How Does Card Counting Work?

Card counting in a game of blackjackLowering the house edge is any player’s dream. No matter which casino game we’re talking about, everyone wants to benefit from slightly better odds. Strategies are conducted on a monthly basis and are an ever changing theme in the world of gaming. However, those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to utilizing everything there is in order to increase one’s chances of success at the casino. In the game of blackjack, the art of counting cards has been around ever since the notion of its existence was popularized in the 1950’s. Since then, card counting has been a huge part of blackjack, either as authority which the casinos are quick to enforce or as a players’ opportunity to simply get ahead of the dealer.

What Is the Goal of Counting the Cards?

Counting cards isn’t a myth nor is it so hard that only math geniuses can employ it. It is a set of rules and simple mathematics which combined with casual behaviour and expertise at blackjack will possibly (yes, we do say possibly) net you a 1% edge over the casino. The goal is pretty straightforward and simple – by counting the cards, you gain insight of the deck composition, i.e. what type of cards have been used and which are still in the deck. This will help you decide whether it is best to bet big or bet low, increasing your chances of success by approximately 1% (it might not seem much but in the long run, it is).

Of course, it is quite easy to count cards with just one deck in place. That is why casinos employ more in the game of blackjack (4-8) so it should come as no surprise that there are many techniques and systems already invented to keep track of larger sets of cards. Again, these systems are not set in stone and will not guarantee you a certain win though it is best to utilize some strategy rather than blindly place bets and hoping for the best. Below are three typical player characters that work together in a card counting round.

Player #1

He sits at a table and starts counting the cards according to a particular system. When the table gets “hot”, that is – lucrative, he makes a sign to Player #2 to join. He himself doesn’t change anything in his own playing style, nor does he takes advantage of the counting of the cards.

Player #2

He joins the table on a sign by Player #1 and starts playing progressively. That way, the profits are bigger. He can’t get under suspicion for card counting because he was not at the table when it got “hot”. Dealers may also count the cards as a means of control.

Player #3

This player is there for pure diversion. The person (usually a lady) is placed at the table and talks a lot and very noisily. The stakes are wildly high and low.

How Do You Count with the Hi-Lo System?

One of the most famous systems for utilizing card counting in blackjack, the Hi-Lo system, goes as follows: the deck of cards is divided into three distinct categories. The first consists of all low numbers (2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7), the second includes the numbers 8 and 9 and the third – all cards that are worth 10 points (faces and the 10’s). These categories are essential when it comes to counting cards. The first, or the low-value, category adds +1 on the overall card count. The 8 and 9 cards are equal to 0, and so don’t affect the overall count, while all the cards of the high-value category subtract 1 (-1) from it.

To put this in perspective, a set of dealt cards like 10, A, 4, 2, 2, 5, 7, Jack, 9 will net a overall card count of +1. When low cards dominate the count, you need to bet high since there will be more face cards in the deck, i.e. more chances for the dealer to go bust above 16 and better chances of getting a Blackjack.

Counting cards by the HL system

True Count: Essential for Increasing Your Chances

Counting cards with a system such as Hi-Lo is a great start but it is not the complete picture. The so-called True Count comes into play when you’re playing at a blackjack table that has more than a single deck of cards. By any logic, it is always better to know the overall state of the cards that are going to be dealt / have been dealt than the current ones. You need all the information and that is why knowing the True Count is essential at making progress while counting cards.

Current value (+4) – estimated remaining decks (2) = True Count (+2)

Finding out the True Count doesn’t require advanced math skills – it does involve however mastering the above mentioned Hi-Lo system. The trick is to keep in mind how many decks are left in the shoe. You take that number and divide the overall card count. For instance, if the overall card count is at 6+ and there are 3 decks left in the shoe, your true count will be at 2+. It does get a tad more complicated when you play for longer periods of time but not by a lot. In case you want to find out more about the strategy with charts in blackjack, here is a nice and helpful article for you.

Is It Forbidden to Count Cards?

Offline

Let’s get this out of the way – counting cards is not illegal. Neither offline nor online, counting cards is not illegal. It is however, frowned upon. Casinos do not like players counting cards in order to gain advantage over the casino so they have ways to prevent you from accessing the casino floor. This is due to the law which grants them the authority to forbid access to certain players. So, the rule of thumb is – yes, you can count cards but you have to do it discreetly and without getting caught. Otherwise, you will be prohibited from playing at the casino.

Online

As described above, you can count cards in an online or offline setting. Since the second factor, i.e. getting caught by the casino is irrelevant online, there is another, very important notion to consider – it is nearly impossible. Why? Well, the software handles all the dealing and shuffling and that is done automatically. The great thing about live dealers is that you get to see how the cards are shuffled and how many decks are left. Online, however, everything is invisible and your chances for counting are null.

Stories of Card Counting in Real Life

In the 80’s and 90’s a group of MIT students and graduates “terrorized” US casinos, making hundreds of thousands of dollars on a yearly basis by employing card counting techniques and strategies on blackjack tables. Their story is portrayed in several movies, and their feat is yet unmatched by today’s players. It is a great example of what an organized and well-educated group can achieve when utilizing the card-counting systems. Several decades later, some of the group members held conferences in Las Vegas recounting the events, since they’re all officially banned from attending any casino due to their “exploits.”

Popular BlackJack Books Popular books sharing card counting strategies in blackjack
Title: Author: Published by:
BlackJack: Play Like the Pros John Bukofsky Lyle Stuart Books, Kensington Publishing Corp.
Blackjack for Blood: The Card-Counters’ Bible, and Complete Winning Guide Bryce Carlson Pi Yee Press
Million Dollar Blackjack Ken Uston Carol Publishing Corporation
Professional Blackjack Stanford Wong Pi Yee Press
The World’s Greatest Blackjack Book Lance Humble Three Rivers Press

Another well-known team is that of Ken Uston. Here, the same system was generally applied. Their advantage was that in the 70s and 80s, no casino had really taken precautions to prevent counting cards. Other famous team-players are Al Francesco who originally recruited Ken Uston and Tommy Hyland whose team was the longest to stay in the field. The movies “21” and “The Last Casino” are dedicated to this topic. Also, “Rain Man” deals with the issue of card counting. For a detailed account of the curious history of blackjack, you may check our article here.