Play Blackjack and Count Cards at the Casino-is it Legal?

In a previous article I described the basics of how to count cards and play Blackjack at the casino. Once the realization sets in that it is possible to count cards and play Blackjack while making money, it leads to the next question, "Is it legal to count cards?"

The answer is yes. To my knowledge it is perfectly legal. There are no laws that I am aware of that do not allow one to play Blackjack while card counting at the casino. Even if there were laws against this when one plays Blackjack, it might be tough for the authorities to get into your brain to prove it. Of course every casino wants the maximum advantage it can get at every game or slot machine it host. The casino does not like card counting.

So, you may ask, if I play Blackjack at the casino and counting cards is legal, then why do I need to worry about getting caught. Anyone who has ever stayed at a hotel may have been referred to as a guest. It might have made you feel special. You also are a guest at the casino. The real meaning of guest involves two guys with concealed weapons escorting you out, after the casino decides you're a pest for card counting, and not a guest anymore.

I was caught one time when I went to play Blackjack at the casino. At the time, I was being careful to not make it obvious that I was looking at every card played. I would look around a lot, order a drink and sometimes joke with the dealer. To win at Blackjack it is necessary to increase your bets when the card count says that the odds are in your favor. This can always be a give-away to the dealer when a person plays at the casino.

As I outlined in my previous article about keeping a card counting when you play Blackjack and the card count is very much in your favor, you need to bet more. Let's say you sit down to play Blackjack and have played through half the deck while betting the casino minimum of $10 per hand. A series of low cards has come up and the count you're keeping has increased to +10. You're anxious to increase your bet quickly, but if you jump to $100 per hand instantly or even play two hands at once it will be a dead giveaway to the dealer that something is up.

If the casino has any doubt about what a casino guest is doing when they play Blackjack, the casino can simply rewind a video of the table and watch how all the players play Blackjack. Security can then check your bets against the count. Chances are you will get caught by the Pit Boss if not by the dealer or security. Don't increase your bet too fast.

How did I get caught when I went to play Blackjack and was counting cards? I was very young, and by myself in the middle of the night. I was at the famed Dunes Hotel that has since been imploded. It was the heyday of old Vegas. I remember feeling excitement and anticipation as I entered the venerable old casino. The Dunes was home to Celebrities and Mafioso.

The place was huge and quiet. The casino had grandeur beyond my imagination. I sat down by myself at a table. What I didn't realize was how experienced this dealer must have been. I began betting the minimum. I made small talk with the dealer about my hometown. It wasn't hard to keep a count because I was the only person at the table. After playing Blackjack and keeping a card count for quite some time I had only varied my bets occasionally. Then the count became very positive. It would be obvious if I increased my bet too much. I doubled it at first to $20 a hand. I needed to increase it fast. I used my oldest line on the dealer and commented, "I'm getting tired." "I'll need to bet some real money before I go to bed." With that I put $100 on the hand. I won.

I then acted like a ditzy tourist smiling and placing $100 on each of two hands. I won again. This was working, so continuing my act I placed $200 on each hand. Even though I was winning the count was also increasing.

I decided to level off my bets, but kept smiling like a stupid farm boy. The count dropped over a couple hands. That's when I yawned, and said I needed to leave soon. I was going to play for another half hour, but was trying to make my bets look natural. Then the dealer calmly said to me, "Here at the Dunes we don't allow players who count cards." He continued to deal. I didn't say anything. The dealer then looked directly at the rather serious looking pit boss. The pit boss immediately looked me right in the eye with a piercing stare. I played one more hand and got out of the casino fast.

When you count cards you will have to come up with your own strategy to increase your bets. Hopefully you will make money. Worst case, they ask you to leave and at least you will have a good story to tell about the time you went to play blackjack. Warning: You may lose some or all of your money playing blackjack even if you count cards. Please do not bet any money you cannot afford to lose. The next article in this series will reveal the best places to play blackjack.