When it comes to beating the house edge in blackjack, card counting has long been an effective strategy for skilled players in live table games. By tracking the cards that have already been dealt, counters can determine when the remaining deck favors the player and place larger bets during those opportunities.
However, most online blackjack games today use random number generators (RNGs) instead of physical card decks. This means the odds should remain constant regardless of previous hands. So is there any way to implement traditional card counting techniques in these virtual titles? Or are counters out of luck when transitioning their strategies online?
How Card Counting Works in Live Blackjack
Before examining if these same approaches can translate to internet blackjack at NeoSpin Casino Australia, it helps to understand exactly how card counting operates in live table games first.
Keeping a Running Count
At its core, card counting assigns point values to each card based on their significance to the player:
- +1 points: 2-6 cards
- 0 points: 7-9 cards
- -1 points: 10-Ace cards
As cards come out of the shoe, the counter keeps a “running count” by adding or subtracting points for each card. For example, if a 5 is dealt, the count would go up by 1. If a Jack is dealt next, the count would then decrease by 1 back to neutral.
Calculating the True Count
Skilled card counters also divide the running count by the number of decks remaining to generate a “true count.” This allows them to compare the count’s significance across different card shoes and table rules.
Placing Bigger Bets with Player Advantage
Finally, when the true count is high and favors the player, card counters will increase their bets dramatically to capitalize on the edge. When it’s low or favors the dealer, they lower their wagers. This is how card counting can overcome the house edge in blackjack over time.
Why Card Counting Works with Physical Card Shoes
The reason card counting can be so effective in live blackjack is because physical card decks and shoes have dealt histories that influence future hands.
Each card that comes out is one less of that value left in the remaining shoe. So when a lot of low cards have already been seen, it means higher value cards are more concentrated in the rest of the undealt deck, favoring the player.
Conversely, when many high value cards come out early, like Aces or 10’s, the concentration of low cards in the remainder increases, favoring the dealer. Keeping a running count allows players to measure these concentrations mathematically and adjust their bets accordingly.
Online Blackjack Uses RNGs Instead of Card Shoes
However, most internet blackjack games today do not deal from continuous card shoes like live games. Instead, each round’s card values are generated randomly by algorithms called random number generators (RNGs).
Each hand is essentially dealt from a newly shuffled deck independent from previous results. So no matter how many low or high value cards were generated on earlier hands, it has no influence whatsoever on the current round.
Without dealing with histories to measure, this creates a major obstacle for attempting traditional card counting online.
Could New RNG Prediction Strategies Work?
While normal card counting relies on tracking dealt physical cards in live blackjack, some players have theorized new strategies focused on predicting biases in online RNG card generators.
However, internet casinos take extensive measures to ensure their RNG blackjack algorithms create truly random and unpredictable results over billions of hands. This makes successfully predicting any significant patterns extraordinarily unlikely.
Attempting to implement RNG prediction strategies also carries major bankroll risks for players. Due to results being fully random, there is no mathematical edge to leverage like in live card counting. Any wager increases made on assumed biases could quickly backfire.
What Realistic Options Do Card Counters Have Online?
For serious advantage players dedicated specifically to card counting, playing live dealer blackjack online with human dealers and physical card shoes is currently the best option. Though not exactly like casino table games, these hybrid offerings allow for similar counting strategies.
Below are a few potential avenues counters could still explore when playing standard RNG internet blackjack:
- Practicing card counting fundamentals risk-free with free blackjack games
- Studying basic blackjack strategy to lower the house edge
- Taking advantage of bonuses with wagering requirements
- Seeking lucrative comp and loyalty programs
While not a replicable edge like live games, these alternatives can still stretch bankrolls further and improve sessions over time.
Conclusion
Unfortunately for card counters, successfully translating advantage play strategies like traditional counting from live blackjack to online RNG games remains highly improbable today. With no ability to measure the concentrations of remaining virtual card decks, players lose the mathematical edge needed to overcome the house.
However, by better understanding the random algorithms behind internet blackjack, advantage players can still legally explore some options online while reserving their honed counting skills for vulnerable live table games around the world. The quest to beat the dealer continues, adapted to new virtual battlegrounds.
