Card counting in black jack

**bakonlin** · 3rd February 2009, 02:58 AM

I many times read from the players that if we play blackjack,we still have the chance to win.To win in blackjack we must use card counting.
But is this system work in on line?As usually we are the only player,no other,so little amount of cards to be dealt,so many cards still in the shoe box,we donot know when the casino will change the card?
I had tried several times black jack in on line,many times I held on19 or 20,whilst the first card of the dealer 4,5,or 6,became 21 in the end.
Any suggestion or comment?

**mojo** · 3rd February 2009, 03:33 AM

I just watched that movie '21' last night. It's the true story of the gifted students from MIT that went to vegas every weekend and counted cards. They made a killing.

I won't spoil the ending but it's not pretty.

Not sure how that relates to online but thought I'd share.

**EasyRhino** · 3rd February 2009, 05:20 AM

It does not relate at all online.

Virtually all online casinos reshuffle AFTER EVERY HAND. So there's nothing to "count" to adjust your bets from hand to hand, since you have to reset the count every time.

It's theoretically possible for places that use live dealers dealing a roughly standard game, but these games generally shuffle very very early to negate counters.

So at best you can practice your basic strategy to play at a small disadvantage. But it's still a disadvantage, on every hand.

**bakonlin** · 3rd February 2009, 07:26 AM

Thanks Easy Rhino.Can you be more specific with 'small disadvantage'?

**elscrabinda** · 3rd February 2009, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by EasyRhino

It does not relate at all online.

Virtually all online casinos reshuffle AFTER EVERY HAND. So there's nothing to "count" to adjust your bets from hand to hand, since you have to reset the count every time.

It's theoretically possible for places that use live dealers dealing a roughly standard game, but these games generally shuffle very very early to negate counters.

So at best you can practice your basic strategy to play at a small disadvantage. But it's still a disadvantage, on every hand.

They shuffle very early and i've even seen terms which state that if it even looks like you're card counting they will confiscate your winnings

**Casinomeister** · 3rd February 2009, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by elscrabinda

They shuffle very early and i've even seen terms which state that if it even looks like you're card counting they will confiscate your winnings

It depends on where you are. A couple of years ago, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that card counting - specifically "advantage play" is not illegal and the casinos could not confiscate the winnings derived from this. The link is buried somewhere in the forum. 15 rep points for the first member to post it here in this thread

As for the movie "21", you should read the book - the non-fictional story. The movie was formulaic conventional writing with embellished Hollywood ideas. Book is better.

**Mark_32Red** · 3rd February 2009, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by Casinomeister

As for the movie "21", you should read the book - the non-fictional story. The movie was formulaic conventional writing with embellished Hollywood ideas. Book is better.

I couldn't agree more, the book is "Bringing Down the House" by Ben Mezrich, a very entertaining read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bringin...he_House_(book)

**Jufo** · 3rd February 2009, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by mojo

I just watched that movie '21' last night. It's the true story of the gifted students from MIT that went to vegas every weekend and counted cards. They made a killing.

I won't spoil the ending but it's not pretty.

Not sure how that relates to online but thought I'd share.

Indie film 'Last Casino' is far better movie than '21'. You can watch the whole movie in Youtube by searching with the movie title. There is also a documentary film about the MIT card counters with their testimonies.

**elscrabinda** · 3rd February 2009, 04:46 PM

Originally Posted by Casinomeister

It depends on where you are. A couple of years ago, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that card counting - specifically "advantage play" is not illegal and the casinos could not confiscate the winnings derived from this. The link is buried somewhere in the forum. 15 rep points for the first member to post it here in this thread

As for the movie "21", you should read the book - the non-fictional story. The movie was formulaic conventional writing with embellished Hollywood ideas. Book is better.

Sorry, should have made it clearer. I was referring to live online casinos.

21 the film was pretty poor. Its a fun story, but to a) try and make card counting sexy, and b) to make out that its a staggeringly complex science that only mathematical geniuses can manage, is not very practical or realistic. It did have one good line in it though- when one of the cast stumbles whilst walking past an attractive woman his buddy says to him "basic strategy says you should hit that"

**mojo** · 3rd February 2009, 04:53 PM

It depends on where you are. A couple of years ago, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled that card counting - specifically "advantage play" is not illegal and the casinos could not confiscate the winnings derived from this.

How is Nevada Casinos dealing with this? Still fracturing limbs or can they just refuse known card counters? In the movie they had new face identity technology.