Card counting is one of the most famous techniques card players use to gain an advantage in different games. While most commonly used in blackjack, it can also be applied in different games.
When it comes to counting cards in poker, it is worth noting that such techniques can only be used in some forms of poker and only in a limited fashion.
Yet, keeping track of all the cards you can see is quite important, and is why you should not dismiss the idea of counting cards as a part of your poker basics.
Let’s start by explaining the concept of card counting before we delve deeper into how it works in different card games.
What Is Card Counting?
Generally speaking, the term card counting refers to any technique that involves tracking the cards that were exposed during a hand of any card game and remembering those cards to gain an edge.
Card counting was popularized by various teams, including the MIT Team, that worked together to gain an advantage over casinos in the game of blackjack.
Over the years, these teams used different card-counting techniques and systems, all falling into the same category.
While card counting is most useful in blackjack, various counting techniques can also be useful in games like baccarat and some poker variations.
Card Counting in Poker
All cards dealt out during a hand of blackjack are exposed at the end of a hand, including those dealt to other players at the table and the dealer. In poker, you only get to see some of the cards, depending on the form of poker you are playing, while all other cards remain hidden.
More importantly, the deck is shuffled in full after every hand of poker, which means seeing cards in one hand won’t help you in the next.
Yet, at least some cards are exposed during a hand in most poker games, which means there is some information to work into your poker strategy for the duration of that hand.
Let us consider how card counting works in different poker games and what kind of an edge it can give you.
Card Counting in Texas Hold’em
Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game these days, and when it comes to counting cards in poker, this is the most important one to discuss.
In Texas Hold’em Poker, it is not possible to count cards in a traditional way, as too few cards are exposed to give you an idea of whether a deck contains more high cards, low cards, or anything of the sort.
However, seeing particular cards in Texas Hold’em can be very useful, as you can use this knowledge to your advantage. This is commonly referred to as the blocker effect.
In poker, blockers are cards that block your opponent from having certain holdings. For example, if you hold the Ace of clubs in your hand and there are three clubs on the board, your opponent can’t have the Ace-high flush.
Using the knowledge of your two cards, along with any cards that may have been accidentally exposed and the five community cards, can help you win some pots that you would not have won otherwise.
Blockers can play a big part in your Texas Hold’em strategy, and you should learn when and how to lean on them to gain an advantage over your opponents.
Make sure to remain observant at all times and try to spot as many cards as you can during a hand, as each card you see can potentially give you an advantage at some point down the road.
Counting Cards in Pot Limit Omaha
Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is very similar to Texas Hold’em, except for the fact every player is dealt four hole cards to start with.
Having four hole cards to start with instead of two means you will get into spots where you hold key blockers even more often.
What’s more, players are even more likely to believe you have a big hand like the nut flush in PLO, so if you hold that key blocker, the time is right for a big bluff.
Counting cards in Pot Limit Omaha can help you in other ways as well. For instance, if you happen to hold four cards of the same suit and make a small flush, the odds of your opponent actually having a bigger flush are lower, as you hold four of the cards that would make their flush combos.
Blockers are even more significant in PLO than they are in Texas Hold’em, but make sure not to put all your trust in them and still consider other strategic implications when considering any play at a PLO table.
Counting Cards in Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud is another poker game where counting cards can come in quite handy, but in a different way than it does in blackjack or other poker games.
Unlike Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha, Seven Card Stud is not a game in which community cards come into play. Instead, each player’s cards are their own, but quite a few cards are exposed throughout the hand.
To start a hand of Seven Card Stud, the dealer deals three cards to each player at the table, with one of those cards dealt face-up.
This means you will see up to nine cards right at the start of the hand, along with your other two hole cards, for a total of up to 11 cards.
Remembering what these cards were can be very important, as it allows you to better understand your odds of making certain hands, as well as the likelihood your opponents have what they are representing.
This same card counting method works in other Stud poker games such as Five Card Stud, Razz, and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo, as each exposed card gives you helpful information for the rest of the hand.
