Does card counting really work in Blackjack?

[FIFA worldcup]

I'm pretty sure it's well accepted that card counting is legitimate and a real thing. It honestly sounds like you may not have been too good at it . Maybe you need a bit more practice?

I think card counting  is only effective in Hi-Lo count or on a smaller deck.
Not sure if it is any benefit in any other situation ?

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[Fredomago]

It works somehow most especially if you are very keen into every details and if have a very good mind that can focus and not forget things because for me, card counting is very difficult because you have to remember your counting as well as the cards, I even tried it one time but got lost instead because instead of having focus I got distracted when counting thus, I can say it is not for me.

Counting cards will be an advantage for those gamblers who really keen in succession to take some edge, it's very tough but there's always possibilities even in  small chances you'll be able to work it out, focusing and allowing yourself to manage memorizing those numbers of decks and keep trying to achieved your desires advantages after learning the right system to use.

[Barcode_]

I believe card counting in Blackjack will truly allow gamblers to gain a better house edge against the casino only if there are a lot of cards under the value of 7 which came out from the card shoe on a table, but having a slightly better advantage of house edge against the casino does not meant that the player will always win against the dealer due to the factor of luck. It also requires a huge amount of bankroll in order to execute the card counting strategy efficiently, that is one of the reason most card counting players are always working as a team with a leader funding the huge bankroll for the team.

Most casinos have already started to use a continuous shuffle machine for every blackjack table to prevent card counting players from playing blackjack, and I do not think card counting will work anymore for blackjack with these continuous shuffle machine placed on each table.

[bones261]

I believe card counting in Blackjack will truly allow gamblers to gain a better house edge against the casino only if there are a lot of cards under the value of 7 which came out from the card shoe on a table, but having a slightly better advantage of house edge against the casino does not meant that the player will always win against the dealer due to the factor of luck. It also requires a huge amount of bankroll in order to execute the card counting strategy efficiently, that is one of the reason most card counting players are always working as a team with a leader funding the huge bankroll for the team.

Most casinos have already started to use a continuous shuffle machine for every blackjack table to prevent card counting players from playing blackjack, and I do not think card counting will work anymore for blackjack with these continuous shuffle machine placed on each table.

Yes, I was a solo card counter and my bankroll was small. I think the small bankroll was my downfall. Also, I never kept any logs of my wins and losses. I may have actually came out ahead, but the proceeds were so small, that it didn't seem like I was actually winning in the long run. Also, playing blackjack online in the early 2000s didn't help. Since those games always played like the cards were shuffled every time. I still think most games play that way unless it is a "livegame" when playing online.

[Fundamentals Of]

The way I see it, card counting is only effective and real to a bunch of mathematical and memory wizards. Even if someone will study and practice card counting over and over again, if his mental capacity or his IQ is really below the wizard level, he will not make forward steps. Card counters are more of a bunch of nerds for me. And their abilities are really beyond that of a normal person. No wonder why there are only a handful of them in the world.  

[bones261]

The way I see it, card counting is only effective and real to a bunch of mathematical and memory wizards. Even if someone will study and practice card counting over and over again, if his mental capacity or his IQ is really below the wizard level, he will not make forward steps. Card counters are more of a bunch of nerds for me. And their abilities are really beyond that of a normal person. No wonder why there are only a handful of them in the world.  

It is really not that hard. All someone needs to do is learn the basic strategy, (which everyone who plays blackjack should do anyway,) know how to count backwards and forwards, and be able to divide by the number of decks you have left. The only thing you need to keep in your mind is the running count. Also, when the dealer shuffles up, your count starts at zero again. It is basically elementary school math. Also, back in the day, most people could remember their phone number and other people's phone numbers memorized for a long time. all you need to remember is what your running count is, which is one number.  Also, you just need to learn like 20 basic strategy variation based on the count. the two that you will use most often is take insurance if the count is really high (lots of 10s in the deck) and stand on 16 vs 10 if the count is positive. Also, if the running count is negative, you can remember it by replacing the word "negative" with N or M (for minus) or d for down.

