Many casinos have a system that scans all the cards dealt from their blackjack shoes automatically, meaning the casino maintains its own running card count. Card counters make their money by figuring out when the odds are in their favor and making big changes to their bet size based on that advantage. If you start betting 5 or 10 times your normal wager amount after this streak, you’re going to stand out to the casino as a card counter. If a ton of low cards are dealt in a row, your chances of seeing cards worth 10 or 11 become much higher. The best way to get busted by casino management for card counting is to alter your bets after a lot of low cards come out of the deck. Here’s a look at how blackjack dealers, casino staff, pit bosses, casino security, and gaming managers spot card counters. Yes, there really is a nationwide database of suspected card counters. The big downside of being caught counting cards is being placed on a list that will bar you from playing in that casino ever again. The trick is to keep the casino staff from noticing your tactics. But the casino has the right to refuse service to anyone, including gamblers who count cards. It’s not even illegal to count cards when your play blackjack. It’s not illegal to play perfect blackjack strategy.

If you want to become a blackjack card counter, you’re going to need to know how casinos spot card counters.

Casino war card counting