Contrary to popular belief, the practice of counting cards is not illegal, nor is it considered cheating. But as private establishments, casinos can (and do) remove and even outright ban patrons who are caught tipping the odds in their favor. And what is illegal is using any kind of device to aid in counting cards, which then makes the practice a felony.

As such, Nevada gambling regulators have put the word out to casinos about a new card counting application available to iPhone and iPod touch owners. Nevada first learned of the program after officials at an Indian casino in California discovered some of its customers were using the app.

On a related note, should someone call or text your iPhone in the middle of a Blackjack game, it's probably best to ignore it. Not only would the alternative be obnoxious, but given the above, it could get you escorted out of the casino. And if you believe what you saw in the movie 21, having your trendy phone confiscated could be the least of your worries.

Image Credit: tmsoft.com