Thanks to Hollywood movies and popular media, card counting is the most misunderstood strategy in the gambling world.

In truth, keeping track of the deck is an exhausting mathematical exercise that yields very small profit margins.

The Legality of Counting Cards

The biggest misconception is that you can be arrested or sent to jail for counting cards.

However, while it isn’t illegal, casinos are private businesses and they strongly detest advantage players.

• Using a physical device or a smartphone app to count cards is strictly illegal and will lead to arrest
• Casinos share databases of known counters, meaning getting banned at one property might get you banned everywhere
• Security teams use advanced software to analyze betting patterns to catch suspected counters

The Mechanics of the Hi-Lo Count

Rather than memorizing the deck, players assign a +1, 0, or -1 value to cards as they leave the shoe.

A deck full of tens and Aces favors the player, so counters increase their bets when the count is high.

This tiny edge means you still experience massive losing streaks and need a huge bankroll to survive the variance.