[beerlover]

It works somehow most especially if you are very keen into every details and if have a very good mind that can focus and not forget things because for me, card counting is very difficult because you have to remember your counting as well as the cards, I even tried it one time but got lost instead because instead of having focus I got distracted when counting thus, I can say it is not for me.

I believe we can do everything as long as we put our minds to it. If you say this isn’t for you then lets know which one belongs to you. Every gambling game requires focus if we really need to succeed and card counting is just one of such that if do not learnt to focus and avoid all forms of distraction; you might likely never get through.

I was once this way. I had issues with everything related to number and I had a very forgetful memory and this automatically disqualified me from card counting but one of the days, I told myself I would  and I can do it, I did and ever since I keep on improving, card counting is okay and it works in blackjack I must say.

[shoreno]

For me, yes card counting really works in blackjack, especially if you are expert at it, I have a friend that pretty good at that technique, we usually tell him to take care because some casino bans him. So it's very possible you just need skills, experience, and luck to make it possible and ensure that they will not catch you or kick you out.

your friend is really good at that strategy  . his talent can give him a fortune if he will only know how to use it properly  . he can just pretend to play like a noob and will not use his strategy all the time or he can play of on a different sites  .

  he can also earn extra profit by teaching those strategy to other people  . there are strategies that are already laid out on the web but the problem is the timing on what is the right time to apply it  .

 thats why there are coaches pertaining to gambling  .

[Malsetid]

For me, yes card counting really works in blackjack, especially if you are expert at it, I have a friend that pretty good at that technique, we usually tell him to take care because some casino bans him. So it's very possible you just need skills, experience, and luck to make it possible and ensure that they will not catch you or kick you out.

People are doing and they're making pretty good money while doing it, so i guess to a point, it does work. I just don't a lot of people can efficiently  do it on a consistent basis. First two times i played black jack i tried  counting the cards when a friend told me about the technique. Not successful. Just lost more money trying to apply it and see if it works.

[panjul07]

For me, yes card counting really works in blackjack, especially if you are expert at it, I have a friend that pretty good at that technique, we usually tell him to take care because some casino bans him. So it's very possible you just need skills, experience, and luck to make it possible and ensure that they will not catch you or kick you out.

I wonder why some casinos bans him, is it due to card counting? If so, how the casinos knows that your friend did card counting?
I have never seen any casinos that provides blackjack has a clear term about card counting, so I don't think card counting is something against the rules or cheating. It means that there should be no reasons for any casino to ban players because of card counting. Card counting is a skill and knowledge, it is not always correct as well so it should be something legal to be done.

[bones261]

For me, yes card counting really works in blackjack, especially if you are expert at it, I have a friend that pretty good at that technique, we usually tell him to take care because some casino bans him. So it's very possible you just need skills, experience, and luck to make it possible and ensure that they will not catch you or kick you out.

I wonder why some casinos bans him, is it due to card counting? If so, how the casinos knows that your friend did card counting?
I have never seen any casinos that provides blackjack has a clear term about card counting, so I don't think card counting is something against the rules or cheating. It means that there should be no reasons for any casino to ban players because of card counting. Card counting is a skill and knowledge, it is not always correct as well so it should be something legal to be done.

     There are two ways that a casino can tell that you are card counting. One way is with your betting pattern. You bet more when the count is high since there are a lot of 10s and Aces left in the deck.(Favorable to the player.) They have a camera over the table and their staff can count cards too. It is not that hard. They can also tell if they spot a player who stands on 16s vs 10 sometimes and hits other times. When their are more 10s in the deck then small cards, a good card counter will stay on a 16. This is the most common basic strategy variation that card counters employ. If a player is doing both of these, and it correlates with the count, they have a pretty good idea that you are a card counter and can ask you to leave or play any other game but blackjack.
     This is why teams work so well. You have several players on several tables. They give a signal and then a big bettor shows up when things are favorable. However, I would guess that you have to be sly, because eventually they will notice this pattern too.

