Step 1 to becoming a card counter is to learn Basic Strategy. In fact, all blackjack players should learn basic strategy whether you're going to count cards or are just a recreational gambler.

What is Basic Strategy?
It tells you the optimal play to make in every situation whilst playing blackjack. For example, if you have a hard 16 against the dealers 10, basic strategy tells you to hit (or surrender if possible). Every scenario has been mathematically worked out to give YOU the player the best result in the long run. Playing basic strategy doesn't mean that you will win every hand. It just give you the best possible expected value.
Playing basic strategy doesn't mean that you are going to beat the casino, the casino still has the edge, but you will save a hell of a lot of money though!

Why Learn Basic Strategy?
Firstly, it's not that hard to learn and most casinos even let you take a strategy card to the table!
Secondly, by playing basic strategy, you reduce the house edge to approximatly 0.5%. This means that for every $1,000 you bet - you will lose, on average, $5. Compare this to the average gambler, who, with normal play, gives the casino a 5% edge. So for the same $1,000 he plays, he will lose $50. Just by learning basic strategy you can cut your loses by 90%!

I recently came across the following official report showing the earning of AC casinos for Nov '08 across all games:
http://www.njccc.gov/casinos/financia/mthrev/docs/2008/200811revenue.pdf
I was shocked to see that their actual earning from blackjack are between 9 - 17% and that's including the losses they're suffering from card counters. This is way more than the generally accepted figure of 5%. If these bad players just learned basic strategy, just imagine how much money they could save!

Hope this is motivation enough for even you recreational gamblers to pick up a basic strategy chart and learn it. If you play basic strategy at low limit tables, your minial losses should be more than made up for by your comps.

Where can I find a basic strategy chart?
Contrary to what most people think, there is more than one basic strategy chart. This is because every blackjack game not only has different rules, but also differing number of decks played. This all makes a difference. So you need to make sure you pick the write basic strategy chart for the game you are playing.

Early on in my career I found this great site that will generate the correct chart depending on the rules you are playing. Check the generator at the link below:
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bjbse.php

Now that you all know a little bit about basic strategy, we can continue with my card counting journey!

Continue on to the next post:
http://confessionsofacardcounter.blogspot.com/2008/12/learning-basic-strategy.html