Understanding the Legality and Myth of Card Counting in Blackjack

[Davidvictorson]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

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[alani123]

Card counting is possible to do anywhere, but certain casino rules might make it extremely hard to have profit while doing it.
And then there's also the so called risk of ruin aka risk of losing all your deposits, which is always there. Even the most favorable casino rules will not let you get great chances at winning without risk. There's always at least a 1% chance of you losing everything. But with the casino rules on sites that feature live gambling dealers, the risk of ruin is much higher and you'll be earning much less even with the higher risk. Card counting is most effective when the shoe is about to end. And for live gambling host companies like Evolution, their rules are that the shoe changes when it's half way! So it's very hard to count cards because it's very rarely that you'll be close to a shoe finishing. Only if a dealer splits closer to the end in spit of them being instructed to split close to the middle and even then, it can take ages because many people sit on a table.

I watched a pretty good video on someone trying to card count online:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjiVpO1hlvk

It's also pretty entertaining so you'll have no problems watching it, but if you want the long story short here it is:
Basically it's possible to count cards even online on live gambling. But it's not that worth it because of high risk and low reward.

[acroman08]

If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

Not sure how laws works in the UK but a lot of casinos are privately owned establishment, they can have their own rules and they can kick you out or ban you from their establishment if they want to.

If you are curious if there have been people kicked out for card counting there videos on YouTube that you can probably watch.

[Fortify]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

It's not a myth, but it certainly takes a lot of talent, patience and extremely good memory to learn it. Your last sentence doesn't even make sense, the government makes the law - casinos and players follow those laws. Casinos are free to make their own terms, which players must adhere to in order to play there or they will be ejected from the casino and possibly banned permanently, that does not make what they are doing illegal and no police are going to arrest them for that alone. Go watch "Rain man", an old film with Tom Cruise in it and someone who plays a mathematical genius for one dramatized example of it. However there are professionals, who work single and in teams to try to win big at casinos using this method. There are some ways a casino can fight back, like reshuffling decks or not showing how many decks are being used in a shoe, which changes the odds.

[Jating]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

It's not a myth, card counters can really take advantage of the casinos and that is why Black Jack table is one of the most monitor in a traditional base casinos. And most card counters are well-known and they are recorded by casinos and being shared amongst themselves so that they will recognized and they are going to be ask to leave the premises politely.

It's not illegal per se, it's that you just uses your brain to memorized the cards, but if you uses like electronics to card count then that is illegal and casino can charge you with that.

[swogerino]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

The experts at counting cards don't need to do anything,they can count in full quietness and use that to their own advantage.It is not a myth at all as if it is done right,the person also has the right amount of patience to wait and go all in in a hand that he is sure to win it this gives the person the upper edge.Most casinos though know this trick and they use different deck of cards to counter such happenings,I have gone personally in the biggest casino where I live to verify this and yes they were using quite a big number of different decks,this way they are sure and safe from that count carding trick which if done right can make the casino lose their house edge.

[Davidvictorson]

If you are curious if there have been people kicked out for card counting there videos on YouTube that you can probably watch.

I have seen the videos..it is sad. I keep wondering why do these people keep counting being fully aware that they are going against the rules of the casino. They know the consequences when they are caught. I end up with the dilemma of if this is bravely or crazy.

Go watch "Rain man", an old film with Tom Cruise in it and someone who plays a mathematical genius for one dramatized example of it. However there are professionals, who work single and in teams to try to win big at casinos using this method. There are some ways a casino can fight back, like reshuffling decks or not showing how many decks are being used in a shoe, which changes the odds.

Thank you for the movie recommendations. It was fun and entertaining to watch. I count the blackjack scene as one of the greatest in movie history. Despite the movie being based on true life stories, it will be difficult for anyone to memorize the entire decks. And you are right casinos could fight back by automatically shuffling some decks of cards in.

[Sunderland]

Go watch "Rain man", an old film with Tom Cruise in it and someone who plays a mathematical genius for one dramatized example of it. However there are professionals, who work single and in teams to try to win big at casinos using this method. There are some ways a casino can fight back, like reshuffling decks or not showing how many decks are being used in a shoe, which changes the odds.

Thank you for the movie recommendations. It was fun and entertaining to watch. I count the blackjack scene as one of the greatest in movie history. Despite the movie being based on true life stories, it will be difficult for anyone to memorize the entire decks. And you are right casinos could fight back by automatically shuffling some decks of cards in.

