How do you cheat at blackjack?

During the course of a blackjack shoe, the dealer progressively exposes cards which are dealt to his or her own and the players' hands. Careful accounting of the exposed cards allows a player to make inferences about the cards which remain to be dealt, and use these inferences in one of two ways:

• The players can make larger bets when they have the advantage. For example, the players can increase the starting bet if there are many aces and tens left in the deck, in the hope of hitting a blackjack
• The players can deviate from basic strategy according to the composition of their undealt cards. For example, with many tens left in the deck, the players may double down in more situations since there is a better chance of getting a good hand.

Card counting mentally is legal and is not considered cheating.However, most casinos have the right to ban players, with or without cause, and card counting is frequently a reason for banning a player. Usually, the casino will inform the players that they are no longer welcome to play blackjack at that casino and they may be banned from the property. Players must be careful not to reveal the fact that they are counting. The use of electronic or other counting devices is illegal in Nevada, where the size of the gambling industry gives it a unique ability to influence state legislation.