Gambling Strategy Glossary

As Blackjack is played from a limited number of cards, a deck, two decks or even more, by keeping track of the cards that have already been played the player puts himself in better position to know when the remaining cards give him an advantage. The player may then make larger bets, choose to double down, or other actions, based on the situation.

Card counting may not necessarily assure winning, but it can bring the house advantage to a minimum, especially when playing with a single deck. While legal, card counting may be grounds to have the player removed from a casino table. This is not a concern when playing online.

Originally referring to betting strategies from 18th century France, today it means mainly the betting technique that calls for the player to double up after a loss as a way to recover the loss in the next turn, mainly in Roulette but used in all gambling games.