In recent years, the practice of card counting at the blackjack table has attracted a lot of attention. Movies such as the 2008 “21”, the 1988 “Rain Man” and the 1998 “Rounders” highlight card counting in the casino.
In addition, the media has highlighted card counting cases at Vegas casinos like the MIT team (who inspired the “21” movie in which students and ex-students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and other leading colleges used team-based card counting and advanced mathematical strategies to increase their wins and the case of actor Ben Affleck who was banned by the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Las Vegas for counting cards.
Card counting requires a phenomenal memory and prodigious ability to turn that knowledge into a gaming strategy for each hand. But many players think about giving it a try. Can you lower the house edge by counting cards when you play online blackjack?
On the face of it, it seems like it would be easier to count the cards on an online platform than in a land-based casino where security and cameras are on the constant watch for card counters – who they exclude when discovered. Join the Grande Vegas Casino to explore the world of card counting and consider how if and how it can be effective in an online environment.
Card Counting
Card counting involves mentally tracking the ratio of high to low cards remaining in a blackjack deck. Card counters want to gain an advantage over the casino by determining when the odds favor bets of higher amounts.
Card counters assess values to the cards based on the advantage that the card has for the player, as opposed to the value that it has for the dealer. For instance, a high card (like a 10, a face card or an Ace) is favorable to the player because it increases his/her chances of hitting a blackjack. Low cards (like 2 to 6) tend to be more favorable to the dealer.
Card counters assign values to cards based on their preferred system. For instance, the Hi-Lo system assigned a +1 value to 2s – 6s, a 0 value to 7s-9s, and a -1 value to 10s-Aces.
As the cards are dealt, the card-counting player keeps a running total of the values. For example, if the first three cards dealt are a 4, 8, and King, the count would be +1 (for the 4), +0 (for the 8), and -1 (for the King). The running count would then be 0. The player then adjusts his/her bets based on the running count.
If there’s a higher running count that means that there is a greater proportion of high cards that remains – that’s favorable to the player so s/he would then place a higher wager. If multiple decks are being used, the player divides the running count by the number of decks remaining to create a "true count" so that the count relative to the number of cards yet to be dealt is adjusted.
Card counting is legal in most jurisdictions but it is banned by almost all casinos which, as private enterprises, are legally allowed to ban players suspected of card counting.
Counting Cards Online
Since land-based casinos identify card counters by monitoring their behavior, it seems that it would be easier to count cards when playing online. Right?
In truth, counting cards when playing online blackjack presents several challenges that you wouldn’t encounter if you were playing in a brick-and-mortar casino. Technically, it’s possible to keep track of your cards when you play on an online platform but there are different issues that make it tricky.
- Many of the casinos offer blackjack variations where multiple decks of cards are used. This makes it harder to keep an accurate count since, the more decks in play, the more complicated card-counting becomes (though it’s still possible, though more complex, to use the “running count” verses the “true count” method).
- Like land-based casinos, online casinos almost always have policies that prohibit the use of any strategy that allows a player to gain an edge, including card counting. Whereas land-based casinos rely on on-site observation techniques to identify card counting activities, online casinos can detect the use of card counting techniques through the use of AI and other software systems that can identify wins that seem to come too close together or otherwise defy accepted odds.
Casino Policies: Online casinos often have strict policies against the use of any strategy to gain an edge, including card counting. If you are caught counting cards, your account may be suspended or closed. - Online blackjack is powered by a Random Number Generator (RNG) that shuffles and deals the cards. The decks are shuffled after each hand, using continuous shuffling machines. RNG software ensures that every deal is random so you’ll never receive a deal that is in any way connected to the cards that have already been dealt.
This means that it’s impossible to apply traditional card counting techniques since the order of the cards is randomized from one hand to the next. Thus, card counting is not effective when such a system is in place. - It’s particularly hard to keep track of your blackjack cards in a fast-paced online environment. You don’t physically see or touch the cards so you must rely on the interface to keep pace with the game, giving you little time to do the mathematical gymnastics needed to count cards.
It may be theoretically possible to attempt card counting in some online blackjack formats but the effectiveness of card counting online is significantly reduced due to the use of RNGs, shuffling methods, and online casino policies. If you want to win at online blackjack, learn the Basic Blackjack Strategy and manage your bankroll effectively. And don't count on card counting (wink, wink).
