dealer double peek with automatic device

arrando

Well-Known Member
#1
At this one casino (indian res, socal) with an automatic peeking device (I'm assuming mirror, not red/green light), the dealer had a face up, then checked his downcard with the device. He proceeded to rearrange some chips in the rack and then checked the downcard again. I thought to myself-he can't have another face even though it was an automatic checker which would he theoretically would not know if it was a face. I hit a stiff as per basic strategy and came up with a 19. The dealer said "you made it" and proceeded to turn up a 7 in the hole, giving him 17. Is this just coincidence or do dealers sometimes know what card they have under there? In addition, I have also noticed that dealers sometimes check their hole card even if it is not a face or ace.
 

Sucker

Well-Known Member
#2
He was just being happy for you. He WANTED you to win. What he was saying was: "Nice hit! You made a hand & didn't bust". He did NOT know what the card was.

Now; a dealer who checks his hole card when he doesn't have an ace or a ten up? VERY good way to get fired, and maybe even ARRESTED!

I once found a dealer at South Pointe who was doing this. South Pointe does not have the devices at the tables; he was doing it manually - the old fashioned way. I sat down at 1b and proceeded to pick off every single hole card - until after about 15 minutes, when I realized that if I were to win any significant money, the dealer and I would've BOTH been hauled out in handcuffs, and though I was 100% innocent of ANY wrongdoing; even Bob Nersesian wouldn't have been able to get me out of THAT one! So I made a couple hundred & left. Never saw that dealer again; it's anyone's guess what could've happened to him. :confused:
 
#3
arrando said:
At this one casino (indian res, socal) with an automatic peeking device (I'm assuming mirror, not red/green light), the dealer had a face up, then checked his downcard with the device. He proceeded to rearrange some chips in the rack and then checked the downcard again. I thought to myself-he can't have another face even though it was an automatic checker which would he theoretically would not know if it was a face. I hit a stiff as per basic strategy and came up with a 19. The dealer said "you made it" and proceeded to turn up a 7 in the hole, giving him 17. Is this just coincidence or do dealers sometimes know what card they have under there? In addition, I have also noticed that dealers sometimes check their hole card even if it is not a face or ace.
Mirror devices are not made to show the dealer his whole card. Too many have no poker face and a good player can read the card relative strength by the dealers face or mannerisms. They simply reflect something for an ace when the card is slid in one way and reflect something for a ten value card when slid in the other way for the same side. It is where the value is printed in the corner of the card that differs with aces, faces and 2-9 cards. By altering the direction the corner is slid in he is viewing a different area of the corner of the card.
 

Blue Efficacy

Well-Known Member
#4
When a dealer double peeks with a device it is because they are making sure they are checking properly, if they don't have the two cards aligned 100% it is possible they'd miss the marking if it was an ace under a 10, or a 10 under an ace.
 

AC232323

Well-Known Member
#5
Blue Efficacy said:
When a dealer double peeks with a device it is because they are making sure they are checking properly, if they don't have the two cards aligned 100% it is possible they'd miss the marking if it was an ace under a 10, or a 10 under an ace.
Can someone explain or post a link to an explanation of how these systems work? I've never understood how the red/green light system works.
 

21forme

Well-Known Member
#6
The opposite corners of paint and aces are black. When inserted in the reader, and optical sensor either gets a bright reflection (from white) or little reflected light (from black) this triggers either the green or red LED. Look at the cards next time you play and you'll see what I mean.
 

21forme

Well-Known Member
#9
AC232323 said:
How do they differentiate between checking for an Ace v checking for a 10?
They are read differently. One is inserted the long way and the other the short way, as different corners are marked for aces and faces/tens.
 
#11
Back in the day when dealers actually peeked at the cards, a double-peek was sometimes indicative of making sure it was a 4 and not an A, or vice versa.
 
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