Yeah Rain Man is a very good movie considering there are not many good movies about gambling that are actually good.
You can also watch the movie "21" the story about counting cards by MIT students led by their professor who has a plan to loot some casinos in Vegas.
And it is said that this movie is actually based on a true story of a group of MIT students running a card counting operation every weekend in Vegas.

[acroman08]

If you are curious if there have been people kicked out for card counting there videos on YouTube that you can probably watch.

I have seen the videos..it is sad. I keep wondering why do these people keep counting being fully aware that they are going against the rules of the casino. They know the consequences when they are caught. I end up with the dilemma of if this is bravely or crazy.

I don't think it is sad, its not like they are getting arrested or anything, they are just getting kicked out of the casino and as you said these people already know what the what could happen if they are caught. these just want to have an advantage against the casino and hopes they don't get caught when they are card counting.

[Aanuoluwatofunmi]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

All i will have to say concerning this is to know the rules of the kind of game you're playing, this may also have some little difference from the region in which we are subscribing for the play from, once we know the rules of engagement, we may not get into any unforeseen circumstances with the gambling we made, this should be the first thing that we must ensure to do by reading their terms and conditions for playing, this will give us the required direction on the steps to take or not.

[South Park]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

There is a big difference between the rules set by governments and the regulations put forward by casinos, for example, you could make a rule that no one in your house is supposed to eat junk food and if they do you will kick them out, but is it actually illegal to buy junk food? No, this is just a rule you decided to set on your house, casino rules are the same, card counting is not cheating and still it gives an edge to the player, obviously casinos do not like players that can do that as they have a negative impact on their profits, so those players get banned and they cannot play there ever again, however you have no risk of being arrested or anything like that, because what you did is not a crime, you just broke one of the internal rules of the casino.

[goaldigger]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

It’s not illegal but the casinos have their own rules and regulations, and once you play with them you agree to that terms and that’s why it became illegal on that casinos, though the consequences is just being banned from that casinos and not a legal battle. Card counting works, but it takes a lot of hard work and great knowledge for you to understand it, I think only few can do this and only few will attempt to learn this.

[betswift]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

you’re quite right in noting that card counting in blackjack sits in a unique legal and ethical gray area. Card counting, at its core, is simply a player using their mental faculties to keep track of the cards that have been dealt to gain an advantage. Legally, it’s not considered cheating because it doesn’t involve the use of external devices or collusion with the casino staff; it’s just a skillful way of playing the game.

However, casinos are private establishments and have the right to serve (or refuse service to) whomever they choose, as long as they’re not discriminating on the basis of protected characteristics like race, religion, or gender. Because casinos view card counting as a threat to their bottom line—they’re in the business to make money, after all—they employ various measures to identify and mitigate it. This includes the use of surveillance cameras and even banning players believed to be counting cards.

Your question about legality is insightful. In places like the UK, while the act of card counting itself isn’t illegal, the casino’s right to refuse service to someone they suspect of counting cards means that players engaging in this strategy can indeed be thrown out or banned. This doesn’t make card counting illegal per se, but it does mean that casinos are legally permitted to take actions against card counters. Essentially, while you’re not breaking the law by counting cards, you are violating the casino’s policies, and they have the legal right to ask you to leave or to ban you from playing.

So, while card counting gives players an edge and is not illegal, the reality of being able to practice it in a casino is complicated by the casino’s right to protect its interests.

[Wexnident]

If you are curious if there have been people kicked out for card counting there videos on YouTube that you can probably watch.

I have seen the videos..it is sad. I keep wondering why do these people keep counting being fully aware that they are going against the rules of the casino. They know the consequences when they are caught. I end up with the dilemma of if this is bravely or crazy.

Thing is there's a big "IF" inside that scenario. If they don't, then it's really easy to get money no? Casinos had a hard time I reckon in trying to monitor each and every player to catch whether they're card counting or not since this can be done mentally (hard, but doable) so they did some counters to it. Either by using multiple decks of cards, shuffling the deck after each (or multiple) rounds and stuff like that. They're pretty easy to remedy if you think about it really but I reckon casinos of the past didn't notice it or think about it until it became used by a lot of their players.

[FortuneFollower]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

Think of casinos as those high school parties where the hosts have the final say on the guest list. Just as you’re getting into the groove, counting cards like you’re flipping through a mental Rolodex, the casino’s eagle-eyed bouncers (aka surveillance cameras) are on the lookout.
So, while card counting in places like the UK isn’t against the law (you won’t be doing the walk of shame past Monopoly’s Go to Jail square), casinos act like those mythical creatures who guard treasures.
They have a “you shall not pass” attitude towards card counters, not because it’s illegal, but because you’re outsmarting the house at its own game.

