What is Card Counting?

One thing we know when we step into any land-based casino is that every single game has a house edge… and that means that with everything else being equal, the casino is always going to come out on top eventually.

Every game that you play has a house edge. This is essentially how much of an advantage the casino has over you. The higher the house edge, the bigger advantage the casino has and the more likely the ‘house’ is to win. Games are never 50-50, even those bets that seem to be. For example, red and black bets in roulette appear to be 50/50, but because there are one (or two) green 0 pockets, there is a slightly higher chance that you will lose than win.

Games such as blackjack online have the lowest of all house edges – at around 0.5% when the basic strategy is used. However, some players try to lower it (or even get rid of it completely) by attempting ‘Card Counting’. But what is it? How does it work in blackjack – and why shouldn’t you do it?

What is Card Counting and How Does it Work?

Card counting is basically a technique used by blackjack players trying to beat (or cheat) the system by tracking the ratio of high to low cards in the deck (or decks) of cards. The aim is to decrease the advantage of the casino and give the player the edge. This is done by trying to work out when the deck of cards favours the dealer and when it favours the player.

So, for example, if you have calculated that there are lots of higher-value cards, then it’s better for the player, but if it’s got more lower-value cards, it is considered better for the dealer.

The most common of all the techniques is Hi Lo card counting. The basic idea behind this is that you assign a value to every card that is played from the deck and keep a running count as cards are dealt.

In the Hi Lo card counting system, lower-valued cards (those between 2 and 6) will be given a value of +1, whereas higher-valued cards (10, J, Q, K and Ace) are given a value of -1. The middle-valued, neutral cards (7, 8 and 9) will be given a value of 0. As each of the cards is being dealt, the card-counting player will add or subtract the value of each card and keep a running tally.

Whenever there is a positive value, this means that there are more high-value cards in the pack (which means advantage player). However, if there is a negative total, there are more low-value cards in the pack – advantage dealer. This can be used no matter what type of blackjack rules you are playing by – but is it fool-proof and should you do it?

The Risks of Card Counting in Blackjack

The main question you need to consider before asking how to count cards in blackjack is ‘Should I count cards in blackjack?’

Well, morally and ethically, the answer is no. Although card counting isn’t usually illegal, it is certainly frowned upon in the industry – and if you are suspected of being a potential card counter, there might well be repercussions.

Casinos aren’t stupid, they are protective of their money and it’s no exaggeration to say that they intensely dislike card counters. Ultimately, the ‘house’ has a vested interest in ensuring that their games are fair and random. However, card counting disrupts the overall balance of the game. If they do have enough reasons to suspect you of counting cards, don’t be surprised if they ask you to leave there and then. They may even ban you from the casino, pass your details around to other casinos and you may well be persona non grata at casinos all over the region.

What’s more, it’s not easy to master. It requires a lot of focus and practice to pull it off properly. Being successful is not as easy as simply keeping track of the cards in your head and using this knowledge to qualify your bets. There are all sorts of card-counting techniques and the Hi Lo card counting strategy is just one.

Another point to consider is that the chances are you will get caught eventually. This is a problem in casinos, so many have tools at their disposal to detect card counters such as video cameras, facial recognition software and highly trained personnel who are experts at spotting the signs. They also make sure to shuffle the cards more frequently and employ automatic shufflers just to be sure. It’s not even a guaranteed way to win.

Conclusion

Although card counting isn’t illegal, there are so many grey areas you need to consider. Most casinos do consider this as cheating and will happily ban anyone caught doing it. This isn’t just land-based casinos, live blackjack online games are also monitored, so you need to be careful no matter where or how you are playing.

What’s more, it may not actually be considered illegal, but certain card counting techniques may be, especially if the aim is to scam a casino or a player is using special tools to help them… this could lead to criminal prosecution in the worst-case scenario.

The good news? Blackjack has the lowest house edge of any game anyway, which means you don’t need to worry about doing that to have a good chance of winning. As long as you know the basic blackjack strategy and get lots of practice in, you’re in a great place anyway. So, why not head over to our live casino, find your favourite blackjack game and simply count your wins instead of the cards?

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