Practice Counting Cards Online Blackjack

2007 June 03, Elyshia P.

Blackjack card counting is a well known art form in the gambling world. There have been many stories of card counting teams taking Las Vegas for millions of dollars. Although card counting is frowned upon by live casinos, it is not illegal, and if you manage to keep your skills well hidden you will be able to make good money on the tables.

So how difficult is card counting? Where do you learn to count and where can you safely practice without a pit boss looking over your shoulder? Well look no further than your nearest online casino!

Online casinos offer you the unique opportunity to learn card counting and hone your skills in the comfort and privacy of your own home!

Learning a "basic count" is actually not that difficult. Most card counters simply keep a single, running count by adding 1 when a low card (2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) appears, subtracting 1 when a high card (T, J, Q, K or A) appears and ignoring any neutral cards (7, 8 or 9). When this count is high, then the deck is favorable and you should change your bet amount accordingly.

Learning to card count is simple but being skilled enough to attempt to apply your skills at a live casino requires hours and hours of training. Although online Blackjack offers no advantage to a skilled card counter, you can practice card counting safely without being concerned about people watching your actions.

Just login to your favorite online casino and jump onto a spare Blackjack table. Play one hand at a time to start off with and try to keep up with the running count. Once you are starting to maintain an accurate count, move up to playing 3 hands at a time. There may be moments where you need to stop for a moment to calculate the count accurately, but soon it should become second nature and your speed will improve. Do not be concerned too much about changing your bet amounts when playing online, just focus on maintaining a fast and accurate count.

The next step is to try your counting skills on one of the special live dealer Blackjack tables. These tables use a live video feed of a real dealer, as well as other real players, giving you an experience that virtually mimics the real thing! This is a perfect area to practice your counting as you won't have any control over the speed of the dealer or the other players. You'll need to concentrate and practice for many hours in order to improve your skills.

Professionals in all sports have to train hard to be successful. In the past card counting that was practiced in secrecy, but thanks to online casinos you now have the opportunity to train as hard as the best Blackjack players in the business in the comfort of your own home.