Card Counting In Live Casino Games - Does It Work?

📘 What is Card Counting?

To catch up the readers who may be unfamiliar with the concept, card counting is a strategy used to keep track of the cards that have been dealt during a blackjack game. Players can use this information to increase or decrease their bet size, depending on how favourable the upcoming cards are likely to be.

An important issue to note is that card counting can only be used in blackjack. This is because most blackjack games use a continuous shoe of cards which is used across multiple rounds. Other casino card games, such as Caribbean Stud, Baccarat, and Casino Hold’em use a single deck of cards which is shuffled every round.

⚙️ Card Counting Mechanics

Explain a basic card counting strategy (e.g. Hi-Lo) and how players use it in the casino to gain an edge.

To keep track of the cards that have been dealt, players will assign a numerical value to sets of cards and keep a running count in their heads. For example, the High-Low system looks like this:

The count always starts at zero and is adjusted with each new card that is dealt. For example, in the first hand of a shoe, the player is dealt a 3 and a 7, and the dealer shows a 5. The values of each of the cards are +1, 0, and +1, meaning that the new running count is +2. Players then divide the running count by the number of decks remaining in the shoe to get the “true count.”

When the true count is high, players increase their bet size, and when it’s low, they reduce their bet size.

🎯 What is Needed For Card Counting To Work?

For card counting to be viable in a live blackjack game, certain criteria need to be met:

• Reasonable Deck Penetration – In blackjack, the casinos do not deal to the end of the shoe. They will place a cutting card between 2.5 and 0.5 decks from the end of the shoe, signalling that the cards need to be shuffled – this is referred to as “deck penetration.” The more of the shoe that is cut off, the worse it is for the player. For a card counter’s edge to be realised, the game needs to have reasonable deck penetration – around 1.5-0.5 decks.
• A Consistent Shoe – Card counting only works if the game is played from a consistent shoe of cards. You cannot count cards in games with shuffling machines, as the cards are regularly re-added to the shoe, messing up the count.
• A Betting Spread – A card counter’s edge comes from increasing their bet size when they know a run of favourable cards is likely to come. The game needs to have reasonable betting limits that allow you to increase your bet size based on the running count.

💡 Why Do People Think Card Counting At Live Casino Games Is Viable?

The primary challenge of counting cards is keeping an accurate count of the cards that have been dealt while remaining inconspicuous. Casinos understand that card counting can give players an edge, and will ban players who they suspect of doing it. Given the speed of most blackjack dealers, it takes a lot of practice to be able to quickly assign a card the correct value, adjust your running total, play your hand accurately, and look like you’re playing normally!

However, live casino games are played from home, away from the prying eyes of pit bosses and the “eye in the sky.” The pace of play is also a lot slower, as players have a set time limit to make decisions. This makes it significantly easier to track the cards that have been dealt – you could even write them down to make it even simpler!

🚫 Limitations of Live Dealer Blackjack Games

While card counting at live dealer blackjack games sounds good on paper, these games have limitations that reduce the strategy’s viability:

• Automatic Shufflers – Many live dealer games use automatic shufflers after they’ve played through roughly 50 cards. This immediately rules out these games as viable options, as it’s impossible to card count at tables with shuffle machines.
• Poor Deck Penetration – The games that don’t use automatic shufflers typically have poor deck penetration, sometimes cutting off half of the shoe. This makes it close to impossible to realise your edge when counting cards.
• Restrictive Betting Limits – Some games have small betting ranges, preventing you from using the optimal betting spread and maximising your returns from favourable outcomes.

🎲 Is Live Dealer Card Counting Ever Possible?

Based on the limitations outlined above, it’s extremely unlikely to find a live dealer blackjack game with the right conditions for card counting. The truth is, casinos are savvy to this strategy, and will make changes to their game to make sure that card counting isn’t a viable option.

Even if you do find a game that just meets the requirements, you’ll find that your edge is extremely thin. It will take a huge bankroll and the ability to deal with big swings to be able to eke out a small profit. To put it bluntly, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze.

🧠 Live Dealer Card Counting – An Expert Summary

To sum up, card counting at live dealer games isn’t a viable strategy. The games are designed to counteract card counters, either through the use of card shufflers, tight betting limits, or poor deck penetration.

Even though card counting isn’t a realistic strategy, it’s still fun to play live dealer blackjack games, so check out our list of the best live dealer casinos recommended by our experts.