🔦 Should you Count Cards in Blackjack?
You have probably heard of the concept of card counting, which has become synonymous with blackjack. It is the idea of literally tracking each card that is dealt, to know which cards remain in the deck. The goal is to make betting decisions based on that knowledge. Counting cards was first shown as a workable method in the 1960s by MIT professors and students.
For example, the Hi-Lo method shows how simple the concept of counting cards can be. It involves giving cards a value based on their range: cards with a value of 2-6 are +1, cards with a value of 7-9 are 0, and 10-Ace are -1.
When a card is dealt, you give it the value and then add it up. If there is a positive count, there are more high-ranking cards left in the deck, and you can increase bets because you have a better chance of a good hand. A negative count means fewer high-value cards remain, and you should reduce bets or stop altogether.
Sounds easy, but the reality is counting cards is hard and almost impossible online. Firstly, casino sites and land-based casinos frown on counting and may ban players from doing it. Online, RNG blackjack games randomise every card that is dealt, so you cannot count them. Even live dealer blackjack online uses shuffle machines and multiple decks to make counting hard.