card countingn.
/ˈkɑːd ˌkaʊntɪŋ/, U.S. /ˈkɑrd ˌkaʊn(t)ɪŋ/ Cards.
Chiefly in pontoon (blackjack): the action or practice of keeping a mental tally of the cards played in a game in order to gain an (unfair) advantage.
ΚΠ
1932 Frederick (Maryland) Post 7 Oct. 6/5 North now did some card counting, and by the rule of 11 he determined that Burnstine in the East had no heart which could take the seven, therefore North played the deuce of hearts.
1976 N.Y. Times Mag. 27 June 9/2 [They] have become so skilled in blackjack that they win large sums of money. All utilize various systems of ‘card counting’.
2003 Esquire July 81/4 He was eventually banned from every casino in Vegas for card counting.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2021; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
<
n.1932