I had my Back Off cherry popped yesterday at the El Cortez. I was playing DD, sitting at 3rd, and spreading 10 - 50. I'd also drop to 5 on negative counts, or sit out the hand altogether. It came as a surprise, because I had good rapport with the dealer and the other players, and didn't notice any hard looks from the pit. However, after playing for an hour or so and growing my $100 buy-in to about $350, I was approached by the pit boss.
He told me if I wanted to keep playing, I would have to bet flat. I played ignorant and said I didn't understand, and he repeated that I could no longer vary my bets if I wanted to continue. In a confused voice, I agreed to it, and he left. The other players were concerned, wanting to know what was going on. Needless to say, the festive attitude that had defined our table completely evaporated. Continuing to "not understand", I repeated what the PB had told me. The dealer said something to the fact that, "Oh, yeah, they do that sometimes." She seemed bummed, the other players were bummed, and I decided it was probably best to just leave. I said something like, "There are hundreds of tables in this town, I'll just go find another one. Good luck, everyone." I walked over to another table where my girlfriend was playing and told her we needed to go.
While I have never been backed off before, I did get some heat during a trip last month. I was playing the DD at Hooters heads up in the middle of the night, and after growing my bankroll rather quickly, the PB began instructing reshuffles and eventually an early dealer switch. The one common thing between these two sessions, besides winning, was that I was wearing my glasses both times. Now, I usually wear contact lenses, and wear my glasses only on occasion. And I know it sounds silly that something like glasses could contribute to PB heat. However, most people would agree that glasses do make people "look smarter", and they're generally going to be more suspicious of someone who "looks smart" than the guy in the ballcap swilling beer and high-fiving strangers on every big win (another persona I've used in the past with great success).
I'm curious to hear from others who have either been backed of at El Cortez, or noticed that they get more heat when wearing glasses. Again, I know this sounds silly, but I've had equally successful sessions in the same casinos and slid right under their radar sans glasses. Thanks.
He told me if I wanted to keep playing, I would have to bet flat. I played ignorant and said I didn't understand, and he repeated that I could no longer vary my bets if I wanted to continue. In a confused voice, I agreed to it, and he left. The other players were concerned, wanting to know what was going on. Needless to say, the festive attitude that had defined our table completely evaporated. Continuing to "not understand", I repeated what the PB had told me. The dealer said something to the fact that, "Oh, yeah, they do that sometimes." She seemed bummed, the other players were bummed, and I decided it was probably best to just leave. I said something like, "There are hundreds of tables in this town, I'll just go find another one. Good luck, everyone." I walked over to another table where my girlfriend was playing and told her we needed to go.
While I have never been backed off before, I did get some heat during a trip last month. I was playing the DD at Hooters heads up in the middle of the night, and after growing my bankroll rather quickly, the PB began instructing reshuffles and eventually an early dealer switch. The one common thing between these two sessions, besides winning, was that I was wearing my glasses both times. Now, I usually wear contact lenses, and wear my glasses only on occasion. And I know it sounds silly that something like glasses could contribute to PB heat. However, most people would agree that glasses do make people "look smarter", and they're generally going to be more suspicious of someone who "looks smart" than the guy in the ballcap swilling beer and high-fiving strangers on every big win (another persona I've used in the past with great success).
I'm curious to hear from others who have either been backed of at El Cortez, or noticed that they get more heat when wearing glasses. Again, I know this sounds silly, but I've had equally successful sessions in the same casinos and slid right under their radar sans glasses. Thanks.