[bitgolden]

It works somehow most especially if you are very keen into every details and if have a very good mind that can focus and not forget things because for me, card counting is very difficult because you have to remember your counting as well as the cards, I even tried it one time but got lost instead because instead of having focus I got distracted when counting thus, I can say it is not for me.

Counting cards will be an advantage for those gamblers who really keen in succession to take some edge, it's very tough but there's always possibilities even in  small chances you'll be able to work it out, focusing and allowing yourself to manage memorizing those numbers of decks and keep trying to achieved your desires advantages after learning the right system to use.

I think the benefit aside, this card counting is very difficult and definitely not meant for everyone. Slow thinkers and those who find it difficult to focus can never do this and we can’t blame them. Me for instance, I would say that I should be counted out of this immediately because I am poor with numbers, bad at memorizing and I hate whatever that brings me tension, so definitely, I do not belong to the category of card  counters.

I had a friend who was a PRO with this and of a truth, I would say that it was nice and he basically was in control of his game, but I knew he was super intelligent. He was my classmate in college and the entire class knew him as a genius, I don’t really know what went wrong that made him not to continue with the education line but he went focused on gambling and was really doing excellently well.

[tsaroz]

It works somehow most especially if you are very keen into every details and if have a very good mind that can focus and not forget things because for me, card counting is very difficult because you have to remember your counting as well as the cards, I even tried it one time but got lost instead because instead of having focus I got distracted when counting thus, I can say it is not for me.

Counting cards will be an advantage for those gamblers who really keen in succession to take some edge, it's very tough but there's always possibilities even in  small chances you'll be able to work it out, focusing and allowing yourself to manage memorizing those numbers of decks and keep trying to achieved your desires advantages after learning the right system to use.

I think the benefit aside, this card counting is very difficult and definitely not meant for everyone. Slow thinkers and those who find it difficult to focus can never do this and we can’t blame them. Me for instance, I would say that I should be counted out of this immediately because I am poor with numbers, bad at memorizing and I hate whatever that brings me tension, so definitely, I do not belong to the category of card  counters.

I had a friend who was a PRO with this and of a truth, I would say that it was nice and he basically was in control of his game, but I knew he was super intelligent. He was my classmate in college and the entire class knew him as a genius, I don’t really know what went wrong that made him not to continue with the education line but he went focused on gambling and was really doing excellently well.

Card counting is not legal in gambling. You can be kicked out and denied your reward for counting the cards. Many people have won as well as been kicked out for wining by counting the cards.
Card counting itself is not an easy task, you'd need a high level of attention and a super memory.
There's nothing as card counting in online gambling as the shuffle are totally random.

[Oilacris]

I have known card counting ever since I watched the movie 21. Have anyone watched it too? It has been an eye-opener for me because I wanted to know how to gamble correctly. Correctly meaning I profit, lol. Then when I knew that it was hard to card count, I didn't bother anymore. That movie taught me that it's illegal to card count. Then recently, I have watched a short video that is about card counting. I'm quite confused because he said that it's somehow allowed and it gives you an edge versus the casino.

Anyway, card counting has been around, and it gives you edge with blackjack, and I do think it works, you have to practice it a lot and become good at it.

That movie was a classic but more unrealistic in the world of the casino's actually beating up gamblers and not more or less kicking them off the property and not allowing them back.

Seen that movie too which would definitely the case to happen  its too unrealistic and wont really be capable to exist in real life.

About on counting card,it does work but eventually this would be neglected on midway for sure due on distraction.

[bones261]

Card counting is not legal in gambling. You can be kicked out and denied your reward for counting the cards. Many people have won as well as been kicked out for wining by counting the cards.
Card counting itself is not an easy task, you'd need a high level of attention and a super memory.
There's nothing as card counting in online gambling as the shuffle are totally random.

