A single deck of cards behaves quite a bit differently than 6 or 8 decks of cards does. With a computer simulating the game of Blackjack, what can happen on average over millions of hands is easily calculated. From this information, a strategy can be developed to win with a long term approach. What is missed by this way of looking at the game is the opportunity that presents itself out of the ordinary. How can we take these opportunities and turn them into money? Watch the cards as they are played, and how they are shuffled.

While we count down the decks, we make our betting and play decisions with this extra information. What many excellent counters fail to do is SEE these cards and remember where they are in the discard pile. The dealer is allowing you to see if there are groups of Ace's and/or 10's while you count your numbers off. Then they let you watch where they are going as they shuffle for the next deal.

I have been asked many times "How can I beat an 8 deck game where the True Count never goes above +2?" For this condition, your dealer is shuffling consistently and the small cards are mixed with the large ones in a relatively even fashion. Still, the Running Count is swaying between +16 and 0 and this can work for you, especially if you have seen groups of Ace's and kept track of their location through the shuffle. During this span of the deck, combined with a high Running Count, you know far more about the game you are playing at that moment than any book can teach you. Try dividing your Running Count by HALF the number of decks left to be played. 4 decks left, RC= +8, TC= +4. Use this ONLY for betting decisions, NOT play decisions.