Does card counting really work in Blackjack?

[STT]

For most people you should tell them card counting does not work because the vast majority will be too incompetent to conduct the system correctly.   Screwing up the slight advantage ruins the whole concept really.  
   Its not a gift or really cheating, its a return on controlled calculations of known variables.   When you reduce the unknowns in a gamble you will always increase the chances, thats why many poker players are really quick reads on types of people and their likely plays.
   If you can read people reasonably well in unbiased observant manner then its maybe worth trying poker.   I'd say this as a skill is more probable then what card counting is made out to be, plus the casino doesnt mind if you do well vs others afaik.

[serjent05]

Some casinos are prohibiting card counting so this only means it really works.  With the skill of card counting a player knows what will be the next sets of cards to be distributed and knows their chance of winning.  This way they can either add more chip on their bet or just stay with their initial bet.

[STT]

So If casinos prohibits card counting then there are people who already did it in real time and not on the movies?

The story of a professor and his maths class of students going out on a field trip to attempt probability theory for profit in a local casino is not made up as far as I know.   I will try and dig this out via google later but I did check previously and found it was a real case many decades ago now.

The subject of probability and data analysis for advantage goes back hundreds of years and relates to multiple subjects even as serious as engineering, they will determine odds of failure vs stress patterns of various natures.   Nothing in the world is indestructible but they have to make it highly improbable and be aware when risk of failure rises and why.   As I like to say in many threads, gambling is not a game its a feature of life we cannot get away from and everything is a risk with known and unknowns.

   Listen to this guy, he is quoting ancient Greece scholars afaik:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiPe1OiKQuk

[hahay]

I think the card count on blackjack is not important because when we play online there is a system that makes the house and players have different levels of luck, after all many people use or play online gambling like this simultaneously and it is a sign that the calculation in the blackjack game not important. So, I personally just feel this game only relies on luck, if the cards can be known its movements then immediately play well, but when we feel something is not good at the time of the game, then I will just leave it.

[bones261]

I think the card count on blackjack is not important because when we play online there is a system that makes the house and players have different levels of luck, after all many people use or play online gambling like this simultaneously and it is a sign that the calculation in the blackjack game not important. So, I personally just feel this game only relies on luck, if the cards can be known its movements then immediately play well, but when we feel something is not good at the time of the game, then I will just leave it.

Most, if not all, online blackjack games play like the deck is shuffled after every hand. Also, the live games online casinos offers use continuous shufflers. So no, card counting is not going to help much with online games. However, if you can find the right game in brick and mortar casino's, it appears that it can work. However, it appears that it did not work for me because I didn't have a big enough bankroll.
However, one thing that can help a person online is to learn the basic strategy. You would be surprised how many people do not know how to play the basic strategy, perfectly. I remember getting yelled out for making a play, such as split 9s against a dealer low card. One person, long ago, accused me of being greedy and how dare that I ruin a "good hand."   I remember another guy yelled at me for hitting a soft 18 vs a dealer 10. the player, himself, was playing the no bust strategy. (Literally he would not hit a hard 12 or above no matter what the dealer had.)

[bitgolden]

Some casinos are prohibiting card counting so this only means it really works.  With the skill of card counting a player knows what will be the next sets of cards to be distributed and knows their chance of winning.  This way they can either add more chip on their bet or just stay with their initial bet.

I have always wondered why casinos are sometimes against card counting, now I understand better but the card counting is even not so easy and not every gambler can do it. I don’t want to believe every player has the memory for counting and moreover to be good at counting, we must have the ability to be focused not to miss count of the cards that have been arranged optically, this is the only way a a gambler counting, one can get an opportunity to guess next thing that would be unveiled in the game.

The necessity of calculations in blackjack can never be overestimated. The casinos are aware of this and this is the reason its highly prohibited, it definitely works.

[actmyname]

I have always wondered why casinos are sometimes against card counting, now I understand better but the card counting is even not so easy and not every gambler can do it. I don’t want to believe every player has the memory for counting and moreover to be good at counting, we must have the ability to be focused not to miss count of the cards that have been arranged optically, this is the only way a a gambler counting, one can get an opportunity to guess next thing that would be unveiled in the game.

The necessity of calculations in blackjack can never be overestimated. The casinos are aware of this and this is the reason its highly prohibited, it definitely works.

What are you talking about? The most you have to memorize is the count and the number of aces, if you're doing any side count. The rest you can discern between rounds. You're not remembering every individual card, though you certainly could (and given enough skill, mathematically deduce exact probabilities), rather you're using various systems to come close to best betting/playing strategy. Some counting systems are marginally lower than the accuracy of calculating card-by-card, so you're not missing out on much. Maybe a small difference of 0.001 ev.

[bones261]

Well, I just got done having a 3 day gambling episode at Betonline.ag. They had a live game that was 6 decks and the rules were OK. Hit on soft 17, can only split once, and double down on any two cards even after the split. However, the deck penetration was only less about 50%. I tried to count the cards. It was kind of easy because they play really slow. Most of the poor dealers looked bored and tired. Unfortunately, I lost about .06 BTC. I am wondering if there are any games online that are good for card counting. One that has a deck penetration larger the 50%. I somehow think that what was offered at Betonline.ag was about the best that there is to offer. Guess it is back to my day job.  

[actmyname]

They had a live game that was 6 decks and the rules were OK. Hit on soft 17, can only split once, and double down on any two cards even after the split. However, the deck penetration was only less about 50%.

Slow dealers = horrible for counting. You want a high count of hands/hour if you want to make anything decent.

Assuming 3:2 payout, doubling on any and being unable to hit aces after splitting, that's 0.66895% edge. Best case scenario (hitting aces post-split) that drops down to 0.48409%. If you have surrender, then that's even better.

Evolution Gaming holds a 0.6072% edge, but it's 8 decks rather than 6.

The results after counting would probably be equivalent between the two, though if you're able to secure an entire table on Betonline.ag you might be able to make it more profitable. A team scenario.