There have been plenty of gambling movies that make card counting seem like it is a great and complex strategy. Believe it or not, you don’t have to be a mathematician to count cards the next time that you sit down at a blackjack table.

Card counting is a relatively basic strategy used in blackjack where the player keeps a running tally of all the cards that have already been dealt. Dealers can have varying numbers of decks, but players can keep track of the cards that have been dealt to provide more information.

Card counting is essentially gathering as much data as possible to make a more educated guess as to the next cards to be dealt. It isn’t perfect and can be a bit tougher with more decks in play, but it has become a consistently used way to gain a slight edge on the house.

Is it Illegal to Count Cards?

Despite what you might have heard, it actually isn’t illegal to count cards, whether it be in a real or online casino. That said, casinos generally frown on that sort of thing, so use caution. Doing so at a brick-and-mortar casino could result in ejection and refusal of service.

That said, most of the truly good blackjack players count cards in some way. It isn’t the most complicated process to learn and can provide a slightly better chance of winning than not using this strategy. It isn’t a guaranteed winner but for high-volume players, it is something that can somewhat level the playing field over time.

Can You Count Cards at an Online Casino?

Now to the million-dollar question. When talking about online blackjack, there are two major differences. For one, there is no dealer. For two, there is no shoe as cards are randomly generated each round. Every online casino uses a random number generator (RNG), which basically equates to the cards being shuffled before each round.

Since there isn’t a shuffle order – nor is there a cut card 80% of the way through 6- and 8-shuffled decks, card counting would have to be thrown away ahead of each round. There isn’t enough data available to provide an edge, which basically negates the strategy as a whole. If you see someone offering online counting services, it is a scam. It simply isn’t possible to count cards at an online casino with any consistency or regularity.

Conclusion

There are certain advantages to playing in person versus an online casino when it comes to blackjack. Though card counting is certainly not a guarantee, it does provide a slight edge that would otherwise be unavailable. Those attempting to count cards when playing online blackjack will find themselves sorely disappointed. Even in live casinos, the placement of the cut card can drastically reduce any edge the player would have gotten from counting cards. There is definitely strategy involved but not when it comes to card counting.

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