The preceding shows the rationale for assigning the point count values in the +Plus Perfect™ Strategy. All you need to remember is ...

Now we know how to count, and we know how to find our way about inside the Answer Tables. Next we need to combine the two things for a complete synthesis! The only thing remaining, after that, is what to do with multiple decks. And that will be easy. Trust me. Well, one more thing we’ll have to deal with, of course, is what to do with our Black Jack winnings. But you won’t need my advice for that, I’m sure!

The Play

  Let’s put it all together now and play cards. The idea, of course is to watch the cards, and to silently COUNT to yourself the value-count of the cards you see. Count all the cards —- those in your hand, the dealer’s up-card, and those of other players.

Don’t be bashful. Stretch your neck a bit, and peek at the hands others are holding, if you can. That’s not cheating. Players will often voluntarily show you their hand, especially if they have trouble deciding what to do with it. This has the effect of slowing down the cadence of the deal, and can be beneficial, especially if you are just starting to count.

Don’t let the impatience of some dealers intimidate you. Remember that you are in charge. The dealer won’t know until you tell him, if you want to hit or stand. Take the time to think.

Sometimes the dealer’s burn-card can be seen. If so, make sure you add it to your running count. This can be very beneficial in early detection of a good deck after a shuffle. If you miss counting a few cards, don’t panic. For counting purposes, all unseen cards are considered still in the deck.

Sample count.

Let’s do an example to practice counting (no table look-up yet). Let’s say the following cards emerge from the deck and are played by you, the dealer and other players, if they are present. Here goes ...

  The amount of money you should bet when the count is the minimum bet size multiplied by the count. In other words, if you are playing at a table which allows a minimum bet of ten dollars, and if the count is two, then bet twenty dollars on the next round. If the count is three, bet thirty dollars. The more you vary your bet size the higher your probability of ruin or of getting rich, but the more readily casino personnel may notice that you are counting cards. (Probability of ruin: even the best strategy in the world can’t protect you from getting a bad hand. If you get terrible hands all evening (and you will), you’ll lose that evening. Black Jack strategies help you find the best situations in which to bet more money. And this strategy they tells you how to best play the hands you are dealt —- the good ones as well as the bad ones.)

Counts close to ... are the ones that occur most frequently. They are the situation when the deck is not very hot or not very cold. These situations are your "waiting bets" -- you are paying just to sit at the table to gamble. And gamble it is, because you are more likely to lose hands when the count is zero or negative.

You know how to count. Let’s talk a bit more about the Answer Table and how the count is used with them.

Combining the Count with the Answer Table to tell you what to do

  If you compare the number in the squares of the answer table with the count, you will know what action to take. Let’s say you are dealt two cards and need to decide if you should hit or stand. Assume you have ...

Each situation has its Answer Table to tell you what to do. If you have a soft hand, (where the Ace is counted as 11), the soft tables apply, otherwise use the hard table. Each Answer Table shows the question you should ask. Each table contains a number in a square with which you should compare your count. And each comparison yields the answer for that situation.