Online gambling is becoming more and more popular for various reasons. One of them is because playing your favorite games of chance online is way simpler than going to an actual casino. Requires zero energy, and the fact that today one can gamble anywhere and anytime only supports this theory.

If the game of your choice is blackjack, then you simply have to be thrilled about the fact that you are now able to play online, but with a real dealer. However, many of you are probably wondering if there’s a chance to use your online casino welcome bonus for this game, and apply the counting cards strategy.

Let’s tackle this question…

Since there are a couple of versions of this game available online, one of them being the version in which you basically play against a computer, in this case, it is not possible to use this strategy. In the online version, all the cards are shuffled after each deal, so counting then makes no sense.

So, what do you do when you cannot apply the strategy which gives you the most advantage against the dealer, and btw, because of which this game got famous?

Well, you switch to online live, where you play against an actual dealer. This is a whole different story.

Why is counting cards such a taboo?

Ask any dealer this question and you risk being kicked out. If you ask why you should know a little bit about its background. The system or a strategy was so to say, invented in the sixties, and since then has been something every casino keeps an eye out for. Because it significantly increases your chances of winning, making you a potential threat to the table and the house.

But don’t you dare think that casinos are bystanders. They have their own mechanisms to catch up with the one doing this and defeat his legal strategy. Yes, although the strategy is completely legal, you can still count on being banned from the table because of applying it.

There are a couple of versions, but the main ones are simple, standard, and professional counting. Each requires a different level of expertise in order to be applied.

But, let’s get back to how can a casino knows what you’re doing…

Techniques Casinos Use to Detect Card Counting

In the dynamic environment of casino gaming, where even a €1 euro deposit casino can offer a thrilling experience, casinos must employ various techniques to detect card counting. This vigilance is crucial because card counting can provide players an edge over the house. To ensure fairness, especially in games with low entry barriers like a €1 euro deposit, casinos use a blend of technology and human surveillance to identify card counters. Advanced software continuously scrutinizes players’ behavior, betting patterns, and winning rates to spot any inconsistencies. On the casino floor, well-trained staff, including dealers and pit bosses, meticulously observe players for signs of card counting, such as abrupt changes in bet sizes or focused attention on the cards. These comprehensive efforts are particularly vital in environments where even minimal deposits can lead to significant play, ensuring that all players, regardless of their investment, enjoy a fair game and the casino maintains its essential advantage.

Relying on their spies

Sounds obvious, right? Yes, hiring spies (which include dealers and specialized personnel in charge of tracking down what’s going on inside – pit bosses) is the first step they take to combat cheating. Again, even though it’s legal, venues still treat it as cheating.

Usually, the pit boss will walk around to observe the game progress, under the excuse of helping struggling players. And if he notices significant differences in bets, they are authorized to check the cards in the discard drawer backward to find any differences. Also, they have another ‘dirty’ trick up their sleeve. After they suspect the player, they approach him, pretending to be super friendly.

But, in the end, their main goal is to make you feel uncomfortable and lose your concentration. So now you know why professional card counters switch between 1 and 3-unit bets.

But, to go back to history. Once the strategy was proven to be working, its developer decided to write a book about how to beat the casino.  And casinos have been struggling to make up rules to prevent this. Hence, a legal strategy became illegal.

But what also followed was the perfection of this method, nowadays called professional card counting.

It is simply a more precise and perfect version of the standard method. It enables the definition of a precise possibility at any step of the game and enables the identification of the best strategy at each step. The results of this method are in principle the best in the long run, but learning the strategy is difficult and successful use in practice requires long and detailed study and a lot of experience. There is not enough space here to fully explain and understand this method; we recommend studying professional literature, which you can find online.

What are its advantages and disadvantages?

Once again it is important to state that card counting cannot be used in an online casino because of shuffling all the cards in the deck for each game. In a real casino, card-counting players are not welcome and various measures are taken to discourage them from playing.

These players try to hide in the crowd, constantly change tables, avoid certain casinos and often try to look like casual tourists or casual players. That is an obvious disadvantage, as you are somehow living a life of an outcast. You can also e permanently banned from some venues, and even blacklisted.

If they share information with other casinos, this bad reputation will only spread eventually leaving you with no place to play. Some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry have suffered the consequences of it. Ben Affleck is one of them.

The advantage is obvious. A lot more chances to win. And who doesn’t gamble for winning?

This is a game where the such method is the only thing that can actually help you win. However, if you are not skilled enough to hide what you are doing, the staff will see through you and you will not win again. Leaving it to chance can pay off if you have some beginner’s luck, but keep in mind that it doesn’t happen that often.

So, choose wisely if you should use it in your games and risk, or just be cautious.

Final word

Now you know several ways casinos catch card counters and how to avoid getting caught. The trick is to find the right online casino and try your best not to look too smart. One more thing, practice enough with free games before going live.