Card counting is not illegal. There is no law that prohibits someone from using their brain in order to keep track of cards that have been dealt. The can prohibit someone from using an electronic device. The casino is a private business, though, and they can decide that they do not want a particular player's action. If they feel so inclined, they may even make certain players persona non grata. If you step foot in their casino again, or refuse to leave, they can have you arrested for trespassing. Also, when a casino backs off a card counter, they do allow them to cash in their chips. Otherwise, that would be theft on their part. Of course, the casino can make you whip out your ID, in order to be "compliant" with AML laws...

[Spaffin]

The main ones have good enough memory and be able to count quite well.  If you do not lose sight of all those cards that have already been visually fixed, then you have a much better chance of predicting the further development of events in this game.  Therefore, the calculation is very important if the gambler knows how to use it efficiently.

[actmyname]

Let's stop with the ignorant replies and break it down.

Also, when a casino backs off a card counter, they do allow them to cash in their chips. Otherwise, that would be theft on their part. Of course, the casino can make you whip out your ID, in order to be "compliant" with AML laws...

The casino's way of preventing card counters from returning is to ban them from the establishment. Though card counting is not itself illegal (it's just math, like basic strategy) trespassing is. And they will enforce that against you if you are caught. Now, there are ways to reduce the chances of being caught.

Your drinking of alcohol is actually beneficial for masking the counting, though if you're inexperienced it will highlight the thinking between cards if you take too long. Drinkers are less likely to be caught due to how inebriation causes cognitive decline. For heavyweights, though... you're in luck.

The other important thing is to bet consistently. When you arrive at a high true count because of one or two hands, you should never suddenly raise your wager. This attracts very unwanted suspicion and calls attention to how you play. Now, if you're a volatile gambler throughout the deck even when the count is low (or negative) then there will generally be less heat. One effective way of increasing your bet subtly is to spread to multiple seats if you are able. Individual hand bet increases will make your total increase with less visual impact than if you were to stack it on one hand. Moreover, spreading to multiple seats means that within a given hand, your chances improve. You're able to bet a significant amount more when you have multiple seats (I believe it's up to 25% with four simultaneous hands)

It does perplex me that casinos have taken measures against card counting if it doesn't work, though. I even had the experience of having my bet pushed back and informed by the pit boss that I could play any game other than blackjack. If card counting is indeed a bunch of bullshit, I am clueless why casinos would prohibit me from playing, and apparently have now implemented continuous shuffling.

Contrary to popular belief, hampering card counting with continuous shuffles is worse for the casino in the long term than just letting the card counters take a small %. Continuous shuffles in-between a deck for regular players slows play down significantly and is costly to the casino. You have less total wagered across the aggregate of all blackjack players, not just the card counters.

A) Inability to quit. I'm sure after being awake for 24 hours plus, my card counting abilities were probably hampered.
B) Drinking alcohol.
C) I may have been making more errors in my counting than I want to admit.

Extensive practice solves this. PM me later some time

D) My bankroll was too small for the level of betting that I was doing.

Bankroll is a very important topic when it comes to marginal advantages. Unless you're playing single deck, it's going to be very difficult to make money with a small bankroll. If you're only betting in the single digits, you're going to make minimum wage, at best.

E) In order to hide my card counting, I usually only had a spread of 1-4 units. Perhaps this is too small for card counting to work.

This depends on how you wager depending on the count, and what system you use. I believe you used a Hi-Lo strategy, which is simple to understand. However, more advanced strategies are not that difficult to learn given some effort.

Cheers.

[Theb]

I used to know of a barman who watched people losing on machines and then wait till the place was empty to then collect the now profitable slots return some of the cash deposited.

Huh. Didn't know there were slot machines whose odds changed when people were losing. Well, you learn something new every day I suppose.

