How I’d Start Counting Cards in 2026

[00:01] profits of advanced play isn't easy but my AP friends and I are proof that it can be done so you played for how long I don't know how long is that down there an hour and a half I brought in I think 1400 and I had like 10 000 something

[00:14] right there I started my card counting Journey almost 20 years ago and it's doesn't mean I would do everything the same and it's a different Casino environment than it was 20 years ago what would I do if I was starting my

[00:27] share that with you in this video [Music] [Music] foreign from Blackjack apprenticeship and the truth is 99 of people who set out to become card counters don't make

[00:40] it the number one problem I see for why people fail is that they never get a winning game people ask me what my training was like and it was terrible I casino getting backed off while also losing money fortunately I've learned a

[00:55] Years playing running teams and running Blackjack apprenticeship if I were starting now I would break down each of the steps and master them individually while slowly putting them together basic strategy down backwards and forwards

[01:09] under 25 seconds true Count and deviations mastered implementing a bet spread then putting all those together one at a time so that I can implement it all perfectly at home before even considering stepping into a casino

[01:24] another thing I would absolutely do if I was starting now is find another card counter to train with there are online forums where you can find other active or aspiring APS to train with if they are new to card counting like me then I

[01:37] would meet up every week and deal to each other until our games are perfect if they're further along than me I'd offer to buy them coffee or lunch to me and help me progress in my training if I'm having any doubts about my game

[01:50] I'm gonna find a pro to test me out the cost to get a prose analysis of my game is far cheaper than making mistakes at the casino over the rest of my career getting tested by a pro was the single most valuable thing that happened to me

[02:05] when I started card counting I can't emphasize this enough cardkang is not easy money and I see these new card counters that never get tested out and thousands or tens of thousands of dollars that they've lost in the casino

[02:19] I tell people two things needed to make it as a card counter are brains and a card counters they may develop their skills but they never get their bankroll sorted out some of these people over bet their Bank rolls and go bust others

[02:34] enough to make any money so they never make any profits if I start today I had on the bankroll requirements needed to generate some positive expected value while also keeping my risk of Ruin incredibly low if you're wanting me to

[02:49] exactly what to bet unfortunately it's not that simple there are too many variables like table limits rules deck penetration the expected value you're willing to live with and risk you're willing to live with while spending the

[03:03] two or three months is going to take to train if I'm underfunded I would make that I have the bankroll I need when I get started at the tables if I'm aspiring to down the road Go Pro I would want at least five to ten thousand to

[03:16] get started but more is always better remember card counting is a marathon not a Sprint so I want to make sure that I'm neither underfunded or over betting my bankroll all right I've got my brains and my bankroll sorted out I'm ready to

[03:29] start attacking the casinos so how would I go about this now if I started today I that I could start it's still positive EV but it's like training wheels while I get comfortable and confident in the casinos before putting my entire

[03:43] bankroll at risk when we ran Blackjack teams once a player could pass both an in-home and at casino test out we would give them a smaller bet spread to use for the first 80 or 100 hours of play because they are always far more

[03:56] comfortable confident and prepared in a casino than they were when they first started remember there's the math side of card counting but also the art the ability to act in a casino in a way that you can get in the hours so spaying

[04:09] those first 80 to 100 hours in the casino getting comfortable and confident so you can handle yourself well will pay off down the road it's not just how you Blackjack it's also about where you play that brings up the question where would

[04:22] I play If I were starting now not all blackjack games are created equal and if you're playing poor or mediocre rules then best case scenario you're going to be grinding way harder to eke out a profit out the tables if I were starting

[04:35] today I would be selective about what rules and deck penetration I would play at because my goal is not to play Blackjack my goal is to get a good return on my time at the blackjack tables if I find a good game at a local

[04:50] casino I'm certainly not going to sit there hours every single day like it's a day job I would put my time and energy into spreading my play around taking notes on what shifts are better what dealers offer better deck penetration

[05:03] anything noteworthy I try to avoid any single session wins that might be a your local casino you want to generate positive EV but also see if there's a way to Shear the Sheep rather than skin

[05:16] it one of the absolutely best at this goes by the name Scott Chow he did a for several years now he's been making six figures only playing casinos within a four hour drive of him he's methodical strategic and approaches card King

[05:31] incredibly professionally I have notes about what's a tolerated spread so I might spread 10 to 200 in a place just because that's it's a really good game figure out a scheme where you're getting the money you need in the least amount

[05:44] of time that makes sense in your life with the least amount of travel that you know won't drive you crazy also in these early days I would play unrated as much as possible because that way if I do get backed off they don't have my driver's

[05:56] license a name or anything that they can put in a database other than a picture of an anonymous person there may be opportunities far more valuable down the road than those first few months as a card counter so I would be trying to

[06:08] protect my name for that is it time for blackjack trips my availability to local profitable games would help me determine when and how often to take some it's a three-day weekend here and there but if I've got the bankroll to generate

[06:23] some higher EV much higher than my travel expenses then I would look for some strategic places where I could generate a lot of EV in a short period of time and use that to further spread out my I play even more beyond my local

[06:36] games taking it a step further by the end of year one I would want to know some other ways to generate EV in a casino Blackjack Hall of Famer Richard munchkin talks about how new card counters and Advantage players tend to

[06:48] have tunnel vision when they walk into a casino and I've seen it firsthand where newer players walk right past some fairly obvious opportunities if they just looked around and it's not just new players I missed out on tons of EV by

[07:03] not being curious about how different rules promotions special offers or games could be exploited if I started today I would stay curious and be committed to my ongoing learning as an advantage player this way I'd be more likely to

[07:16] profit off of unique opportunities that may present themselves when would I go full time I'll be the first to admit that full-time Advantage play is not easy and is not even a good fit for 99 of people I ended up like at one point

[07:30] up 14 14k and then I had really bad shoes like four or five shoes in a row there's a Pit Boss who sat on my table the entire time in the end she walks up she's like you're finished it works out for most people to be a better

[07:43] investment than a full-time job here's what I want to have figured out before going full time first off is full-time Advantage play the best way to reach my goals secondly do I have enough experience to handle it both financially

[07:56] and emotionally third do I have the bankroll requirements necessary to generate enough EV to support myself and also the savings to live off of in the meantime some of my closest friends are making a killing as full-time a PS but

[08:10] it is not for everyone which begs the question if card King and Advantage play YouTube videos well let me explain to you the top five reasons card counters you the top five reasons card counters quit in this video