heat by week's end

Anyone else have this experience?

You go to Vegas and play hard in every place you can. By the end of the week, walking up to the BJ tables, even before you start playing, you notice the pit watching you or the pit phone starts ringing already.

NO. :laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh::laugh:

YES. You've been "flyered". Leave town immediately. No sense giving the bosses a real good look at you. After 30 days or so, you can come back; the heat will be settled down.

Can you define "playing hard"? What level are you playing and what spread are you using? Vegas is my home base and I play alot. My experience is that moderate spreads at mid level are pretty well tolerated, except for a handful of ridiculously sweaty places. I am talking 1-12 or 1-16 on shoes games and 1-8 doubledeck, green to black. So if you are hitting them harder than that, yeah you are going to draw some heat.

It's ok to wack em hard if you are just an occasional Vegas player, here twice a year or so for a week. Go for broke. If you are playing more regularly, you might want to tone it down a bit and stay within these 'tolerated guidelines'.

Also length of session, which you didn't mention is an issue. If you are camping out at one table for hours, you are inviting trouble.

Do you find it a good idea to mix it up as to shifts played when you play the same stores so often? I am generally outgoing and find that people remember me. Even when I am quiet, I find that I am remembered, but so far, not IDed as possessing more than BS skills.

isnt that half of what he talks about all the time?

If you're an occasional Vegas player, it's a good sign if you're getting your max heat on your last day. That means your game is strong enough to give you your best advantage, but not strong enough for a backoff. When you return months later, you'll be forgotten.

Maybe paranoia? Again, think most people over-react to the phone, they are on it all the time.

I've had pit supervisors give me a look that seemed to go right through me, but upon striking up a conversation with them, I find that it had absolutely nothing to do with me. They easily ramble on and on about the crazy weather, the traffic, the real estate bust, or the current politics of the day. Maybe that knowing look is something picked up in the course of play acting that you know exactly what you are doing. One thing that all pit people want to exude is confidence. They are in charge. They know what's going on. Nothing gets by them. NOT. :laugh:

If the pit boss is FACING you while on the phone, or while conferring with another boss, or while whispering to the dealer; the conversation has NOTHING to do with YOU.

Yep, also try to pick up on body language and demeanor. Pensive? Anxious? Relaxed? etc.,

Lets just say I never got heat while the pit crew was laughing it up with a big smile on their face.

I agree. Most of the time they try to be sneaky if heat is coming down from the Sky so you don't catch on.

With rare exceptions: I've had a PB look at me and talk on the phone about skills checks in order to give me a message. There are some intelligent floor people who know that the unpleasantries that come with backoffs benefit no one and that a subtle hint will get an experienced AP out of a game just as effectively as anything else.

Amen to that brother Monkey. Give me a chance to hit the door and I'm on my way.

Furthermore, its something of a hassle and somewhat arduous to do a skills check on a player. And yes, think some pit crews just want you out of their hair, they don't want to get tagged later by their bosses for letting an AP take money from them. They're even fine if you just go to another pit.

Most pit bosses personally could care less about counters taking the casino's money. In fact, they might even count cards themselves at another casino. Dealers like winners since they get tipped more when people win. The people higher up would care about the counter's winnings.

I agree about maybe them counting at other stores.

But to say MOST of them don't care about us taking THEIR joint for a ride. Not buying it.

I agree. But it's mostly a function of not being found asleep on the job, and maybe a small amount, showing oneself to be a sharp pit guy. In days past, a pit would be held responsible if a cc put one over on the casino and got away with a sizable amount. Also, dealers are sometimes held responsible for someone winning big... go figure!... but the house is sometimes as superstitious as the ploppies who play there. Houses have been know to change dealers over and over until they find one who can turn it around. I guess they don't know how to handle negative variance either. :laugh:

heat by weekj's end

Thanks for all your comments. I didn't reply earlier, and I figured I owe you a response. A few responses.

In some ways, I hope to exemplify this. But, I also enjoy being as invisible as the wind.

When I first started, I think quite a bit of it was personal paranoia. I've learned to become comfortable with the pit, and even friends with some of the pit. Super(ficial) friends. They don't scare me. I wonder if I scare them?

Truth be told, I'm not for sure that I was really dealt with so seriously. I'm just a minor pest. Well, just to be sure, I'll go away. I hope it does settle down after some months away. Hey, can't keep track of every tourist, right?

I'm just an innocent tourist. I'm not looking for any trouble. Just a little fun and I'm here to throw my money away. Comp me shows, meals, rooms, and more and I'll keep coming back to throw away more money!

That's good advice and really accurate.

My personal favorite, egging on someone and getting someone else to bet excessively in high counts, and then watching them get backed off. I know, it's not a good use of my time. But it's fun.

I hate the sky. Have you ever wanted to just raise your hand up at the sky and give them the New York salute? The number of times I've had to stop myself....

I feel like I've had inexperienced PB's trying to tell their higher ups that there's something weird going on with this player at this table. It looked like the person has never reported someone before, and didn't know how to be secretive or didn't care to be secretive. I don't think I was paranoid this time. I watched as a ton of higher ups came to the pit. Time to go.

Music to my ears. Why hassle with me? I'm a nobody. Just another dumb player throwing away money. Just another tourist betting crazy throwing it away as fast as they can.

I don't know about that. Well, maybe some do, maybe some don't. Sit around long enough at a game, one that does care will show up.

Thank you all for your understanding and advice.

Coincidence and paranoia, sit down and play
Tallman