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?

The biggest misconception is that you can be arrested or sent to jail for counting cards.


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
How It Actually Works (The Hi-Lo System)

Counters do not memorize every single card played; instead, they assign a simple value to groups of cards.


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. Here is more info about casino stop by the website. g., +5)Deck is rich in 10s and AcesIncrease your bet size significantlyNegative (e.g., -3)Deck is full of low cardsBet the absolute table minimum

Ultimately, a perfect card counter only has about a 1% to 1.5% mathematical advantage over the house.