You need to learn about blackjack card counting to take your game up a level. Counting cards is an easy skill to pick up, but difficult to master. Get yourself equipped with the ultimate how-to guide, plus strategies, legalities and the history of card counting. After practicing with our exclusive Casino.org card counting simulator, you'll be playing like a pro in no time.
Card counting is the technique you use when you keep track of the number of high and low cards left in the dealers’ deck. Count cards successfully and you can raise your bet when you know the odds are stacked in your favor, making you much more likely to win big. Remember though, card counting is not for learning how to consistently win at blackjack, or how to cheat in blackjack. It’s simply a skillset in addition to your normal gameplay, to give you a better idea of what’s in the deck.
There are no federal or state laws which consider counting cards to be a criminal act. Providing you're doing it in your head and not using a card counting device or mobile app, there is nothing illegal in this. However, despite the law, it is regarded as cheating. If you are going to attempt to count cards in a casino, we strongly advise you to be cautious. Casinos will come down heavy on suspected card counters. You may be asked to leave the table or even be banned. Beware - your behavior will be closely monitored at all times. Even the best card counters occasionally get rumbled.
In a word: winning. Do it right and you can strike gold with one simple, strategic game. Learning to count cards in blackjack can help you win big. Blackjack is a casino game phenomenon worldwide because, as well as being fun, you have a decent chance at pocketing whatever you win. Especially when you know what you're doing… It gets even better when you can flip the odds in your favor, giving you more chances of big wins!
To card count properly, whether in an online blackjack game or in a casino, all that you are doing is keeping a running tally based on the face value of any cards revealed. Learn how to count cards with these 4 simple steps:
So how does this create an advantage over the casino? Well, if you're playing blackjack perfectly, the house edge is around 0.5%. If you play perfectly plus master card counting, you are playing with a 1% advantage over the casino! So, it really does pay to start practicing.
When card counters work as part of a team it's estimated that the advantage gained over the casino rises to between 2 and 4%.
Yes, you can count cards playing blackjack online. Although, most online casinos use software that shuffles the cards every time a new hand is dealt, making it a bit tricky. There are some programs you can use which will count the cards for you, but they are generally forbidden to use.
The benefits however mean you can count cards from your own home, without the risk of being caught by the casino as you can if you try to count cards in a land-based casino. You shouldn’t join a land-based blackjack table to count cards until you have practices and feel confident counting cards online. A great way to practice is by using one of our free online blackjack games. Our free games help you perfect your skills without risking losing real money.
If you decide to play for real money online, beware that some sites employ software that shuffles cards almost every time a new hand is dealt. This makes it increasingly difficult to count cards online and win money.
The most basic strategy for beginners is called the Hi-Lo strategy. This is the type that you practice in our simulator.
In this strategy, high cards (10 - Ace, including face cards) are assigned a specific value of -1. Low cards (2 - 6 in any suit) are assigned a +1 value. The remaining cards (7 - 9) count as 0.
This strategy is simple easy to follow for a beginner to get started with card counting while playing online or at a land-based casino.
As the dealer deals a card you make a note in your head of its assigned value. If the card is a ten for example, you count is as -1. If the next card dealt is a three, its assigned value is +1. Now your cumulative total adds up to 0.
The idea is that you do this continuously for every new card dealt, without breaking your sum until the deck is shuffled again. The total is considered the 'running count'.
That's all there is to it. When you keep it simple, the calculations are not too difficult and your mind does not go into overdrive!
Blackjack table seats are referred to as 'bases'. The seat closest to the dealer is considered 'first base' and the furthest away is 'third base'. Because of the order of play, a player sitting at third base has the best advantage.So if you're planning to count cards, you are best to sit in third base position. This gives you more time to keep an eye on the table, to count and to be the last player placing a bet.
Once you've mastered the art of basic Hi-Lo card counting, you are probably done with counting off cards on your fingers. When you want to progress to more complex techniques, you have several options to choose from.
The Omega II technique is a 'balanced' system, where you have 0 as base. Bryce Carlson developed this and wrote a book about card counting back in 1992. It is more sophisticated than the classic +1,0 and -1 values.
A positive count reflects that more low cards are present in the deck being dealt. A negative count means a large number of high cards are in the deck still.
The name for this system comes from its creator Stanford Wong. It's considered an advanced strategy on account of its assigned values, some of which are fractions.
Wong Halves is a 'balanced' system, meaning that when a deck is dealt completely, your count should be 0. You can simplify the strategy by doubling up all the values to avoid using fractions altogether.
Some card counters make it a team effort. The benefit of this is that multiple decks, on multiple tables, can be counted simultaneously. The team use signals to communicate with one another while avoiding detection. In this way, they can tell hovering players when to join in a hand, and whether to bet big or not.
This strategy was employed by a team of students and alumni at MIT to win millions of dollars from multiple casinos for years. Once uncovered, their escapades became the subject of a best-selling book. In 2008, their story became a Hollywood movie called 21.
