What is the hourly rate for card counting?

At a normal casino, a card counter would be making at least $100/hr with 25% the bankroll needed to try to beat an online casino.

Can you make a living off card counting?

It's definitely possible to play blackjack for a living. It takes hard work, determination, and self control, but we are living proof that you can make a living counting cards at blackjack (not to mention the 100 people we hang out with at the blackjack ball, half of which are millionaires thanks to the casinos).

What is the success rate of card counting?

A common misconception is that a card counter always wins. They don't always win. They are expected to win in the long run, but even while counting winning is nearly 50/50. The advantage gained from counting is around 1-2%.

How many hours does it take to master card counting?

We estimate that it takes anywhere from 100 to 200 hours of at-home practice before the average person has the skills necessary to beat the casinos. Even after that much practice, we don't recommend playing in a casino with a very aggressive strategy until you have 40 or 50 casino training hours in.

How much can you realistically make counting cards?

This is not to say a player can not have a greater advantage on any individual bet or circumstance, however, in the long run a player can expect to win about 1% of the total sum of his “action”. Therefore, if your average bet is about $25 and you play 75 hands an hour you might expect to make about $19 an hour.

How Much Money Do You Need To Count Cards?

Do casinos care about card counting?

Many people believe that card counting is illegal, but that's not actually the case. It's certainly frowned upon by casinos, however, who will quickly remove any player they think is dabbling in this practice.

How many decks does card counting work with?

Some players will stay at the table until the game is shuffled, or they may "Wong out" or leave when the count reaches a level at which they no longer have an advantage. Back-counting is generally done on shoe games, of 4, 6, or 8 decks, although it can be done on pitch games of 1 or 2 decks.

How do casinos know you're counting cards?

They actually employ former card counters and have them sit in the security booths and watch players via the security cameras. If they see a lone card counter raising and lowering his bets, they either send more drinks to slow him down, or they'll eventually send a pit boss or security to ask him to leave.

Is it easy to get caught counting cards?

Watch Your Bet Sizes

You'll find plenty of advice about how to range your bets from 1 to 4 units or from 1 to 6 units based on the count, and that's great. But that's also one of the easiest ways to get caught. The dealers often know how to count cards. The pit bosses almost always know how to count cards.

Can a casino sue you for counting cards?

If the casino catches you counting cards once, they typically ban you from ever playing there again. If they catch you counting cards more than once, they will probably press charges against you for fraud or cheating.

Do you have to be smart to count cards?

"It doesn't require a lot of advanced mathematics," continues Schwarz, "but with card counting you really need good concentration. It's not guaranteed that the player will win even if he is counting cards." Besides, Marshall says, "you do need to be fairly intelligent" to do it.

Does card counting still work with multiple decks?

KEY TAKEAWAYS. Card counting is legal. Card counting works in multi-deck games as well as single- and double-deck games. You don't have to have a photographic memory to be a card counter.

Can you lose money counting cards?

An overwhelming majority of persons who try to learn card counting lose money. Novice card counters lose money at the same rate as the average blackjack player. The more sophisticated “semi” professional counter plays break-even at best.

What happened to the MIT students who counted cards?

In 1979, six MIT students and residents of the Burton-Conner House at MIT taught themselves card-counting. They traveled to Atlantic City during the spring break to win their fortune. The group went their separate ways when most of them graduated in May of that year.

Why can casinos stop you from counting cards?

Casino Trespassing:

Casinos are technically private property, and casino patrons must respect house rules. Many casinos have high-tech cameras and security measures to detect and prevent card counting since this act takes money the casino could otherwise win.

How much of an edge does card counting give?

In a standard 6 deck blackjack game each true count will move the house edge half a percent toward the player's advantage. So a true 1 would basically erase the house edge and blackjack would be an even game. A true 2 puts the player advantage up to about half of 1 percent and the house edge becomes the player's edge.

How obvious is card counting?

In blackjack, if you count cards, it's very easy to tell if other players are counting. Counting cards changes your play style in certain ways. You will tend to bet high when the "count" is high, and bet lower when the "count" is lower. Even with different counting systems, counting always points in the same direction.

Why is splitting 10s bad?

That's not too surprising because it's tough for the dealer to beat a strong hand of 20. If you split the 10s one time, you stand to win 63% and lose 37% on each split hand. That's a significant decrease in the number of hands won simply because if you split, you will often end up with less than 20 on both hands.

How many decks are in a shoe?

Usage. Dealing shoes come in many colors and sizes, depending on the number of decks they are capable of holding (2, 4, 6, or 8 decks). When the cards are placed in the shoe, the dealer will insert a brightly colored blank plastic card.

Who is the best card counter?

Can a casino refuse to pay out?

Refusing to pay out players' winnings could be an indication that the casino is trying to cheat them by using insubstantial excuses or even canceling withdrawal requests. You need to be wary of fraudulent casinos as there are several online.

How hard is it to card count?

Card Counting is Tough to Learn

Although this might seem simple enough, there are dozens of systems for counting cards. Being great at even one while under pressure can be more complicated than it looks. Not only do you have to count, but you also have to remember the count.

Can a casino refuse to cash you out if you count cards?

Thus casinos are legally unable to deny counters their winnings because of their counting. They may forbid counters from entering the casino again or (more frequently) let them know that they are welcome to play any casino game they like except blackjack.

Can card counting be proven?

The truth is that card counting does actually work in theory. However, in all practicality, it's very difficult to pull off. The way that card counting works is that you have to be very focused in keeping a running tally of the cards that are being dealt throughout a game.