Unlike most other casino games, blackjack is a game whose outcome is greatly influenced by the player, right from the moment the player cuts the deck of cards. The dealer is practically like a robot. He follows set rules and makes no decisions of his own.
There are three different approaches to the game a player can take using three different strategies:

1. Play blackjack as a game of luck using money management only. Determine when to call a card and when to stand irrespective of what the dealer shows, apply a suitable money management system like the Paroli system and set appropriate profit and loss limits for when to quit.

2. Use basic strategy. Follow the game and take into account the dealers card to determine whether to call a card or stand. Apply a suitable money management system like the D'Alenbert system and set appropriate profit and loss limits for when to quit.

3. Card counting. This is not easy to do and some casinos don't like it. If you choose to play blackjack this way, it is best to learn from the experts. There are several books on sale that should teach you how to go about it.

A note on card counting

The principle behind card counting is that a deck of cards rich is tens and Aces is favorable to the player, a deck rich in small cards is favorable to the dealer. A deck rich in tens and Aces, is likely to bust the dealer more often.

To gauge the richness of the deck in high cards or lack of them, the player needs to keep track of the cards that are already played and assign a point value to each card. The calculation is quite complex, but basically the card counter will give a plus point each time the deck of cards becomes more favorable and a minus point each time it becomes less favorable. Basically, the high cards have a -1 point and the low cards a +1 point and the in between 0 point.

The counter then counts by adding and subtracting points according to the cards played and keeps a running total of the count called 'running count'. Then he also needs to divide the running count by the proportion of the size of the deck of cards left to get the 'true count'. Now he knows the relative richness of high cards in the remaining deck.

A positive count is good and a high positive count is best and the card counter will assess his hand, the dealer's up card, weigh up his options and intensify his betting accordingly.

To be a successful card counter you need to have a powerful memory and fast reaction while amassing information as you play. And for what? If everything works out well, you will be looking at a slow and tedious 1% average profit. If you wager large sums of money to make the 1% worthwhile, you are likely to be noticed by the pit boss and prompt frequent shuffling of the cards. Card counting is hard, not liked by the casinos and is not as rewarding as it may seem.

The Paroli system:

This system is in a way the opposite of the Martingale system. You start with one bet and you increase your bet when you win rather than when you lose.

However, you will need to plan a betting procedure whereby you know how far you will let the bet build before you take it down to the initial starting bet and how much to raise after each win. This obviously depends on the type of game played and the odds of the bet.

The advantage of this system is that you do not require a large bankroll. It lets the profit run and cuts short the losses.

The D'Alenbert system:

This is a mixture of Martingale and Insurance systems. Bets are raised one unit after each losing bet and lowered one unit after each winning bet. The sequence and amount raised or lowered can be varied to suit particular games and odds.

The 1-3-2-6 system:

The name of this system says it all. It is similar to the Paroli system. It is based on the premise that you can win four times in a row.

Your initial bet is 1 unit, the second 3 units, the third 2 units and the fourth 6 units. Let's assume that each unit is $10 and the odds are 1:1 - even money.

The first bet is $10. When winning, $10 is added to the $20 on the table making the second bet $30. When winning again on the second bet, there would be $60 on the table. Of this you take down $40 and the third bet is now $20. If the third bet wins, you will have $40 on the table to which you add $20 making a total of $60 for the fourth bet.

If the fourth bet wins, there would be a total of $120, of which $100 is net profit. Now all the bet with the profit is taken down and you start the system all over again at $10.

If you lose the first bet, your loss is $10. The second level loss is $20. At the third level, a loss will give you a net profit of $20. At the fourth level, a loss leaves you breaking even. Each time you lose, you start all over again at $10.

The attraction of this system is that you risk $20 at a chance of making $100 net profit. This means you can lose five times, and with one win get your money back.

The Labouchere system:

This system is also called the 'Cancellation' system. There are many variations. In its simplest form, you write down a series or a set of numbers; say, 1 2 3 4 5 6. The series can be short or long and not necessarily sequential such as 1 1 1 3 3 5 7. The choice of a particular series depends on the type of game you want to apply it to and the odds of the bet.

Each number represents the amount in units or chips to bet. You bet the first and last of these numbers. In this example 1 and 6, which totals 7 units.

If you win, you cross out the two numbers and bet the next two 'ends' (the outside numbers). In this instance 2 and 5. If you win again you bet on the next two remaining numbers 3 and 4, and if you win that too, you would have made a 'coup' or completed one game. Then you start all over again.

If you lose, then you add that one number to the end of the series. Say you lost your first bet of 7 units (1+ 6). Then you add number 7 to the end of the series to look like this: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 and your next bet would be 8 units (1+ 7). If you won the first bet but lost the second 2 and 5, then the series of numbers would look like this: 2 3 4 5 7.

If you work it out, you will see that when the series is completed or when you make a 'coup', there is always a profit. The negative side of this system is that you could end up betting large sums of money even if your initial bet is small.

The Martingale system:

The Martingale system is a very old and extremely simple system. It is based on the probability of losing infinite times in a row and is usually applied to 'even money' bets.

You start with one bet. If you win, you start again with one bet. If you lose, you double your bet. Each time you lose, you double your last lost bet. Eventually you are bound to win. When you win you would recover all your lost bets plus one unit (or chip) profit against your initial wager.

Although infallible in theory, the Martingale system requires a large bankroll, has a very low return and is a very risky one because of the maximum bet limits imposed by the casinos. If you run out of money or reach the house limit, you can lose a lot with no chance to recover your losses.

The Parlay system:

This system is similar to the Paroli system and has the effect of 'pyramiding' your profit. Pyramiding is a parlay wager whereby the original wager plus its winnings are played on successive wagers.

It is commonly used in horse racing betting. Basically you make a bet and if you win you re-invest the winnings on the next bet. You 'let it ride'.

This method of play is by no means risk free, but it offers the least amount of risk of all wagers since the player is only concerned with either a win, place or show selection or a combination of the three.

It is one of the oldest methods of wagering and was originally derived from the same premise that banking systems use to compound interest.

Interesting links

Blackjackcenter.com
A basic blackjack strategy - also has sections on card counting, cluster counting and betting systems.

Blackjackinfo.com