How effective is counting cards while playing live online blackjack?

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Online blackjack gambling real money

Nowadays, due to the pandemic, online casinos have become more requested than ever; and blackjack is probably the most popular and iconic game of all. Gamblers around the world play live blackjack online for real money and they win big prizes.
Live blackjack online it is played the same as in the land-based casino, but from the safe and comfort of your home.
Online blackjack is absolutely trustworthy if you play at legit casinos. There are websites that can provide you a list with safe online casinos to gamble real money, and also with live blackjack mobile apps for playing.


What is card counting in Blackjack?

The technique of card counting is very used by the most experienced players. It consists in keeping track of the number of high and low cards left in the dealer’s deck. If you practice this technique enough you will be able to know your odds better, and raise your bet when you know they are in your favor, making the possibility of winning big much more likely. 

However, you need to keep in mind that this is not a technique to consistently win this game, or a way to cheat; it is an additional tool (or skill) to your regular gameplay, to help you know what is left in the deck.
It is important to highlight that counting card is not illegal (considering you are counting in your mind and not using a device or mobile app); however, casinos don’t like it when someone does it (for they don’t like to lose), and as they have the right of admission, they can ask you to leave the premises or they can even ban you. 

Therefore, if you are counting cards in a land-based casino, make sure you are already a pro at it and look out for your behavior, as you will be probably monitored. Even the best card counters have been asked to leave some casinos. This is a risk many decide to take, for the chances of winning big are elevated. If you do it right you can win a fortune with one strategic game.

Is counting cards in online blackjack possible?

This is a tricky question, and this is the reason why. Most online casinos work with a software that shuffles the cards every time a new hand is dealt, making it impossible to count. However, some online casinos have live dealer blackjack, including a real croupier and real cards. 

Playing online blackjack with live dealers is like playing at a normal blackjack table at a land-based casino, with the difference that the game is streamed through your internet device. If the conditions were to be perfect, live online blackjack would be the perfect way to count cards, for you would be sitting at home without having to look after floor supervisors.
Of course, it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Casinos are not dumb, they know their live tables are susceptible to card counting

That is why they instruct dealers to shuffle shoes so there isn’t much deck penetration; they will always keep the deck penetration to the minimum percentage, so you don’t have an easy chance to count.
To understand what deck penetration is, we need to take a look at the basics of card counting.

Card counting basics

The idea of this technique is to allow you to determine when you have a better chance of getting a blackjack. These chances are bigger when the shoe has a larger amount of aces and tens compared to other cards. Knowing how to count cards enables you to know when the shoe is richer in aces and tens.
There are different techniques to counting cards, each differ in accuracy and complexity.
The most basic strategy is called “Hi-Lo”. A value is assigned to each card that comes out:

* Aces, face cards and tens (high cards) = -1
* 7, 8, and 9 (neutral) = 0
* 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (low cards) = +1

You also need to count how many decks are left in a shoe with a “true count”. To do this you have to divide your “running count” by the amount of decks you estimate remains

If your running count is +8 and you estimate there are two decks left, you have to divide 8 / 2 = +4 true count. Your bet size increases as the positive true count grows.
Now you have to consider the deck penetration; this means how many decks are dealt before reshuffling a shoe. For example:

* You are playing at a table with eight decks in a shoe
* Five of the eight decks have been dealt
* 5 / 8 = 62.5% of deck penetration.

A higher deck penetration allows you to bet with more confidence. A 75% deck penetration is the ideal amount for placing big bets with a positive true count. Of course, casinos avoid this by reshuffling before the deck penetration is too high (it is almost lower than 25%). Online live blackjack games have low deck penetration, and that is why counting cards almost never works.
These are a few of live blackjack tips you can take into account when playing.

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