If you live in Canada and you’re a fan of casino games, then you will have more than likely come across the game of blackjack at one point or another. This is because blackjack is one of the most popular games in Canada, second only to slots. Thousands of players from all over the country enjoy blackjack every day, and it’s not hard to see why.
While slots will always remain the king of the hill in terms of popularity, many prefer blackjack for a few reasons. To start with, it’s easy to learn and fun to play, and its simplicity means that it’s not only accessible to everyone, but it doesn’t require lots of time to learn, such is the case with more complicated games like roulette. Another aspect of blackjack that appeals to many is the belief that with the right methods, it’s possible to better the chances of winning a blackjack game, unlike slots, where everything is up to chance.
This is known as casino card counting, and has been a popular strategy employed by many blackjack enthusiasts over the years.
Blackjack Card Counting – How It Works
Card counting has been a part of the game for years, and there’s no doubt that people have used it successfully. The basic mechanics of casino card counting involve using high and low value cards, with each type either benefiting the dealer or the player.
Higher cards, such as the aces and 10s, are said to benefit the player, while the lower cards may give the advantage instead to the dealer. So, the player needs to learn how to count the higher cards if they want a chance of winning, and contrary to popular belief, it isn’t as complicated as media has portrayed.
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Instead of actually card counting and remembering where each one is located, as is done in many films, the player instead assigns a score to each card that they see, and then estimates the value of the card. Using these estimates, they track the total sum of the values of the tracked cards, and use this to decide whether to hit or stay, making card counting simple and accessible to even those that aren’t mathematically-inclined.
But Does it Work?
At the end of the day, this is something that depends entirely on the casino. Casino card counting became a problem in previous decades, and it didn’t take long for casinos to take action. One of these actions was to use more than one deck at a time, making it incredibly difficult to keep track of each card while card counting.
Casinos also began using advanced systems, usually in the form of special devices that would sit on the table. These devices shuffle the cards automatically, keeping them hidden from the player, making it impossible for the player to keep track of any individual card.
In Conclusion
While casino card counting is not illegal in Canada, casinos have gone to great lengths to make it impossible to use. Card counting may have once been a viable option in Canadian casinos, but with advanced detection systems, well-trained dealers, and the use of multiple decks, card counting in a casino is not a good way of improving the odds.