Counting Cards in Poker – All You Need to Know

You may not be aware that card counting is key to a winning poker strategy, whether you’re playing Texas Hold’em or Omaha. Although it’s historically linked to the blackjack table game, counting cards in poker can be beneficial in other ways.

Blackjack card counting enables players to keep track of the number of low or high-value cards in play to get an advantage over the dealer. Poker card counting is a different concept that helps players put their opponents on more accurate hand ranges, thereby making more informed betting decisions at the tables.

Although card counting in blackjack still has a somewhat murky reputation with casinos, the concept is an accepted aspect of poker strategy. Since players don’t go up against the house, they can use these techniques to glean all available information.

What is Counting Cards?

Card counting is a way to gain an advantage in card games. In blackjack, it’s used to minimise the house edge. Players keep track of the deck’s “count.” If the deck has more high-value cards than normal, players will increase their bet sizes to increase their chances of making blackjack or high-value two-card hands worth 19 or 20.

It’s by no means an easy technique for blackjack players to master. They must keep a running count of all cards dealt despite plenty of distractions at the table.

However, the method for counting cards in poker differs somewhat from card counting at the blackjack tables. Instead, poker players use popular techniques like “blockers” to determine the cards their opponents cannot have because they’re either in their own hands or dealt as one of the community cards.

Since poker is a game of limited information, card counting variants like blockers help players think more strategically about the types of hands opponents could hold against their own hands and potential outs.

How to Count Cards in Poker

Traditional card counting methods used in blackjack aren’t applicable in poker for one primary reason – hole cards are dealt face down rather than face up at the blackjack tables. Therefore, with more limited information on opponents’ poker hands, card counting in poker must be done differently.

In some poker games, such as Stud poker, cards may be dealt face up to the table. This means you can get more information on your opponents’ hands than at a Texas Hold’em or Omaha poker table. 

Nevertheless, a traditional card counting system isn’t applicable even in Stud poker. The nature of poker requires a different approach to blackjack, where there’s no need or opportunity to bluff against the dealer’s hand.

If you’re keen to learn how to count cards in poker, you’ll need to understand the concept of blockers. A blocker is a card that an opponent requires to make their target hand. Blockers are cards within your hand that make it impossible for an opponent to complete a specific combination of cards, i.e., a straight, a three, or a four-of-a-kind.

Using Blockers and Information in Poker

Mastering the concept of blockers is vital in making the right decisions at the poker table. Recognising that you hold a card that thwarts an opponent from completing a hand better than yours can give you a huge advantage. 

You can also size your bets more accurately when you have information about your opponents’ chances of winning the hand. You will also be better placed to bluff if you’re confident you have a blocker to an opponent’s strong potential hand.

Let’s run through some basic examples of how blockers work in poker. Imagine your hand includes the ace of spades. The flop has three spades, but your opponent can’t have an ace-high flush since it’s one of your hole cards. 

In this scenario, the ace of spades is acting as a blocker card, preventing them from having the nuts. It also increases your ability to bluff if their poker tells suggest they don’t feel their hand is strong.

We also explain how blockers work in the most critical poker formats of Texas Hold’em and Omaha below:

• Texas Hold’em
  If you have a modest pocket pair of sixes and the five community cards are 8-7-5-J-A, it’s less probable that your opponent has completed a straight. That’s because your hand blocks 50% of the hole card combinations that complete it (6-4 and 9-6). 
• Omaha
  Let’s say you’re dealt two jacks as part of your four hole cards. This acts as a blocker to some potential strong hands for your opponents, like four-of-a-kind jacks or even a full house with jacks. Since Omaha deals each player more cards than Hold’em, there are even more opportunities to use blockers in Omaha than in Texas Hold’em.

In addition to blockers, you should pair these with observing your opponents’ poker tells, betting patterns, and other similar activities to piece together the puzzle of the overall hand. With an awareness of the bigger picture, you can bet more intelligently and exploit weaknesses in your opponents’ play.

Is Counting Cards Legal in Poker?

You don’t have to worry about the legality of card counting in poker. This is a card game of skill and strategy, where players can use any trick in the book to get an edge over their opponents. This is unlike blackjack, where card counting is a form of “advantage play”, giving players an unfair gain against the house.

However, it must be noted that most, if not all, poker rooms strictly frown upon the use of external devices or even the collaboration with other opponents at the table. Poker relies on individual skill, strategy, and bravery. Any attempt to manipulate the game through dishonest means is strictly prohibited.

Blackjack card counting differs significantly from the approach of card counting in poker. The hi-lo counting system forms what is known today as basic blackjack strategy—a system coined by expert mathematicians like Edward O. Thorp, who attempted to beat the blackjack game in the mid-20th century.

In the hi-lo card counting system, blackjack players assign values to certain cards. Low-value cards from two to six are +1, mid-range cards from seven to nine are worth 0, while high-value cards from ten to ace are worth -1.

When the running count is +6, for example, more low-value cards are out of the deck than high-value cards. In this case, it’s the ideal opportunity to place bigger bets in the hope of high-value cards appearing and improving your hand. Similarly, when the running count is -6, advantage players will typically keep their powder dry by not betting at all or the minimum per hand.

The best blackjack card counters can keep up with the count, regardless of the deck composition. Even if a blackjack game uses four, six, or even eight decks, the Hi-Lo counting system is still better than not counting cards to gain an advantage over the house.

Blackjack vs Poker Card Counting – Key Differences

Blackjack	Poker
Uses a system to count the number of high/low cards in play	Uses card ‘blockers’ to better understand opponents’ hand ranges
Allows blackjack players to increase their bet sizes when there is a favourable count	Looks to exploit the weaknesses of opponents’ strategies, such as ill-timed bluffs
A form of advantage play used to minimise the house edge	A legal technique used to gain an edge over opponents, rather than the casino

In blackjack, players use card counting information to make betting decisions that deliver positive expected value (+EV) over the long term. This includes betting bigger when the odds of winning or making a blackjack are more favourable.

In poker, card counting focuses less on a running count and more about blockers to better understand opponents’ likely hands. This enables players to make more accurate reads to gain an edge over others at the table.

Final Thoughts

Counting cards in poker is very different from blackjack card counting. Traditional card-counting methods aren’t generally applicable to poker. However, by incorporating the concept of blockers into your poker strategy, you can reshape your decision-making and increase your chances of success.

If you’re passionate about improving your poker game, Betsquare offers plenty of useful poker resources, including poker cheat sheets and mastering the art of the bluff.

FAQs

Can you count cards in Texas Hold’em?

There are two ways you can count cards in Texas Hold’em. Firstly, you can count how many ‘outs’ you have to complete your hand. Secondly, you can use blockers to determine the likely hand ranges of your opponents. Marry this by paying close attention to players’ physical tells, which may also indicate strength or weakness.

Can you count cards in Pot-Limit Omaha?

Card counting becomes all the more important in Omaha than Hold’em, considering you have four hole cards instead of two. As a result, blockers become more valuable in Omaha. However, it’s always important to acknowledge that card counting has limitations in poker. Betting patterns, playing styles, and psychological factors can play a big role in any hand, resulting in the best hand losing on occasion.

Do professional poker players count cards?

The use of blockers is one of the most essential aspects of hand analysis by professional poker players. Putting an opponent on a hand range is hugely beneficial to pros, allowing them to size bets accordingly and remove themselves from a hand when something doesn’t feel right.