Card counting has been a major source of discussion and debate since the theory appeared during the 1960s. Basically, the card counting theory started by Thorp claims that cards are clumped during shuffling, and a good player can watch the cards and take advantage of the trend. However, many people claim that card counting is simply a myth to help writers and casinos make money.

Proponents of Card Counting

Thorp created two different strategies designed to help increase a player’s chances of winning Blackjack. First, he suggested that players could count the number of fives showing up in the hand. His second theory was to count the number of 10s. Card counting can only increase winnings from 0.13% to 1.5%.

Proponents of card counting would say that the experiences reported by card counters and the way casinos fear them are enough to prove that card counting is effective. Many casinos bar card counters from their tables, so this fact in itself proves that card counting is not a myth.

Opponents of Card Counting

Opponents of card counting have an entirely different point of view. They claim that the entire concept of card counting is simply a myth. They make their claims based on the fact that the margin of winning is so small that it can barely be detected. Those who oppose card counting are often the same ones who have never tried it.

Is Card Counting Illegal?

Card counting is not illegal, although the casinos do not appreciate people who do it. In 2000, the Nevada courts made a groundbreaking ruling requiring a casino to pay a card counter the $40,400 he had invested in a game of Blackjack. Chen had used a fake ID to get into the casino as he was blacklisted as a professional card counter. Although the court ordered the casino to pay him all his winnings, he only received the money he had paid for in chips.

Although the ruling seems to be on the side of the players, casinos do not tend to follow the law when it comes to giving up money. They are also able to deny players for any reason as long as it is not on the basis of race, sex, etc. After appealing to the Board, the casino ended up winning the case and was not required to give him the money.