other hand is hard.

This matters more than it sounds: a soft 17 and a hard 17 are the same number but call for completely different play, because a soft hand cannot bust with one more card.

Soft
soft 17

The ace can still drop to 1, so another card can never bust this hand.

Hard
17

Same total, no flexibility — any card above a 4 busts you.

4

How a round runs

You place a bet. Everyone gets two cards face up. The dealer takes two as well, but only one is visible — the upcard. The hidden one is the hole card.

You act first, then the dealer plays. That order is the whole problem: if you bust, your money is gone before the dealer has to do anything.

You
16
Dealer
10

You only ever see one dealer card — the upcard — while deciding.

5

Your five choices

Every hand comes down to these five. Double and Split are the profitable ones — they get more money on the table in the spots that favour you, which is exactly what a counter is looking for.

Which choice is correct is not a matter of feel. It is solved maths, and it is called Basic Strategy.

HitTake another card.
StandKeep what you have.
DoubleDouble the bet, take exactly one card.
SplitTwo same cards → two hands, second bet.
SurrenderFold and keep half your bet.
6

The dealer has no choices

The dealer follows a fixed rule: draw until reaching 17, then stop. No judgement, no reacting to your hand.

One variation matters — whether the dealer also draws on a soft 17 (ace + six). That is the H17 rule, and it is slightly worse for you than S17. The trainer lets you set both.

Dealer must hit
16

16 — the dealer draws again, whatever is on the table.

Dealer must stand
17

17 or more — the dealer stops, even against your 20.

7

What you get paid

A blackjack is an ace plus a ten-value card on your first two cards. It pays more than a normal win — 3:2 — and it is the single biggest reason high cards are good for you.

Watch for tables paying 6:5 instead. That one change costs more than a good counter earns, which is why this trainer defaults to 3:2.

Blackjack
Blackjack
Win — You get your bet back, plus the same again (1:1).
Blackjack — Ace + ten on the first two cards pays 3:2.
Push — Same total as the dealer — bet returned, nothing lost.
8

Why any of this can be beaten

Cards are dealt without replacement. What has already gone is gone, so the shoe’s composition drifts as the round goes on — and sometimes it drifts in your favour.

High cards help you: more blackjacks at 3:2, better doubles, and a dealer forced to draw into a stiff hand more often. Low cards help the dealer.

Counting is nothing more than keeping track of which way the shoe has drifted — and betting more when it favours you. That is the next chapter.

A shoe rich in these pays you 3:2 more often — and busts the dealer more often too.

Part 2 — Counting cards

The edge itself. Tap any topic to open it.

The Basics

You keep a simple running tally as the cards come out. When lots of high cards are still to come, the odds tilt in your favour — so you bet more and adjust a few plays. It is a skill of attention and math, not cheating, and it is perfectly legal.
Every card gets a value: low cards 2–6 = +1, middle cards 7–9 = 0, high cards 10, J, Q, K, A = −1. Add them up as cards appear — that total is your Running Count. A high positive count means many high cards remain — good for you.
The Running Count alone isn’t enough — a +6 with six decks left is weak, but +6 with one deck left is strong. So you divide: True Count = Running Count ÷ decks remaining. The True Count is your real edge, and it’s what drives both your bet and your deviations.

Strategy

The mathematically best play for every hand — hit, stand, double, split or surrender — assuming you are not counting. Learn this first: it’s the foundation, and it already cuts the house edge to almost nothing. The Flashcards mode drills it hand by hand.
When the count runs high or low, a handful of plays change from Basic Strategy. Classic example: normally you Hit a hard 16 vs a dealer 10 — but at a True Count of 0 or higher you Stand. These count-based changes are where the extra edge comes from.
Of all the possible deviations, most of the value comes from a small set: the Illustrious 18 (the 18 most valuable playing deviations) and the Fab 4 (the 4 most valuable surrender deviations). You don’t need to memorise the names — the Flashcards “Deviations” level teaches them directly as situations.

Betting & the Shoe

You bet small when the count is low and big when it’s high — that gap is your bet spread. Almost all of a counter’s profit comes from getting more money on the table when the odds favour you. A 1–16 spread is a common professional standard.
To turn the Running Count into a True Count you must judge how many decks are left — by eye, from the thickness of the discard tray, just like at a real table. It sounds hard but becomes fast with practice. That’s exactly what the Deck Estimation mode trains.

The Training Modes

Speed Drill

Keep the Running Count as cards flash by — build raw speed.

Flashcards

Decide the correct play for every hand, plus count-based deviations.

Bet Spread

Pick the right bet for the count at realistic tables.

Deck Estimation

Judge the decks remaining from the discard tray.

Casino Session

Put it all together in a realistic multi-seat session.

Ready to make the count automatic?

Everything above becomes reflex with practice. Start with the free drills — no card needed.

Start free →