One of the ways casinos try to counteract card counting is by using multiple decks. This in theory makes it harder for card counters to keep track of the running total. If you come up against a dealer using multiple decks in blackjack, you can still use the Hi-Lo strategy. All you need to do is divide the running count by the number of decks remaining. This will give you what is called a 'true count'.
Your true count figure, rather than your running count, dictates your advantage when multiple decks are involved. You must keep an accurate running total to enable you to work out the true count value. For example, if your running total is 5 and there are 2 decks remaining, your true count will be 2.5 (because 5 divided by 2 is 2.5).
The easiest strategy to master is the Hi-Lo approach. For first time card counters it's advisable to start here and see how you get on. As your ability increases, on top of counting you can choose to advance to an alternative blackjack strategy should you feel it necessary. Of course, you need to be 100% confident that you have mastered the game itself before you even attempt card counting. We have got plenty of other tips on playing blackjack which you can employ in your game technique.
At Casino.org, we want to ensure that you are best informed as possible when playing casino games. There are laws which you must consider before practicing card counting.
For example, Nevada state laws prohibit card counting with electronic or mechanical aids such as smartphone apps. You will be arrested if you are caught doing this. Using your own arithmetic skills to keep track of cards is not illegal. Although the legal situation for card counting is quite clear cut, using your head to count cards is still not welcomed at casinos.
Although a casino and its operator cannot prosecute unless you are using a device, they can make your situation very unpleasant if you're caught. Some law firms in the US have specific legal teams and defense attorneys who deal with Las Vegas casino arrests.
Since casino operators are well aware of the practice of card counting, they take measures to keep you from doing so. You will find surveillance cameras whenever you look up. Dealers are often switched when a table is considered 'hot' by a pit boss. Sometimes, the pit boss will get the dealer to force a shuffle once the hand being dealt is over. Online blackjack does not have the same problem, but some software forces random shuffles to counteract this practice.
It is important to be responsible and to respect the rules of the house if you decide to walk into a casino.
Keep an eye on your bankroll
While it's important to pay close attention to the cards drawn, it's equally as important to always bear in mind how much money you have to play with. You don't want to start making any sudden drastic moves and run out of cash.
Be discreet
Card counting may not be illegal as long as you do it in your head, but it's still frowned upon in many land casinos. Should staff catch you in the act, you may be asked to leave the game or could even find yourself thrown out of the casino.
Play at a land casino
Card counting online is extremely difficult, thanks to the use of RNGs which randomly reshuffle the deck after each turn. You'll be far more successful playing at a land casino with a real-life dealer and physical deck of cards.
Try using a strategy
There are many different strategies out there to try, with a few mentioned right here on this page. Practice a few different ones to see which works best for you, then put your new skills to the test playing blackjack.
Team members: Starting in 1979, the MIT card counting team existed for nearly two decades. Its original members and successors ranged from college students to alumni.
Biggest win: Unspecified, but the cumulative total won amounted to millions.
Interesting fact: Several members of the MIT card counting team, including Bill Kaplan (photo) all make cameo appearances in the 2008 film 21, which is loosely based on the team's story.
Card counting is a system for tracking the probability of receiving cards that are favorable to you, during the course of a game.
With card counting, the idea is not to count the numbers of each individual card in order to know when you have an advantage over the house. The idea is to know when the remaining deck is poor or rich in high cards.
No. It’s not illegal to count cards unless you are using a mechanical or electronic device at a land-based casino. When you play online, a pit boss cannot monitor you anyway. Card counting is a skill and is a playing strategy above all else.
The technique itself is not difficult. It does however take practice. There is a learning curve when it comes to card counting. While it’s manageable it isn’t always straightforward. You just need to get a grasp of blackjack as a game and understand the required counting system each time you play.
Our dedicated card counting simulator is a great way to practice the basic Hi-Lo strategy. It won't take you all the way to becoming a pro, but is a great way to start practicing. Practice online or with friends rather than in a real casino, you don't want to be caught out while you're still learning!
The amount of time it takes to learn how to count cards is completely subjective. As a rule of thumb, it’s fair to say that you won’t go from zero to pro overnight. The way to determine how long it might take, is to first consider how fast and efficient you are at arithmetic.
You can. Baccarat is a game that can be controlled via card counting, although it requires an impressive level of skill to implement the strategy. The seldom mentioned 3-card brag can also be played by card counting, as the deck is only shuffled during specific game scenarios.
Many apps claim to be the best blackjack card counting apps, but that’s not necessarily true. Your best bet is to learn the strategy yourself by practicing. Helpful tools like our Card Counting like a Pro tool help you improve your skills and test your knowledge.
Maybe. There is no real benefit for the dealers in either online live casinos or land-based casinos to count the cards they’re dealing. Technically they could try to influence the players behavior, but as there aren’t any benefits for it, they don’t. In addition, live casinos have to adhere to such strict rules today that the repercussions of this happening would be too great.
Of course. You could win on a lucky fluke by just knowing the very basic rules of how to play. You don’t need to know how to count cards in order to know how to play blackjack and win. Card counting is not a sure-fire way to guarantee a win. Playing with blackjack strategies is another way to better your chances overall.
