🍒 How To Tell If You're Playing Blackjack With A Card Counter

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Quora Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. We will never share your email address with third parties without your permission. They watch people that bet high sometimes whether they are winning or not. Most people that do take insurance do it when their hand is good but really insurance means do you think the dealer has blackjack and should never rely on your own hand. A lot of advantage players don't do this anymore, even though it does bring in a bit of advantage. I'd like to receive the Forbes Daily Dozen newsletter to get the top 12 headlines every morning. Surrendering 15 sometimes vs a 10 is a sign of card counting basic strategy says to do it always. You assign each card a value when counting and then add to the running "count" when cards are played. They are on the lookout for people that bet more at the end of the shoe, and then go back to the minimum bet at the beginning of the shoe. Just by paying attention to those, I have noticed a number of counters at casinos. Even with different counting systems, counting always points in the same direction. It is a no-no in blackjack to split 10's. This is why counters still take insurance even if it gives off a possible red flag. If someone is betting high when the count is high and lowering the bet when it drops, then perhaps he or she is counting. Answer by David Shi , former blackjack player, on Quora :. You don't have to keep a count yourself to notice this behavior. Standing 12v2 at a higher bet but hitting at lower bets is another example of a basic strategy variation. A common misconception is that a card counter always wins. Forbes takes privacy seriously and is committed to transparency. You will tend to bet high when the "count" is high, and bet lower when the "count" is lower. Please help us continue to provide you with free, quality journalism by turning off your ad blocker on our site. They don't always win. Basic strategy says never to take insurance. Insurance is the single most important play that is outside normal plays that card counters will use. Playing good perfect strategy includes surrendering properly, and playing a few trickier hands correctly like doubling correct soft hands. To a counter there are some very clear signs that people are counting.

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This is a BETA experience. What are the telltale signs this web page card counting at count cards blackjack 21 casino table?

Making a play like standing 16 vs 10 sometimes is also one. Counters bet more on average as the game progresses because that's when the true count which is the value on which you count cards blackjack 21 your bet by is potentially the highest.

If someone split 10's and is mostly following basic strategy this is very suspicious, especially with a large bet on the table. If the person is sitting out when you are sitting out, then the person might be count cards blackjack 21 counter as well. The first red flag is splitting 10's.

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Edit Story. This question originally appeared on Quora - the knowledge sharing network where compelling questions are answered by people with unique insights. All casino personnel are trained somewhat to recognize suspicious plays. Maybe if the guy disguised his greedy play better, it wouldn't have been as clear, but that was probably the most clear cut example of a counter that I have personally encountered. One guy I am certain was a counter asked the dealer who was going to switch out to play 1 more hand when the dealers switch out of some pitch games , they drop the shoe -- and then reshuffle. Thank you for signing in. This is why many casinos hire former counters to detect and confirm counters. Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Taking insurance in blackjack when they have a high bet is also a possible sign of card counting. If someone isn't consistent with some strategy either they are beginners and don't know basic strategy, or they are counting and using basic strategy variations. There are some game plays that are red flags. They raise bets when I raise, and then lower bets when I lower them. They also look out for people that play 2 hands sometimes or play big bets only sometimes. I personally start paying attention to people's play when I see them playing good basic strategy. Another way to detect a counter by looking at their bet size is seeing bet increases when a number of lower value cards come out and are played. Again, this is in no way conclusive but it is also a positive sign someone is counting. In blackjack, if you count cards, it's very easy to tell if other players are counting. You may opt out at any time. I agree to receive occasional updates and announcements about Forbes products and services. If someone bets on average much more towards the end of the shoe than in the beginning, then this is a positive sign that someone is counting but in no way conclusive. The key is consistency. Hitting 12v4 around half the time is another example. If you are not counting cards, there are still many ways to check if someone is counting. The guy proceeded to spread his bet to 2 hands and the running count was about 10 in a double deck with maybe a little over a deck left to play which is a large advantage for the player. What was more telling was he smiled at me and left right after the dealer played an extra hand and said "well looks like one of us has to leave. Feb 1, , pm EST. Many blackjack players say only dumb people and card counters would ever split 10's. Counting cards changes your play style in certain ways. A high true count indicates a higher player win rate. Most Popular In: Tech.