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Card counting is a very misunderstood topic and we are here to clear some things up. So if you are wondering if card counting is legal, profitable or even possible, this article is for you!
How Does Counting Cards Help In Blackjack
Before we go any further, we should first explain what scorecards actually are. Beginners often think that card counters remember literally every card, as some kind of genius feat of memory. But it is not that complex.
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When playing blackjack, there are certain cards that are likely to hinder us and others that can help us. Card counting simply allows us to quickly identify when there is a concentration of high value cards in the deck. If that happens, it’s time to raise your stakes.
Although card counting theoretically reduces the house edge in the long run, it is not a magical money printing machine. Just because many useful cards remain in the deck is no guarantee of success. We are always dependent on some luck.
But even more importantly, we still need to apply the basic strategy correctly, without which the scorecards will be completely useless. The card account is only really effective in the long run. This will turn blackjack into a game of positive expectation. But you won’t become a millionaire overnight.
Card counting is more efficient with fewer decks in the shoe. Imagine playing with only one deck and knowing that an ace has been removed. With only three of four left in the boot, that makes a massive difference. But in a multiple blackjack game, say eight suits, that’s 31 Aces left instead of 32. Barely a scratch.
Counting Cards In Blackjack
It is also important to only count cards at physical blackjack tables. If you try to play an online casino with RNG software, you have absolutely no chance of counting cards. Each hand is completely random, so it serves no purpose. But what about live blackjack games?
When you play blackjack, the dealer shuffles several decks. At this point we have no idea what the shoe looks like so we start counting cards. The more we play, the better we get a feel for how the shoe is set up and can adjust our strategy accordingly.
Finally, when we get to the card cut, the shoe is shuffled, taking whatever advantage the card counters had and have to begin with. When you play in a physical casino, the cut card is placed quite low in the shoe, giving you time to learn what is going on and adjust.
However, when we play in a live dealer casino, they place the cut card much higher in the shoe, resulting in a more frequent shuffle. This is because the casino has no way to check if the players count, unlike a physical casino. They are only protecting themselves.
How Blackjack Card Counting Works
This is perhaps one of the most misunderstood aspects of card counting. Of course, every country has its own local laws, so you should always check if you’re traveling somewhere new. But in general, card counting is not illegal.
Although the movies may suggest otherwise, this is also true of Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos. The New Jersey Supreme Court ruled on this, and even Nevada law clearly states that card counting is perfectly legal.
While counting cards is perfectly legal, that doesn’t necessarily mean casinos like you are trying. If they catch you, they can ask you to leave. It depends on the circumstances. If you are playing at low stakes, enjoying a drink and not particularly causing a problem, you may be fine. But if we are talking about high-quality VIP players who bank tens of thousands, it is a different situation.
Now that we are clear about the legality of card counting, how does it actually work? Well, there are actually many different card counting systems that all vary in their complexity. Wong Halves, Red 7, Hi-Lo and KnockOut are just a few of the many different approaches you can take.
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All the time! When counting cards, it is important to keep track of each card that is dealt. Yes, this includes the dealer, as well as all the other players sitting at your table! And not just for one hand, but every hand shared in the shoe.
Counting cards is not for the faint of heart. It requires discipline, patience, stamina and skill. It’s definitely not fun – it’s more like work!
As we have already mentioned, every card counting strategy is different. But for illustrative purposes, let’s take one of the simplest methods, the Hi-Lo system. To keep a score running with Hi-Lo, the following values are issued to each card in the deck.
For example, let’s imagine a table with you, another player and the dealer. This is the first hand of the shoe and you get an Ace and a King for blackjack. Your fellow player gets a King and a Queen for 20 and the dealer shows a 3. Their hidden card is revealed as a King and when they draw again they get a 6 for a total of 19.
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Congratulations on your blackjack! But amidst all the excitement, what is the running score? If you said -4, you would be absolutely correct. We see an Ace, three kings and a queen (-5) as well as a 3 (+1) and a 6 (0). That’s an overall score of -4.
Okay, now that we understand running counting, why don’t we just use it as our card counting system? In short, the running score only gives us a brief insight into the condition of the shoe. If we were playing with only one platform, it would be fine. But we often use six, or even eight.
As we have already mentioned, removing an ace from a single deck has a huge impact. But when there are still 31, it is completely different. Each card counting system therefore has its own formula that must be applied to convert the running count into a true count. And it is this figure that we will use to change our bet size.
When the score is negative, we have to bet smaller, or possibly even leave the table. This means that a high percentage of favorable cards have already been removed. Ideally, we are looking for a very positive score because this means that the deck is loaded with Ace cards and worth 10. This is what we want to see when we double!
Blackjack Card Counting Infographic
Basically, it is not possible to count cards in poker. You can certainly calculate the number of outs you can have in a hand if you draw for example. In fact, you should do this to calculate both the probability of the required pot and the equity of your hand.
Alternatively, you can count the number of blockers in your hand. These are certain cards that make it less likely or even impossible for your opponent to hold a particular hand. However, none of these things can really be classified as card counting in poker. It’s not just a concept that exists outside of the world of blackjack.
Card counting is a perfectly legal way to play blackjack. This is not easy to do as you must already be a skilled basic strategy player. Card counting also requires a good memory, a quick mind, patience and discipline. However, the right system can turn blackjack into a profitable game in the long run.
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However, card counting takes time to learn and master and concepts like true blackjack counting play a crucial role for a player trying to master the art of card counting in blackjack.
How Do Casinos Catch Card Counters?
Card counting is the process of assigning certain values to cards and then keeping an accurate count of those cards. Card counting gives players an estimate of the high and low value cards that have already been dealt and those remaining in the deck. The actual score is the number the player reaches after keeping a running count. To calculate the true score at a given time, a player must divide the running score by the number of decks remaining.
For example, if the running score is +8 and there are 2 decks, then the true score will be +4.
The real score is told
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