What's the chance of getting caught?

#1
I'm not anywhere close to feeling comfortable sitting at a table at my local casino and counting (I've been practicing with that card counting trainer at countingedge.com, hot damn that thing is fast!) but for future references I'd like to know how careful I need to be. The casino I plan to play at is about 30 miles away, the closest one to it is a good 75 miles more, so it would be a slap in the face to get banned from there. It's indian, btw, not so sure if this makes much of a difference in anything, except that they don't serve alcohol so I don't need to pretend like I'm drunk for camoflouge or something. Reading the forums I was just sort of surpized to see how common it is for you all to mention getting a tap on the shoulder (or two big mob guys blocking your exit lol). Is it really that easy to get caught? How many of you guys have been banned from a casino? How many have had multiple bans? And over how long of a period of time? The only thing I can think of to help my cause is to not make huge fluctuations with my betting. And if I plan to bet big it might be wise not to start with the table minimum. Any other tips would be greatly appreciated as always!
 
#2
All Depends

If you are a small player you are very safe.:joker:

If you are a medium player you are fairly safe.:)

If you are a big player you need to be careful.:eek:

If you are the biggest player in the casino, flame on.:flame:
 

Mimosine

Well-Known Member
#3
80% of my casino time has been in indian casinos.
i have been backed off 1 time, at a NON-indian casino.
i have played occasionally for over 2 years now.
low stakes.

since Jan 1 08 i have logged roughly 45 sessions, with only 1 backoff. the one backoff came where i was almost the highest bettor in the place, where i stood out like a sore thumb, and where i was too busy watching something other than the pit boss (i was distracted, but the place i was at wasn't safe and i was keeping an eye on someone else).

i have had heat on a few occasions, took the hint, left, but was welcome when i returned later.
 
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EyeHeartHalves

Well-Known Member
#5
i was banned once, backed off once.

I was backed off from an Indian casino once and told that if I ever come back, I'll be restricted to $25 max. bets. (They didn't get any info. except my photogragh, I suppose, and I've never had a reason to go back.) I was betting extremely aggressively because I new I wouldn't want to go back anytime soon. THIS WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A BAD IDEA FOR YOU.

I got kicked out of one HET casino in LV. Again, I was betting extremely aggressive but for about five hours at that time. It was undisciplined but it happens to many of us. And get this, I just received a letter in the mail, inviting me to that exact casino and informing me that I can ask for one of their hosts when booking rooms and events. MOST CASINO PERSONNEL ARE NOT TOO BRIGHT.

In retrospect, both of these incidents could have been avoided or handle better but all-in-all, I have no regrets. The only regrets I have relate to my local casinos (AC). Here in NJ, you can't be backed off or banned unless you do something illegal. However, there were times when I bet like an asshole and received countermeasures. I regret some of these incidents. SO, MY ADVICE TO YOU IS NOT TO SCREWOVER YOUR LOCAL CASINOS. But now we face a contradiction...

How do you make money? Well, you said there's a casino that's 75 miles away; there's Las Vegas; Atlantic City; the Bayou region; California; Reno; etc., etc. I know--expenses! Well, many people aren't even lucky (I don't know if that was the right adjective to use here.) enough to have a single casino within 150 miles of their home. Minimizing expenses is just another part of the game. Or, treat it as a vacation. Go to Vegas one week out of the year and try to make a little money while you're out there. This works well for "work-aholics".

So, why do I recommend not being a total asshole cardcounter at your local casino? Maybe you'll just want bring a girlfriend there on a Friday night and back-count a couple shoes for a half hour or so after eating a nice meal. You won't be able to do this if you're banned. Maybe you'll want to practice shuffle-tracking someday or another advanced technique such as bottom-card steering with a couple of cardcounter friends from out of town. Maybe you'll be turned onto "dice control" someday and discover that their craps tables are short, old and have slate bottoms. Maybe you'll want to try "an act" on this place to gain a little confidence before using it in Vegas.

IN OTHER WORDS, USE THAT LOCAL CASINO SPARINGLY.
 

Mimosine

Well-Known Member
#6
21forme said:
You've been busy!
i try. for the record i consider a session as being at one casino. several of my trips involve 3 or 4 casinos in 1 day, i.e. 1 hour at each house, then move to next, whether it be vegas or wherever. so from a days point of view i have spent about 19 days logging those 45 sessions. some are half days / 3 hours of play or less.



EyeHeartHalves said:
IN OTHER WORDS, USE THAT LOCAL CASINO SPARINGLY.
i think there is A LOT of useful information in this post for the OP, or anyone.

i have overplayed the one casino i used to live near, but they could take the action forever. there was another joint that was farther that i played less frequently, but it was my favorite place, that could not handle my action, so i had to cut back on visiting there. but like i said, i can go back whenever i feel like it, with open arms play a 2-3 hour session and be gone. the one game i burned myself on was one of my favorites for many reasons and so playing there again - which is something i will do - will be tricky and a test, which many people here have been successful at, and it's something that i want to try, something that is part of striving to play with an edge.
 

21forme

Well-Known Member
#7
Mimosine said:
i try. for the record i consider a session as being at one casino. several of my trips involve 3 or 4 casinos in 1 day, i.e. 1 hour at each house, then move to next, whether it be vegas or wherever. so from a
With your definition, I've played 100+ sessions this year!

I define my session as the time I start playing until the time I leave for home, which usually covers a minimum of 4 casinos, sometimes more. For me, it's typically one afternoon until the next morning (with some sleep in the middle.)
 
#8
blackjack avenger said:
If you are a small player you are very safe.:joker:

If you are a medium player you are fairly safe.:)

If you are a big player you need to be careful.:eek:

If you are the biggest player in the casino, flame on.:flame:
define small, medium, and big please!
 

Mimosine

Well-Known Member
#9
evilrobotmonkey said:
define small, medium, and big please!
how bout this:
$5 bettor
$25 bettor
$100 bettor

but at a bigger establishment that might read:
$25 bettor
$100 bettor
$500 bettor

it is relative to the club you are in.

if the club has $2 tables then a $25 bet will be big action, and a $100 bet will get attention.

if the club has $15 min tables, and some $500 min tables, then a $25 bet won't be anything, a $100 bet will go unnoticed, and a $500 bet might only draw a yawn from the pit.
 

callipygian

Well-Known Member
#10
evilrobotmonkey said:
define small, medium, and big please!
Mimosine nailed it, but in a nushell: Small is something that won't hurt the casino's bottom line no matter what happens; medium is something that will hurt the casino's bottom line if it gets out of hand; big is something that will hurt the casino's bottom line.
 
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