A pit boss and his disciples will approach you and thank you for playing in the casino, but could you please play another card game rather than blackjack? Well, there’s nothing you can do but take note that there are surveillance cameras around.

Sharp subterfuge at the gaming tables

Card counting is not illegal, but casinos do not condone it. You will be shown the door and thanked for patronizing the casino. How they are quick at separating the chaff from the grain is thanks to surveillance cameras, which you have correctly suspected.

Card counting is as old as man’s desire for other people’s money. The lucky few who are gifted with sharp memories are the only ones who can stack up their chips as high as the ceiling.

Despite the distraction of sexy waitresses, the pinging of slot machines, and the talk at the tables, they can keep count of the cards dealt and accurately guess the high cards left on the deck.

What’s the card counter’s game

When the cards dealt are low cards, the card counter will start to bet low and when the remaining cards are distributed, he’ll starting betting like there is no tomorrow. In all appearances, the card counter is not as obvious as peering into the card stack or making overt hand signals.

The action is in his mind. How the surveillance cameras can detect his subterfuge is in the growing pile of chips. But the floor masters and the pit bosses are only chancing on their instinct and not on hard evidence to bodily throw you out of the door. So they’ll smile and invite you to play another card game.

A card counter learns the tricks of the trade by sheer force of will. It is not so much as memorizing all the cards that have been played. The card counter actually keeps tabs on the deck composition and checks his composure when he knows that the next cards to be played are going to be high value cards.

When casino surveillance cameras watch him, there’s nothing unusual. He looks just like any regular card player: chatting, sipping his beer, or ogling the waitresses in their skimpy costumes. But underneath the cool exterior is an agile mind tracking the ratio of low cards to high value cards.

How to count cards

If you’re an aspiring card counter, here’s what you should do. Use a mental sliding scale. Aces and 10 value cards are minus 1 and low value cards from 2-7 are worth plus one. Each time a high card is dealt, subtract one from the current count, do the reverse with a low card – adding it to the current count.

If you want to learn more about card counting, get books from Amazon.com or visit the Black Jack Bible – one of the many online sites that’ll jumpstart your gaming career. While you do this, take the time to know how surveillance cameras work and start putting on a poker face.