Don’t Count Your Cards Before They Hatch

Laying a wager has come naturally to humans. It could be a bet on cricket, horse racing or a classic gamble at a casino. With years of exposure, people learn the tricks of the trade. One such trick that took the globe by storm recently is “card counting”.

The Kevin Spacey movie “21” entertained the audience with its unbelievable card counting scheme. So what is card counting? Is the card counting shown in the movie realistic? How is it done?

To begin with, card counting is simple math. It’s no magic and that’s what the movie taught us. Counting cards is mere a science that gives you an edge over the “House”. It does not guarantee you a win all the time just most of the time.

Yes, the card counting technique in the film “21” is as real as it gets. The MIT students amply prove that it is all about the math and probability. This, however, must be done at jet speed and mentally. Yet, counting cards is much easier than it seems.

A card counter bears in mind the number of cards in a deck (52) or a “shoe” (which is nothing but a chute with 4 decks or more). He estimates the number of high-value cards in the deck on the basis of the cards he sees on the table. He also considers what has already been played.

So, is counting cards legal? Intriguingly, it is as legal as law. As long as a card counter is mentally doing his math, he is in no way an outlaw. Casinos have you believe otherwise for their own benefits needless to say. However, casinos at Vegas can keep card counters away because they are private properties. It is the sole discretion of the owners who to let in and who to not. So the next time you go to a casino try a trick or two.