Does Card Counting Work in Blackjack? Myths vs. Reality

What does it take to outsmart a table full of professional blackjack players? How do you put the odds in your favor, manage the adrenaline rush, and watch your cards fall perfectly into place? 

Card counting is the answer, and just like the MIT students from the hit movie 21, you too can learn how to beat the masters at their game using card counting. However, does card counting still work? Is it legal? And is photographic memory a requirement to excel at card counting? 

We have the correct answers to these questions, so join us as we explore the dynamics of card counting. 

What is Card Counting in Blackjack

Let us begin with what card counting is not. Card counting is not a money-doubling strategy; you cannot turn $100 into $1,000 just by counting cards. Card counting is a technique skilled players employ to stay on track with the ratio of high-value cards—10s, aces, and face cards—and low-value cards in every deck of cards they play. Keeping track of their cards helps players gain insight into possible outcomes that can help them play winning hands or hit blackjack.

Players can try out real-money blackjack promotions at online casinos to test card counting techniques. 

Myths About Card Counting 

Here are commonly believed myths about card counting: 

You need a photographic memory to count cards 

While many other myths about card counting circulate in casinos, this one ranks somewhere at the top. A photographic memory is the last thing you need to excel at card counting; it doesn’t even make the requirement list. All you need to up your card counting game is to commit the blackjack strategy charts into your memory, and all that takes is practice and great focus. You must also remember the running count for every session until it changes again. With excellent focus, training, and a few repetitions, you’ll be a pro at it in no time. 

Card counting can double your money in only a few hours

That’s a myth that many people should desist from thinking about. Card counting is not a get-rich-quick scheme, and many people have been led astray because they believe in untruths like this. Like every professional card counter will tell you, your chips don’t double in hours. Whether you use card counting or not, winning at casinos involves ups and downs, wins and losses, and just the right amount of winning and losing streaks. 

So, don’t be dismayed when you experience all these in your gaming sessions, especially if you want to excel at card counting. 

Card counting could be a better use of time

“Why waste time on something that doesn’t work?” This question preoccupies many casino lovers, who have been asking it in vain. The people who mostly believe that card counting doesn’t work are those who have tried and failed at it, those who don’t know any better, and people who have previously excelled at it but believe it can’t be done anymore. 

However, blackjack professionals like Tommy Hyland and Arnold Snyder—who mentioned it in their book, “The Big Book of Blackjack—believe this is the best time to maximize card counting. 

It’s a given that the games will be more challenging to win than they were years ago, but there are more casinos now and even more opportunities to explore card counting. And as for the intelligent card counters, they constantly think of ways to win at every casino game every time they step into the scene. 

Card counting is illegal

This myth keeps most people away from card counting. Card counting isn’t illegal; it involves using your brain. What is unlawful about brain work? 

So, the next time you encounter a player who thinks card counting is illegal, you can gently correct the notion and get them back on track. 

What it Takes to Win at Blackjack Using Card Counting 

If you’ve spent just the right amount of time at casinos, you will know that distractions are everywhere. To win your blackjack game using card counting, you must find a way to deal with the distractions. It would help if you had accuracy and precision whenever you’re learning to count cards, as you’ll be trained to follow the rise and fall of specific numbers through the game. Each dealt card brings new information and a new strategy, requiring you to change how you bet and the hand you play. Divisions, fractions, and estimations are also involved, and with card counting, you need to process the information without distractions or missing a single card. 

The Reality of Card Counting in Casinos

As you go about your business, remember that casinos have the right to refuse service to anyone, and that is the reality of card counting in casinos.  

While card counting is not illegal, casinos frown upon this skill and always find a way to deter skilled players from using this approach. You won’t be arrested for using card counting, but countermeasures such as frequently reshuffling the deck and banning card counters from casino premises may be introduced.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Is card counting a legal practice?

Card counting is legal because it only involves brainwork, but some casinos are open to card counters. While you may not be arrested for this strategy, some casinos may ban you from entering their establishment if they’re against card counting.

What skill does card counting require?

You only need focus and attention to detail to excel at card counting. If you can commit the details of every card to memory, then you can win your games. 

An alternative to Blackjack is 3 card poker. Another casino skill game that can be played in online casinos.

Conclusion 

Card counting is an exciting subject in casinos that draws the attention of artists and players. So, approach it cautiously, whether you appreciate it as a captivating concept or explore it in casinos. Your path as a card counter includes certain risks, and adhering to the rules of the casinos you frequent will keep you from unnecessary trouble. 

May your games be filled with knowledge and great winnings. 

Sadonna Price

Sadonna is a casino content creator and former professional poker player that loves using her creativity to provide insight into the most interesting aspects of the casino world.