Can You Count Cards at Irish Casinos and Online?

Counting cards became mainstream when the 2008 film 21 hit the big screens.

It shows a bunch of college students taking Vegas casinos for millions after perfecting the blackjack dark art. 

Despite what some people claim, this trick can't be replicated at casino sites.

I'll explain the reasons below, but for now, you're better off using the latest casino offers to boost your blackjack game.

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Let's be honest, we all wish we could do it, but counting cards at an online casino is next to impossible. However, don't let that turn you off the game. This page features plenty of tips for blackjack players.

- David Coleman, Casino content manager

Can I Count Cards Online?

I’ll be honest with you — card counting online isn’t quite the Ocean’s Eleven fantasy some people still think it is.

Sitting on your couch with a phone in hand doesn’t exactly scream high-stakes Vegas glamour, and the reality is, it just doesn’t work the way it might in a land-based casino.

In most online blackjack games, the deck is reshuffled after every hand using Random Number Generator software.

That wipes the slate clean every time. You can’t keep a count because there’s nothing to count — the shoe effectively resets on each deal.

Even with live dealer blackjack — where the cards are real and the action’s streamed in real time — the casinos are one step ahead.

They use continuous shufflers or swap the shoe out before it gets too deep. So any shot at a meaningful count is gone before it really begins.

Now, if you did manage to count successfully (and somehow win consistently), you’d likely find yourself restricted or even have your account quietly shut down. 

Not necessarily for card counting, but because you’re winning too often. It happens.

What is Card Counting?

Card counting is often seen as the holy grail of beating the house at blackjack — and yes, in the right conditions, it can give you a small edge.

In simple terms, it’s a way of tracking which cards have been played, so you can predict whether the remaining deck is “hot” or “cold”.

When the shoe is rich in tens and aces, your odds of hitting a blackjack — or catching the dealer out — improve. That’s when a counter might increase their bets. 

When the count swings the other way, they’ll scale back. It’s not about memorising every card, but rather assigning values (+1, 0, -1) and keeping a mental tally.

I’ve spent years around this game, and while the maths is solid, the reality is this: card counting only works in specific environments — usually land-based casinos with deep shoes and consistent rules.

Online? Not so much. The tech resets the deck too often, and the edge disappears before it begins.

Is Card Counting Legal?

Yes — card counting is completely legal.

There’s no law against using your brain at the blackjack table, and if you can keep track of the cards without using any tools or devices, you’re not breaking any rules.

But let’s be clear — while it’s legal, that doesn’t mean casinos like it. In fact, they don’t.

Land-based venues can ask you to leave, limit your bets, or ban you outright if they suspect you’re counting. Online casinos take a different route.

If you're consistently winning, they might restrict your stakes, apply cooling-off periods, or close your account altogether — not necessarily for counting, but for being a “high-risk” player.

So yes, it’s legal — but it comes with consequences. If you’re thinking about giving it a go, be prepared for the house to fight back if you start getting too clever.

Video Blackjack Card Counting

Do not even attempt to try card counting on video blackjack.

There is a continuous deck shuffle that takes place after each hand rendering card counting completely impossible.

Video blackjack hands are determined by random number generators, providing totally random dealer activity at every step.

It is impossible to count cards with video blackjack games at online casinos.

Live Dealer Card Counting

With eight decks generally used for live casinos blackjack, and a shuffle after three have been through the shoe, the margins for profitable card counting are so minimal as to render the activity all but pointless.

The deck penetration is so shallow as to prevent any real advantage play panning out.

Even if there is a real heavy load of small cards at the front of the deck, the minute you start staking big with the expectation of the face cards arriving, there will be an algorithm in place to highlight your advantage, identify your profit, and potentially confiscate any winnings subsequent to you playing through.

You won't even know you have been caught until you try to make a withdrawal. And then the battle begins.

'Wonging' Online

As I touched on already, if you are looking to card count with blackjack, you are better off using a land-based casino, finding an ideal table and shoe, and trying your luck for as long as you can go undetected.

There are still successful networks of counters out there, but it is even harder to stay undetected and the time and profit you might be able to make, if you are reading this guide for info, is probably not worth the effort.

You'll be more likely to make more profit from a lucky streak.

What is Wonging?

'Wonging' is mainly banned at land-based casinos. Entering the game mid-shoe, especially if you already have a seat is a good sign that you are counting but can you Wong online

It is possible to enter a game mid-shoe online, but the recurring shuffling deems the practice pointless. Even on live dealer tables, 'wonging' is not going to get you very far.

Is there an Alternative to Card Counting I Can use?

Blackjack is a great casino game given that playing with the basic strategy you can lower the house edge significantly anyway. Couple this strategy with casino bonuses and your liabilities drop and therefore the house edge narrowed even further. So long as you can get into profit and stop at a point when you are in front, you will have a successful strategy. 

Look out for welcome bonuses, free play, loyalty rewards, and promotions to lower your risk and play with the online casino's money first and you'll be risking less of your own.

Small profits may be achievable, but always remember that there are very few poor casinos out there, the odds are stacked in their favor and the longer you play the less likely it is that you can make or maintain a profit.