Limited Value to Card Counting in Poker
Card counting has a place in different poker games, as this article explained, but it also has limited utility.
Many poker players take card counting to a different level and believe that they can predict the cards they will be dealt or those that will be dealt on the board based on counting cards in previous hands.
For example, you will hear players in live games talk about a certain card being “hot” or “cold,” like in roulette, and suggest you should play if you have cards that connect with a certain card rank or suit.
Never listen to such suggestions or assume you can predict what cards will be dealt the next hand, as there is absolutely no relation between one deal and another.
Just because the previous three flops had two or more hearts on them does not mean that the next one will or that it won’t! In fact, the odds remain the same every time the deck is shuffled.
Don’t fall into the trap of putting any relevance on any perceived sequences you may have spotted, as every time the deck is fully shuffled, the cards will come out in a completely random way that cannot be predicted.
Is Card Counting Legal?
The one question people often ask about counting cards in poker, blackjack, or any other game is whether it’s legal.
The short answer is yes. Card counting is 100% legal. Regardless of the game you are playing, counting cards is not a crime, and it will not be considered cheating in poker.
That said, casinos may ban you from their property if they notice you are counting cards, as they are free to ban anyone they want for any reason.
Since the casino can’t be damaged by a player counting cards in poker games, there is no fear of being banned or punished for doing it.
Counting cards in poker is 100% legal, but different counting techniques will only add a slight margin to your overall edge if done correctly, making them less valuable than they would be in a game like blackjack.
Learn How to Count Cards in Poker
We have explained the few main methods of card counting in poker that may help you win more often in your games.
Making sure you spot any exposed cards and consider them when calculating pot odds can help quite a bit in different poker games like Texas Hold’em and Seven Card Stud.
At the end of the day, counting cards alone won’t make you a winning poker player, but applying the techniques we mentioned in this guide can help you gain a bit of extra edge.
While blockers and unblockers are definitely concepts that can help you win more, they do not represent a perfect strategy that will always win at the poker tables like counting cards in blackjack does.
Card Counting in Poker FAQs
What is card counting?
Card counting is a strategy that involves tracking all the exposed cards and assigning them certain values. Based on the score of the cards you counted, you can adjust your overall strategy to win more often in games like blackjack and baccarat. Specific forms of card counting can also be applied in different poker games.
Can you count cards in poker?
In some forms of poker, you can apply strategies similar to card counting in blackjack. This includes Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Seven Card Stud Poker. In all of these games, you can track the cards you have access to and adjust your strategy based on the cards you know are not in the deck anymore.
Can you count cards in Texas Hold’em?
The most common use of card counting in Texas Hold’em Poker involves blockers and unblockers. These are cards that increase or decrease the probability of your opponent holding certain hands. For instance, if you hold the Ah, it is impossible for your opponent to have the nut flush on a board with three hearts.
Can you count cards in Seven Card Stud?
Yes! Seven Card Stud and other Stud Poker games involve a lot of card counting. Your strategy should rely heavily on the cards that were dealt to and folded by other players at the table who are no longer active in the hand.
Can you count cards in online poker?
Online poker and live poker use the same dealing patterns, meaning you can apply the same card counting techniques in online poker that you would use in live poker games, whether you are playing NLH, PLO, or 7 Card Stud.
Is counting cards in poker legal?
Yes! Card counting is fully legal in the US and most other countries. However, casinos still frown on card counters and may ban you from their property if you are caught counting cards at the blackjack tables.
Is counting cards in poker cheating?
No! Any strategy that involves counting cards in poker is perfectly legal and within the game’s rules. Poker is a game of skill, and any advantage you can gain from remembering cards you have seen can be used as part of your overall strategy.
What are blockers in poker?
Blockers are cards that make it less likely for your opponents to have certain card combinations. Modern GTO poker theory revolves heavily around the use of blockers to choose which hands to bluff or make hero calls with.
