Gala London Loyalty card

#1
Has anyone else noticed the procedure in place at Gala regarding the loyalty/membership card.

It's a member only club, and when you arrive and sit at a bj table, they ask to see your loyalty card to then add points to your card. This takes some 3 to 5 minutes, but the whole thing seems a little un necessary and an obvious ploy to assess every single player that comes in, ie playing frequencies and money spent previously etc!

Has anyone else also noticed this and has anyone ever been barred from a Gala recently?
 
#2
I have been to Gala russel sq twice in last week, quite a few regulars who dont even know BS. The pit asked for my membership card then returned it, only took 20 seconds so not bovered about it. I cashed in £60 and quickly got up to £140, this attracted a bit of heat from the pit even though I wasnt counting just playing perfect BS. The pit was just letting me know they were watching so I ate my toasted cheese and walked.
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#3
In the past I've turned up at a Gala and explained I've left my membership card at home. "No problems, go straight in". And I did.

If you're concerned over them tracking your buy-in, that's the answer. or, "My wife's got it in her handbag. Don't worry about it". They're not going to refuse your money because you haven't got a card. Having said that, at the local one I play at I think someone might get a bit snotty if you were to drop a monkey on the table without one.
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#4
londongekko said:
. . .I cashed in £60 and quickly got up to £140, this attracted a bit of heat from the pit even though I wasnt counting just playing perfect BS. The pit was just letting me know they were watching so I ate my toasted cheese and walked.
Can you elaborate?
 

JVR

New Member
#6
Hi, I have just been to Gala today and the dealer was a counter himself. Within 5 hands, even before I raised my bets, he knew I was counting and was telling the other ppl on the table to bet more when I raise my bet. After his shift, he actually told the next dealer to be "careful, we have a counter here". What do you think I should have done?? I left after about an hour, and only made a 1-6 spread.
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#7
I doubt he was a counter but probably knew enough to recognise the symptoms of counting, ie raising bets occasionally. Bull$hitter more likely. There's just no way he could tell you were counting cards within five hands. Let's be fair, if you were playing OTT a new shoe it's unlikely that the count would climb to a point where you'd be jumping your bets significantly. What you should have said is that you're very flattered that the pro amongst you all recommends everyone piggy backs on your play, but that of course you can't be held responsible for others' losses. When he gets a few daggers from people who have lost a load he'll learn to keep his mouth shut.

If you're ever worried about it in the future, make an obviously silly play with a min bet (£3?) out - splitting fives is a good one. After all, only a cretin would split fives . . . even the most ignorant of BJ dealers know this. The more subtle ones (standing on soft 17 for example) will be wasted. Also, it does help of course if you don't count out loud or have an abacus on the table.

For info, a 1-6 spread in a 6 deck shoe game won't overcome the HE.

Good luck for when you return.
 

JVR

New Member
#8
Thanks for your reply. He was actually a counter- he said he's been counting all his life and now he's working at a casino because he's been barred. The things he mentioned did kind of prove that- he said he used the Stanford Wong's halves and recommended the book Professional BJ, take insurance when TC was +3 or more, oh, and I think he said he can tell whether someone's s a counter by looking at their faces (whether he's looking at the discard rack or not).

So the best way I guess is to spread normally but make a couple of silly plays on min. bet.
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#9
If Gala dealers are getting that sharp I must start wearing a bag on my head when I visit one of their regional venues. It shouldn't raise too many eyebrows though - some of their staff are ugly as sin. :laugh:
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#11
I doubt it - Gala going out of their way to hire people who have the skills to count down a deck and play with an advantage. More a case of they've hired yet another who'll work for a modest hourly rate, during unsociable hours while putting up with being treated like $#it by the courteous, well mannered British public. No great surprise that some suffer from an attitude complex.

If it was a genuine move (policy wise), they'd be one in every venue - counter IDer that is.

If you're in London you should find other venues to play at - there are better games and conditions not too far away, and at the same time you can avoid this guy.
 

ycming

Well-Known Member
#12
UK-21 - 5 hands in a 6 decks game with 7 players in play, the count could easily sky rocket to a running 20 + :D. Then you be betting like a crazy monkey :p

I personally know dealers outside the casino, they do know a few things and in the training college (one in blackpool) they do get taught the basic of counting, but they are not actually that sharp about it. One i know are able to follow the count but that's as far as it goes.

