What is Counting Cards in Online Casinos?

What is Card Counting? - Why You Shouldn't Count Cards in Blackjack

Blackjack is one of the most popular card games the world has ever seen. It’s a staple of brick-and-mortar and online live casinos alike. Because of that, both experts and newcomers look for ways to give themselves as much confidence as possible when sitting at a blackjack table.

It’s an instantly recognisable card game, with players being dealt two cards and having to decide whether to hit or stand on their hands before comparing them with the dealer’s cards. The player has to assess whether they think their hand can beat the house in a snap decision. One way that many throughout history have done that is through using card counting strategies. But do they work and should you ever use one when playing at Stake Casino?

What is Card Counting?

Chances are, if you’re not one of the seasoned blackjack players, your idea of card counting comes from Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, as Tom Cruise’s character looks to use his brother’s exceptional savant abilities in order to win some money at the casino. However, that movie definitely doesn’t give the real view of what card counters are doing and it’s actually a fairly basic strategy.

Put simply, card counting techniques revolve around players being aware of the statistical likelihood of their hands busting, winning, or losing. Successful card counters will follow the mantra that high cards are good for the player and low cards for the dealer, before assigning a numerical value known as a card value to ranges of cards which they will then use every round to score their hand and its potential to win. This would make those higher members of the deck the high-value cards for the player.

Unlike the aforementioned 80s movie, these strategists will not be using a mentally taxing approach in which they assign values to each individual card, using percentages to calculate exactly how many remain in the deck of cards and if it will come out next. Instead, they will add up their scores, keeping in mind that cards that favour the dealer will have a negative value, and alter their betting behaviour based on this. The higher the score, the higher the player’s statistical advantage, the higher the stake.

Can You Count Cards in Live Online Blackjack?

Anyone who has used a gaming strategy at a land-based casino will know that these can sometimes be difficult to transfer over to standard online casino games. If you can relate to this, we've developed a guide on getting started on online casinos that you may find helpful. However, live casino games have completely changed the game, given that they no longer run on random number generators and instead function the same as on the casino floor. Because of that, the simple answer to this question is that yes, you can technically count cards in blackjack at a live online casino.

Should you Count Cards in Online Casinos?

However, while you technically can count cards in live blackjack, that answer overlooks a good number of aspects that make up live blackjack and what contributes to the house edge in it. One important thing to note is the deck penetration that a game will employ, as well as the number of decks that will be used and how these cards are shuffled.

In single-deck blackjack, counting cards is somewhat simple and deck penetration will be significantly high, even if they’re using something like an automatic shuffling machine, meaning that the shuffle comes after a good number of cards have been dealt in the shoe. This makes it an easier job for those who are using a counting strategy as they only need to use what is known as a running count - that is the simple +1 +0 -1 strategy of adding up your round score.

This is where it starts to become recommended that a player doesn’t use a card counting strategy at an online casino like Stake.com.

Why Counting Cards is a Bad Strategy

At the end of the day, there will be differences in the live blackjack you play depending on where you play it, who the gaming provider is, and the variant you choose, such as in Lightning Blackjack. However, it is often the case in online live blackjack that there will be a significantly higher number of decks of cards used than just one, meaning that the player can’t use the running count and must calculate the true count instead. Combining this with the low deck penetration facilitated by a continuous shuffling machine makes it nearly impossible to actually wrangle any benefit from a counting strategy.

On top of that, there’s the general bad feeling towards card counting. While it’s not cheating by definition, it is frowned upon due to the view that it is a way of gaining unfair advantages and gaming the system. Because of this, as well as using the deck to discourage card counting, a lot of casinos will monitor behaviour patterns and clamp down on any accounts found to be engaging in unsporting tactics.

Blackjack Resources, Tips, and Expert Strategies

As with any game of chance, it’s a good idea to be prepared for exactly what to expect, knowing the basic rules of blackjack, as well as the foundations for a good strategy that will ensure a less troublesome session.

At Stake Casino, you can find a full range of how-to guides and information on playing our wide range of blackjack games, as well as other games, such as slot games, and table games, including poker games, and roulette. These will help you get the lowdown on the rules of the games, as well as all the little tricks that players can use when at the table, such as when to hit or stand, discussed in our blackjack strategy guide.

Casino Promotions, Exclusive VIP Club, and Stake Smart

At Stake Casino, we know that playing games like blackjack isn’t the only thing that players want. That’s why we offer a full range of casino game promotions, including weekly bonuses and challenges offering prizes to our users. Enter Stake’s Weekly Raffle for random mega wins, or, Conquer the Casino and play to win a share of $50,000!

One of the jewels in the Stake crown is our VIP club, where regular players can earn prizes and rewards, as well as support from a VIP host, based on their monthly staking amount. For a full rundown of the VIP service, the FAQs cover everything you need to know.

And while rewards and bonuses can be eye-catching, the important thing is that players have a healthy and safe environment in which to play. That’s why we pride ourselves on offering responsible gambling support, budget calculator and our Stake Smart guide for assistance for those who feel they need it.