Why You Should Not Be Counting Cards

For as long as gambling has existed, people have been trying to find ways to game the system and give themselves a better chance of winning. However, some strategies work a lot better than others, and card counting is one of the methods that is just not so great. 

Essentially, card counting is a technique in which you keep a running tally of the cards (usually in blackjack, but sometimes also in other card games like baccarat or poker) and use that information to make decisions about when you should start placing higher bets, based on when the odds are in your favour. 

You can use many different methods to count cards, and rather than adding up exact numbers, you’ll just be looking for a rough guideline as to the value of the cards left in the deck.

Counting cards can be successful in some cases, but it’s challenging to learn to do it accurately, and there are many other potential drawbacks, too. The main question on everyone’s lips is usually, “Is card counting illegal?”. We can tell you that it’s not explicitly against the law in Australia, but it’s heavily frowned upon. Card counting can be seen as cheating, so many land-based casinos will kick you out or ban you entirely if you’re found to be doing it.

But if you’re still not convinced that card counting isn’t a good idea, we have many reasons why you shouldn’t bother with it. This guide will give you some insights into why counting cards might not be as profitable as you think and what will happen if you get caught. 

Card Counting Is a Difficult Strategy to Master 

Counting cards might initially sound pretty straightforward, but that’s not the reality. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, you might think that to count cards, you have to memorise every single one that comes out of the deck, but it’s more about keeping an eye on what’s likely to be left in the deck.

There are several different card counting systems, and the most relevant one is usually based on the player’s skill level and the accuracy you want to achieve. 

No matter which system you’re using, the cards are generally assigned values, and as each card comes out of the deck, you either add or subtract from your tally. The simplest method is called Hi-Lo, where cards have a +1, 0, or -1, but other methods assign half numbers for increased accuracy.

As you can probably tell by now, the maths behind card counting can be difficult to master. It can take people hundreds of hours of practice at home before they’re confident enough to take their card counting to a real casino. 

The other reason why card counting is so tricky is because there are so many distractions in casinos – half the fun of the experience is the lights, sounds and social element of visiting the casino. 

If you’re playing blackjack, it isn’t easy to focus on counting the cards accurately. If you’re distracted for even a second, you might either lose count or miss a card, and if you’re basing your entire strategy on the count, you’ll be lost. 

Card Counting is Not as Profitable as you Might Think 

If you’ve only heard about counting cards but have not tried it in real life, you might think it offers some miracle method for bagging huge wins, but that’s not true. The whole point of card counting is to try to lower the house edge on blackjack, but the blackjack house edge tends to be very low already. 

The average house edge for blackjack ranges from about 2% to 4%, and with an effective strategy, you can reduce this to 0.5% without needing to do any card counting. Counting can reduce the house edge to 0% or give you an edge of about 1%, which isn’t a vast improvement when you think about it. 

So, if you’re wondering if card counting is profitable, the answer is “sometimes”. If you’re a real pro and have spent years practising, you might be able to lower the house edge to a point where you win very often, so yes, you might make some extra money. 

But if you’re a novice, it’s important to remember that counting cards doesn’t guarantee a win. There’s still a chance that you’ll lose, and if you start getting a little too confident, you might even find yourself placing bigger bets, thinking you’ll win every time. If this happens, you could be in for significant losses.

Regarding bet sizes, you should also remember that successful, professional card counters tend to have a much larger bankroll than the average person. So, to stand a chance of a big win, you must make a significant investment at the start. At this point, it’s worth considering whether it’s worth putting in all that effort for small card-counting profits. 

Making a Mistake Can Be Very Costly 

While the aim of counting cards is to make you more money, if you don’t do it properly, you could end up with a significant loss. The idea of counting cards is that by keeping a tally, you can predict when the odds fall in your favour and then increase your bet amounts. 

Depending on your bankroll and how accurate you believe your count is, you might place bets of hundreds or even thousands of dollars when you’re confident you will win. However, if your tally has gone wrong somewhere along the line, your big bet might lose, and you’ll be down a whole lot of money. 

Remember, card counting takes so much practice and concentration, and the number of distractions in a casino means that you’ll likely lose track of your count at some point and make a big mistake. 

You Will Most Likely Get Caught 

You won’t get arrested if you decide you’re okay with all the associated risks and want to start counting cards in a casino. While some people online might say it’s illegal, there’s no specific law against it in Australia.

However, just because card counting isn’t illegal doesn’t mean that there are no consequences. Most land-based casinos have plenty of security guards trained to spot people counting cards, so it’s doubtful you’ll get away with it. 

Before security even comes running, there’s a good chance the dealer will notice what you’re doing. In most cases, as soon as you’re seen counting cards, you’ll be asked to leave the casino floor. This could mean you’re unable to redeem your chips, so you lose a lot of money anyway. 

If it’s your first time getting caught, you’ll most likely be asked to leave; however, if you’re caught counting cards multiple times, the casino might choose to ban you entirely. 

If you keep offending, or the casino is feeling particularly strict, you might even be banned from all the casinos in the group. If you’re banned, you won’t be able to play blackjack at all, so you’ll have no chance to win.

The Bottom Line 

After reading our article, we hope we’ve given you a strong indication of why counting cards is a bad idea overall. Yes, if you practice for hundreds of hours over many years, you might be able to perfect the techniques and walk away from the casino with some big wins on blackjack, but as a casual player, we feel very safe in saying that won’t happen. 

The effort it takes to learn card counting and the potential risks involved don’t make it worth it for the small potential profits.

If you came here wondering if card counting is illegal, you’ll have realised that it isn’t, but you can still find yourself in trouble with the casino if caught. You might be banned, which means you won’t be able to play at all in the future – and it’s very embarrassing. 

Rather than counting cards, it’s a good idea to play blackjack online and perfect your strategy before you decide to play in a casino. With effective use of basic blackjack strategy and by choosing a top-rated licensed online casino, you can boost your winning chances.