Is getting 86'd worth the experience?

I always hear about people talk about how this or that place is really sweaty and such. I've never really experienced any real heat - the worst thing that ever happened to me was that a pit boss offered me an unsolicited buffet ticket if I took a break. I got the hint and left. So I'm curious to see what getting a stern back-off or getting banned is like.

I'm essentially unconcerned about things like career longevity and my win rate, and I count mostly as a mathematical experiment more than anything. I do care about not getting trespassed from a whole chain (which may limit my entertainment options as I generally gamble on vacation), but I wouldn't mind if I couldn't gamble in that casino ever again. I'm definitely not up for doing anything ethically nebulous.

I figure the standard way is to find a sweaty casino with a good SD/DD game, be aggressive, ignore all the warning signs, and let nature take its course.

(1) Is the effort worth the experience?

(2) What would be the best way to go about doing this?

(3) Am I being a jerk by burning games if I do this?

P.S. This thread is definitely :laugh:-themed. If you think this is a really dumb idea don't get all huffy, just :laugh: at me. My entire motivation is curiosity.

(1) Is the effort worth the experience?

No

(2) What would be the best way to go about doing this?

Don't play stupid if you want longevity.

(3) Am I being a jerk by burning games if I do this?

Probably.


Actually now I see that you don't care about longevity, so do whatever you want.

"Ignoring the warning signs" is an awful idea. Just awful.

If you absolutely have to do it, go on vacation, play unrated, spread like a maniac on a single deck game, and get it out of your system. Don't do it rated, and don't do it anywhere near where you live. And don't give them your name at any point.

In fact, you should probably wear a hat and sunglasses, so the photo is useless.

Again, if you absolutely have to do it.

Play good games, and play with an advantage, and you will get douched out. So many times you'll get sick of it. It's about as interesting an experience as getting thrown out of the playground at McDonald's with your hand down your pants.

But you're not harming other AP's by getting thrown out for spreading, so don't worry.

In my current limited personal statistical sampling of adverse action, I've learned that the reaction that the casino may take to regular run of the mill counting is radically variable. And I have no control over it.

I've been flat bet, backed off from BJ, backed off from all table games, and barred from the casino. And I was pretty much playing the same way each time.

So... don't get caught at a place you want to play. Especially if you want to play rated.

I was curious before I ever experienced heat for the first time. It is an experience you think you want to have, however, when it actually happens, you get nervous, or I did, and hope it never happens again.

At a casino I was playing for 20+ hours SD and DD games only with a 4-1 spread, I was skill checked by a pit boss. Luckily I recognized it and began raising my bets at negative counts. I went back and played with no heat about a month later until a the same pit boss came back. He hid behind another table and watched me. Every time I looked up he turned his head. He then came over and wispered something to the dealer. About five minutes later the dealer said to the pit boss yea, your right. The pit boss responded prove it, you have to prove it. I flat bet for about thirty more minutes and used my comp meal and left. I didn't get nervous, but now i get ticked off. I have studied the shift changes now, so I will not go back while he is there. I aslo decided to play less at the casino and rais me minimum bet to make up for the time I can't spend at that casino. Plus I am playing much more poker now.

I TOLD YOU IT WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING!

...:laugh:

What tipped you off to the initial skill check after this first marathon session?

I wanted to get 86'ed after I had gotten good enough. It was silly as wanting confirmation of my skills. But in hindsight it's not worth it

Now that's a resume that will bring a tear to any mother's eye. Are you two still estranged?

interesting

I've never been 86'd or even told to leave, however, I have been skill checked by several idiots. I have to say I thought I would get nervous or something but I found the whole experience quite exhilerating. Maybe this was because I was at a redneck casino this specific time and the pit boss was a complete idiot. On this specific night, I'm really just relaxing, having a good time, not betting big money at all, Just hanging out with friends and getting a free meal. Unluckily for me, my known acquaintance at this casino went through a playing too much blackjack phase at one casino and was catching heat from a certain pit boss. The boss walked to our section and somewhat backed off my friend. Now there I am, knowing I was guilty by association which was my fault.

This guy hides behind another table and watches my bet patterns. Through sources I have I knew this guy could not count. Really? If your job is a pit boss how hard is it to learn hi lo? Anyway, I knew I was being watched and I really enjoyed it. I was playing a good two decker with a very low off the top disadvantage. I bet two units off the top and varied increases and decreases in a way where I had an advantage but not as large as usual. The boss watched me for a little while and then relaxed and came over to the table and started shooting the breeze with the table. I got a buffet, ate with my friends and left.

Granted, this was probably stupid in many ways, but I enjoyed it.

If your game is being hawked by someone who doesn't know how to count, then he's just hawking your game... not doing a "skill check".

Mom was the one who barred me.

He was an idiot. He stood right by my table, watched me the entire time. Every time I raised, he flipped over the rating card and wrote something down on it, Then he made a call. Every time I raised my bet, h wote something and made a call. He does not know what he is doing obviously. Luckily now I have an insider that gives me information, but i will not let him deal to me due to conflict of interest for the casino.

They actually stand there watching? Why don't they just look at the video?

Most of them view the cameras and do not just stand there watching you, and normally you do not know when they are running a skill check on you. From what I understand according to other posters on here, is that it was one of the sloppiest cases of skill checking someone.

One thing you DON'T want to happen!

I got that beat.

Having a losing session, and when I lose I exaggerate it to make it look like I'm one of these guys who wants to lose. Head down in my hands "This is awful, I just want to die" etc.

Well somehow "I just want to die" got translated to "I'm going to commit suicide with a gun in your parking lot" because a half hour later I'm getting backed off the game by a real cop with a real gun and there was an ambulance outside. They were going to take me to the nuthouse! It took smooth talking to convince the cop I didn't say anything about suicide, I didn't have a gun, and I wasn't going to do any harm to myself or others. If that didn't work, I was going to have to fully out myself, explain that I'm an AP and what an act is and that everything I say and do at the table is kayfabe intended to disguise my real purpose. It would be better to do that than spend 72 hours confined in the mental hospital or get arrested for something. Where and when this happened I can't say but it wasn't that long ago.

But the most disgusting part about it: those bastards kept dealing to me! They were concerned enough to call the cops on me for a welfare check but not concerned enough to stop taking my money. I played for an hour more, spreading like a S.O.B. (while the PC's actively stayed far away from the table) and walked out with a small profit.

The pit critters wouldn't normally have access to the tapes, so they only way THEY could to it would be to stand there. Surveillance has access to the tapes and is (hopefully) better about counter detection, so they're the guys you have to worry about even more. Except when they get tipped off by an over anxious pit critter. It's kind of a yin-yang thing.

This is precisely why, in another thread, I indicated that I have no respect for PCs and dealers, when they would obviously take advantage you in that situation. To believe that you were so depressed over your gambling losses that you intended to kill yourself, but nevertheless continue taking your money -- how low can you go?

There might be a more charitable explanation - if the pit knew that the police would take a while to arrive (which is reasonable since suicide watch might not be the highest priority), they might have been trying to keep you at the table so that you did not walk off and do something stupid before the police arrived.

It may also be corporate policy to not interfere with a distraught player. If a pit boss intervenes, and the player lashes out, the company is responsible. If a police officer intervenes, and the player lashes out, the company has nothing to do with it.