I don't think there is one though. I know slot machines are the worst way to go to a casino if you want to win some. There's a probability that you will win the game and not some few cashbacks into you but its really at random. Slot machines really don't have a threshold where if it reach it suddenly becomes more profitable at the end, so in theory even if that "barman" is waiting for his turn on that slot machine it doesn't really increase his chances of winning the jackpot. Still card games like Blackjack or Baccarat where you can decide on where your money will really go.

[actmyname]

I don't think there is one though. I know slot machines are the worst way to go to a casino if you want to win some. There's a probability that you will win the game and not some few cashbacks into you but its really at random. Slot machines really don't have a threshold where if it reach it suddenly becomes more profitable at the end, so in theory even if that "barman" is waiting for his turn on that slot machine it doesn't really increase his chances of winning the jackpot. Still card games like Blackjack or Baccarat where you can decide on where your money will really go.

The only way to game a slot machine is to wait until a jackpot pushes the ev into the positives. Unless the slot machine is rigged, the base house edge remains the same and play has no effect upon the results.

When it comes to slots, the edge will usually be at least 2%. Most of the time, even progressive jackpot slots need values of multiple millions for it to be profitable.

[bones261]

The casino's way of preventing card counters from returning is to ban them from the establishment. Though card counting is not itself illegal (it's just math, like basic strategy) trespassing is. And they will enforce that against you if you are caught. Now, there are ways to reduce the chances of being caught.

Your drinking of alcohol is actually beneficial for masking the counting, though if you're inexperienced it will highlight the thinking between cards if you take too long. Drinkers are less likely to be caught due to how inebriation causes cognitive decline. For heavyweights, though... you're in luck.

The other important thing is to bet consistently. When you arrive at a high true count because of one or two hands, you should never suddenly raise your wager. This attracts very unwanted suspicion and calls attention to how you play. Now, if you're a volatile gambler throughout the deck even when the count is low (or negative) then there will generally be less heat. One effective way of increasing your bet subtly is to spread to multiple seats if you are able. Individual hand bet increases will make your total increase with less visual impact than if you were to stack it on one hand. Moreover, spreading to multiple seats means that within a given hand, your chances improve. You're able to bet a significant amount more when you have multiple seats (I believe it's up to 25% with four simultaneous hands)

     I quit drinking over a decade ago and don't intend to touch the stuff again. So I won't be able to use that as cover going forward. I suppose that I could order mocktales; but I doubt that is going to fool anybody. Also, in order to play multiple hands, I would have to visit the gambling town near me at less busy hours. I still have a 9 to 5 job, so the times that I could go are the same as most other people.

Contrary to popular belief, hampering card counting with continuous shuffles is worse for the casino in the long term than just letting the card counters take a small %. Continuous shuffles in-between a deck for regular players slows play down significantly and is costly to the casino. You have less total wagered across the aggregate of all blackjack players, not just the card counters.

I have played games with shuffle machines. It seems that it makes the game go faster, since the dealer does not need to take time to shuffle. Just but the recently played deck in the machine and remove the other decks, that are already shuffled.  I haven't played a game with continuous shuffling, though. However, I am certain it is pretty fast and automated.

Bankroll is a very important topic when it comes to marginal advantages. Unless you're playing single deck, it's going to be very difficult to make money with a small bankroll. If you're only betting in the single digits, you're going to make minimum wage, at best.

Unfortunately, the casino town near to where I live is limited stakes. So the maximum bet at any table is $100.00.

This depends on how you wager depending on the count, and what system you use. I believe you used a Hi-Lo strategy, which is simple to understand. However, more advanced strategies are not that difficult to learn given some effort.

Cheers.

My strategy was either Hi-Opt 1 with an ace side count or Hi-Lo. I really never tried the other strategies. However, even when I tried the Hi-Opt 2, I found myself losing my count because old habits die hard and I would count the 5 as -1 instead of -2.   In fact, I am so entrenched with the Hi-Opt 1 count, that I forget to count the 2's when trying Hi-Lo instead.