Changing Dealers and Decks

[ThunderWalk]

There must be a few dealers or pit bosses trolling around here so they might be able to answer a couple of questions.

How often are decks changed? A dealer (seemed like it was his first day) said something like every four hours, but he wasn't sure.

How often do dealers take breaks?

I played at three different tables early one Sunday morning, and every time I approached an empty table with the cards spread out in nice rows across the green, in each instance, the dealer was tapped out for a break right after they shuffled.

Could I have encountered trainees who shuffled and were then replaced with a "real" dealer... or was it just break time?

It was unsettling because, as someone new, I was looking for friendly faces, which were invariably replaced by something else.

[shadroch]

There is no one standard for the entire industry,it varies casino to casino.
Some casinos change cards twice a day,some more often.I'm yet to see one that changes them less.
Most dealers seem to work 40-45 minutes and 15-20 off.
btw-If you are comp counting,it pays to find out what time they change cards and be sure you are seated when they do.

[21forme]

Originally Posted by shadroch

btw-If you are comp counting,it pays to find out what time they change cards and be sure you are seated when they do.

Not necessarily. At the Borgata last week, they opened new decks on us, logged everyone out, then logged everyone back in when they restarted.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by 21forme

Not necessarily. At the Borgata last week, they opened new decks on us, logged everyone out, then logged everyone back in when they restarted.

That sounds like a shift change. The fresh pit bosses will usually start new rating slips when they arrive. If you leave during the shift change the fresh boss may give you credit for whoever takes your seat.

-Sonny-

[ScottH]

I know of a casino that has cards so bad I dont even think they change them once a day.

They use 4 decks, but the cards are so bad it looks like 6. Anyone know of any good ways of exploiting this situation? The cards are dealt out of a shoe.

[21forme]

Originally Posted by Sonny

That sounds like a shift change. The fresh pit bosses will usually start new rating slips when they arrive. If you leave during the shift change the fresh boss may give you credit for whoever takes your seat.

-Sonny-

Nope. Same crew after the card change.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by ScottH

They use 4 decks, but the cards are so bad it looks like 6.

Dude, that's sick! Hopefully the game is face-up so you don't have to touch them!

Originally Posted by ScottH

Anyone know of any good ways of exploiting this situation? The cards are dealt out of a shoe.

Wait for a bunch of aces to hit the felt, then spill your drink all over the table. Whenever you see a soggy card, bet high!

But seriously, there are a few ways to get an edge in this situation. The most intuitive method is to look for any marks, stains, tears, warps, or worn spots on the cards. For a shoe game you will want to find identifying features on the backs of the cards. Just recognizing a few cards will boost your advantage nicely.

Also, you could look for tables with sticky/clumpy cards. The cards will tend to remain together during the shuffle which makes sequencing much easier. Also, the dealer will often pull out two cards at a time by accident because they are stuck together. You will then know the value of the next card to be dealt. It sounds gross, but it might just be worth playing.

-Sonny-