Does Card Counting Work Online?
Many players learn to count cards and immediately wonder: "Can I do this from home?" The answer is complicated.
Virtual RNG Games
No. Standard digital blackjack games (where there is no video of a human dealer) shuffle the deck after every single hand. This means the count is always 0. You cannot beat these games with counting.
Live Dealer Games
Technically, yes, you can keep a count. The cards are physically dealt from a shoe. However, online casinos combat this with poor penetration.
The Penetration Problem
"Penetration" refers to how many cards are dealt before the shuffle. In a physical casino, a dealer might deal 4.5 or 5 decks out of a 6-deck shoe. This allows the count to fluctuate significantly.
Online live dealers often shuffle after only 3 decks (50% penetration). This makes it mathematically impossible to get a high enough True Count often enough to overcome the house edge.
Conclusion
While you can count online for practice, you likely won't make a profit. Use online tools like our card counting trainer to sharpen your skills, then play in a real casino for profit.