I want to start card counting?

Question

I am very interested in learning card counting, but wanted to see if it was really worth it. I wanted some feedback from players that use it currently and how well it works. I have Professional Blackjack and have not finished it yet. I am in the beginning stages of learning and again, wanted to know if given the current technology and casino tricks, if card counting still gives a player an advantage.

Answer 1

In short, yes, card counting will give you an advantage, but it is very difficult to make it work for you.

However, casinos are well aware of it and have devised a number of strategies to either mitigate the risk (to them) or to defeat card counting strategies.

Pit bosses have a lot of experience, and they can spot card counters a long way off. They will instruct the dealer to put more decks on the game, bury more cards in the shuffle, stop mid-entry shoe betting, and get the dealer to shuffle mid-way through the deck.

As a last resort they will back you off the game. And this is without considering the math skills and quick, clear thinking that's required to keep the game in your head.

Answer 2

The biggest defenses against card-counts are the easy ones Sam mentioned, and there's not much you can do to stop them.

The real value in card counting is near the end of the shoe, when the count is far more pronounced.  Therefore, casinos just reshuffle the shoe, or cut it deep so the last full deck or so isn't use.

That, combined with using a 6 or 8 deck shoe, pretty much eliminates your card-counting advantage.

Answer 3

You will make money counting cards, provided you play long enough to let it happen, just as the casino sometimes loses money to peopel winning on slot machines, so can the card counter sometimes lose money in a casino.  Typically, you will win ~60% of the trips you make to casinos.

How much money you make is entirely based on how much you bet, the higher your average bet the more you make, also the larger your bettign spread, the more you make.

I place max bets of 150 dollars and average about 45/hour in winnings, ***key word there being average***

The only tricks that the casinos use that make card counting impossible are continuous shuffle machines, whihc shuffle cards after every hand.

Blackjack paying 6:5 makes card counting less pratical but not impossible.

The number of decks used has more of an effect on how much money you make than weather or not you can win period.

Facial recegnition software is in exhistance, and i have been greeted at a table before even sitting down to play immediatly after walking in the casino doors, they even knew my name!

In  nutshell,  you can 100% still play to win money, but you may have to backcount to gain an edge, play large betting spreads, or both.   Its certainly not as easy as it used to be.  Eventually you are likely to get caught if you win enough money, or play long enough and playing will become more difficult do to frequent shuffling/harassment.

Answer 4

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