Don't worry too much about it, direct confrontation will be good with the dealer, keep telling him the bull you should be alright!

Standing on 16 and say stuff like leaving the small card for the dealer! (obv when he has a 10)

Ming
 

Percy

Well-Known Member
#13
JVR said:
Thanks for your reply. He was actually a counter- he said he's been counting all his life and now he's working at a casino because he's been barred. The things he mentioned did kind of prove that- he said he used the Stanford Wong's halves and recommended the book Professional BJ, take insurance when TC was +3 or more, oh, and I think he said he can tell whether someone's s a counter by looking at their faces (whether he's looking at the discard rack or not).

So the best way I guess is to spread normally but make a couple of silly plays on min. bet.
Don't worry about that guy. He appreciates what we do and has never (to my knowledge) grassed on anyone. Keep things friendly and maybe throw him the odd tip...
 

Percy

Well-Known Member
#14
UK-21 said:
If you're ever worried about it in the future, make an obviously silly play with a min bet (£3?) out - splitting fives is a good one. After all, only a cretin would split fives . . . even the most ignorant of BJ dealers know this. The more subtle ones (standing on soft 17 for example) will be wasted. Also, it does help of course if you don't count out loud or have an abacus on the table.
Splitting fives? That's got to be seriously costly...

I reckon if Ming walked into one of the Glasgow Galas with an abacus, all hell would break loose.... :laugh:
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#15
Percy said:
Splitting fives? That's got to be seriously costly...
Not always . . . I did it once by mistake (thought I'd glimpsed two threes) and only realised what a wally I'd been after tossing another chip into the ring and giving the signal to split 'em. Pulled a four card twenty one on one hand. Needless to say I did it the only time I've ever shared a table with another guy counting. A case of doing the wrong thing at the right time. That's my excuse anyway.

And poor Ming - rumour has it that there's a cottage industry in G'gow producing effegies of him to be abused by Gala duty managers. :laugh: I wonder if he ever made it onto a management agenda somewhere?
 

JVR

New Member
#16
Percy said:
Don't worry about that guy. He appreciates what we do and has never (to my knowledge) grassed on anyone. Keep things friendly and maybe throw him the odd tip...
Thanks. I am guessing you've seen that dealer, right? I mean he does seem very nice, but the last thing I wanted was to discuss card counting strategies with him when the pit boss is looking over his shoulder.
 

UK-21

Well-Known Member
#17
UK-21 said:
. . . More a case of they've hired yet another who'll work for a modest hourly rate, during unsociable hours while putting up with being treated like $#it by the courteous, well mannered British public. No great surprise that some suffer from an attitude complex.
Just for the record, I don't have a particular downer on casino table staff - some I've met have been charming and professional in the way they conduct themselves and have given no grounds for any criticism at all. Having said that, in the relatively short time I've been visiting various houses of chance, I've come across many who need a spell in charm school or better still, need to look for another way of earning a crust. For some reason it always seems to be at a Gala casino where things go off the rails - I haven't yet fathomed out why that is?
 

ycming

Well-Known Member
#18
UK-21 said:
Just for the record, I don't have a particular downer on casino table staff - some I've met have been charming and professional in the way they conduct themselves and have given no grounds for any criticism at all. Having said that, in the relatively short time I've been visiting various houses of chance, I've come across many who need a spell in charm school or better still, need to look for another way of earning a crust. For some reason it always seems to be at a Gala casino where things go off the rails - I haven't yet fathomed out why that is?
they are the lowest pay casino staff out of all of them. From the one i know of G/stanley/LCI/Asper.

We did at one point so close to jumping a casino manager. Obv we didn't do it... but we know who it is and is never forgotten :).
Am pretty sure gala got us listed as we had a refuse entry down in london :(.

Actually i got a good idea, wait a little while a small trip all to ma town :D??? Got a few table am going to bause!

Ming
 

caramel6

Well-Known Member
#19
gala

JVR said:
I mean that dealer is in Gala Queensway. But my guess is that they've probably hired a couple of ex-counters.
I think I know this guy, a tall one, not young ? around 40-50 or so? His name is John?
 
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