[btc_angela]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

Think of casinos as those high school parties where the hosts have the final say on the guest list. Just as you’re getting into the groove, counting cards like you’re flipping through a mental Rolodex, the casino’s eagle-eyed bouncers (aka surveillance cameras) are on the lookout.
So, while card counting in places like the UK isn’t against the law (you won’t be doing the walk of shame past Monopoly’s Go to Jail square), casinos act like those mythical creatures who guard treasures.
They have a “you shall not pass” attitude towards card counters, not because it’s illegal, but because you’re outsmarting the house at its own game.

And casino's doesn't want you to outsmart them. And if I'm not mistaken, they shared the pictures or image of this card counters so that they can recognized them once they step inside the casinos.

From the videos that I watch, card counters are also at a look out, when they see pit bosses like on the phone and talking to someone, they will have to back it off and if they are lucky, they can exchange their winnings before being escorted out.

[Davidvictorson]

Yeah Rain Man is a very good movie considering there are not many good movies about gambling that are actually good.
You can also watch the movie "21" the story about counting cards by MIT students led by their professor who has a plan to loot some casinos in Vegas.
And it is said that this movie is actually based on a true story of a group of MIT students running a card counting operation every weekend in Vegas.

This movie recommendation was awesome. I absolutely love it. Yeah, I'd give the movie a 7/10 ratings. Fun Fact: Did you know the movie was based on a book - Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions by Ben Mezrich. After watching the movie, it makes me want to go to Las Vags, visit one of its casinos and play Blackjack.

Does anyone have any other Blackjack movie recommendation for me?

[Wapfika]

How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

There’s a mathematical evidence that card counting is effective for a regular card decks without a continuous shuffling feature in the casino since the number of cards is determined. Card counts involves counting both high cards and low cards that will give an idea to the possible remaining card on the deck and gives an edge to the players to increase their bet significantly.

Card counters rely on increasing their bets when they already have a better overview on what is the remaining card on the deck. It’s not a myth since it was proven and casino is aware on this strategy that’s why they are strict on monitoring it.

But right now, There’s no way to apply this method with the current rules of blackjack on casino.

[Natsuu]

How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

There’s a mathematical evidence that card counting is effective for a regular card decks without a continuous shuffling feature in the casino since the number of cards is determined. Card counts involves counting both high cards and low cards that will give an idea to the possible remaining card on the deck and gives an edge to the players to increase their bet significantly.

Card counters rely on increasing their bets when they already have a better overview on what is the remaining card on the deck. It’s not a myth since it was proven and casino is aware on this strategy that’s why they are strict on monitoring it.

But right now, There’s no way to apply this method with the current rules of blackjack on casino.

The thing is, it does truly works when done correctly. And you playing real time and being kick out solely depends with the level of security and rules and of the casino. Some identify that as an edge and allow their players to do such, most really defined that as cheating when the has been exploited much money from that player. It also depends on the casino if they exchange their winnings or not to monetary value.

[FortuneFollower]

I have learned that card counting is legal in blackjack but casinos frown at it. Most casinos have a surveillance camera that watch each table to catch a player who caught counting cards. A player may be thrown out or banned from the casino if caught counting cards because there is a belief that it gives the player an edge. How true is this or this a myth? If for instance card counting is legal in the UK but outlawed by casinos doesn't it makes it illegal?

Think of casinos as those high school parties where the hosts have the final say on the guest list. Just as you’re getting into the groove, counting cards like you’re flipping through a mental Rolodex, the casino’s eagle-eyed bouncers (aka surveillance cameras) are on the lookout.
So, while card counting in places like the UK isn’t against the law (you won’t be doing the walk of shame past Monopoly’s Go to Jail square), casinos act like those mythical creatures who guard treasures.
They have a “you shall not pass” attitude towards card counters, not because it’s illegal, but because you’re outsmarting the house at its own game.

And casino's doesn't want you to outsmart them. And if I'm not mistaken, they shared the pictures or image of this card counters so that they can recognized them once they step inside the casinos.

From the videos that I watch, card counters are also at a look out, when they see pit bosses like on the phone and talking to someone, they will have to back it off and if they are lucky, they can exchange their winnings before being escorted out.

The casinos really do go all out in their efforts to keep the game in their favor.
I’ve also heard about the networks some casinos use to share information about known card counters. They’re trying to protect their interests, of course, but it does raise interesting questions about privacy and fairness.