The Truth About Card Counting In Casinos

Pop culture has created a massive myth around the practice of counting cards at the blackjack table.


In truth, keeping track of the deck is an exhausting mathematical exercise that yields very small profit margins.

Can You Go to Jail for Card Counting?

Contrary to popular belief, using your brain to track cards is absolutely not against the law in any jurisdiction.


However, while it isn't illegal, casinos are private businesses and they strongly detest advantage players.

Using a physical device or a smartphone app to count cards is strictly illegal and will lead to arrestCasinos share databases of known counters, meaning getting banned at one property might get you banned everywhereSecurity teams use advanced software to analyze betting patterns to catch suspected counters
Understanding How Counters Keep Track

Rather than memorizing the deck, players assign a +1, 0, or -1 value to cards as they leave the shoe.


Low cards (2-6) are good for the player when they remain in the deck, so they are assigned a +1 value.

Running CountMeaningAction to TakeHigh Positive (e.g., +5)Deck is rich in 10s and AcesIncrease your bet size significantlyNegative (e.g. If you enjoyed this short article and you would like to obtain additional information relating to casino kindly check out our site. , -3)Deck is full of low cardsBet the absolute table minimum

Counting cards is essentially a difficult, stressful, and highly volatile part-time job, not a get-rich-quick scheme.