iPhone card counting software considered illegal

The Nevada Gaming Control Board has apparently sent out warnings to casinos to watch for players using their iPhones with card counting software.
The Las Vegas Review Journal article:
http://www.reviewjournal.com/inside-gaming/maybe-iphone-user-isnt-just-taking-calls

Caveat


Note: the article warns iPod/iPhone users that using the
BJ software in a casino makes one "subject to arrest"

Rather obvious that it's illegal. The shame is that the Gaming Control Board is warning casinos to catch people instead of warning consumers that they could get caught. It's incredibly stupid that Apple would sell this as iPhone users could get hassled in casinos.

I think that ploppies should be quietly encouraged to try and get away with this, and the casinos shouldn't try to catch them, nor should they prosecute.

Anyone worth their salt knows that these programs are not very helpful in modern games, and it will surely cause everyone else to bet much more than they normally would - and they'll lose.

Several weeks ago I was sitting an an MGM 6 deck, counting away, when all of a sudden a commotion broke out. A player had been using a cell phone at the table, though leaning away and with his chair turned. The pit boss reprimanded him and then whispered to the dealer "If anyone takes out a cell phone while even near the table, stop the hand immediately and call me over." The dealer looked a little confused by the severity of his reaction, and one of the players at the table then began explaining how "There is a new card counting program available for cell phones which all the management is paranoid about. There was an article about it in the newspaper this morning..."

I smiled a bit at the irony.

Here's a YouTube video showing screens and describing the various features of the app:

Blackjack Card Counting on iPhone

It can use 4 different counting strategies and run in 'stealth' mode where the screen is blacked out and can be set to vibrate when the count reaches a set value.

Wow. I can't believe anyone would be dumb enough to use this in a casino. (well, yeah i can)

But at least it'll draw some attention away from the rest of us, hopefully.

Thanks for finding that video. If anything it might be useful for beginners' partners to practice and with as a teaching aid.

iphone

seems so obvious that entering the cards-played info into the phone would catch anyone's attention. Of course it's illegal.

Another question, if you have it in your room is it illegal?

Excuse to search, perhaps

To me, or any real counter, the thing is useless, much worse than useless inside a casino because it is illegal.
The gaming board has already overreacted to this thing and I am sure Nevada is drooling at the opportunity to make an example of the first few fools caught using these things inside a casino.
It does not do anything more than you already do in your mind and based upon my text messaging skill, inputting would be awfully slow compared to a moderate speed dealer.
The thing is, the casinos and gaming are making a big thing about it and it would not surprise me at all that instead of the usual semi polite backoff that we run into, some casino decides that they have the right to detain and search you first before backing you off based upon the possibility that the cell phone in your pocket may have a blackjack program on it.

On a personal note: I wong out of many rounds of DD with phony cell phone calls. The first round is dealt and it is loaded with faces and aces so I get or have to make a call. In the past several weeks instead of pits not noticing this they are almost following me like they want to see my phone up close. I generally will walk and talk and not be looking at the table at these times, so they should not be thinking that I am inputting something, but they are watching much more closely.

ihate17

ihate17 said:

In the past several weeks instead of pits not noticing this they are almost following me like they want to see my phone up close. I generally will walk and talk and not be looking at the table at these times, so they should not be thinking that I am inputting something, but they are watching much more closely.

Click to expand...

Find the phone number of the pit. When you Wong out with a phony call, dial the number, and then say, "Stop watching me."

This is going to add to the myth that card counting is illegal. When someone finally does get caught the headline is going to read, "Player Arrested for Counting Cards."

I think counting in your head is faster then using that....

Caveat Card Counter

ihate17 said " ... it would not surprise me at all that instead of the usual semi polite backoff that we run into, some casino decides that they have the right to detain and search you first before backing you off based upon the possibility that the cell phone in your pocket may have a blackjack program on it.

I hate to disillusion you, but they DO have the right to detain you and
have you arrested if your "iPhone" or "iPod Touch" has Card Counting software
installed on it and you had accessed it while within sight of a blackjack table.

The videotape showing you doing so would be confirmatory evidence.

It is abundantly clear that the miscreant using it to "backcount"
would be guilty of using a "cheating device", a felony in Nevada.

Casino security can and may indeed detain you - with "just cause"

Flash, I think you missed ihate17's point.
His concern is that even someone without this software on their cell phone might be more likely to be detained and searched in the current situation of paranoia.

This leads to another thought. Are there phone numbers on your phone that you would prefer are not revealed to anyone in the casino? I bet there might be. If they can make a pretense of checking your phone for card counting software, this could be a problem.

In general, if a casino patron is detained on suspicion of cheating, do casino employees have the right to search his person and possessions, or only to hold and monitor him until the police arrive?

Ken got it right

FLASH1296 said:

ihate17 said " ... it would not surprise me at all that instead of the usual semi polite backoff that we run into, some casino decides that they have the right to detain and search you first before backing you off based upon the possibility that the cell phone in your pocket may have a blackjack program on it.

I hate to disillusion you, but they DO have the right to detain you and
have you arrested if your "iPhone" or "iPod Touch" has Card Counting software
installed on it and you had accessed it while within sight of a blackjack table.

The videotape showing you doing so would be confirmatory evidence.

It is abundantly clear that the miscreant using it to "backcount"
would be guilty of using a "cheating device", a felony in Nevada.

Casino security can and may indeed detain you - with "just cause"

Click to expand...

Flash
My concern was for myself and others like me. I would not have a counting program on my cell phone, but use my cell phone as a wong out prop very often. I do not want to be searched or detained because casinos are paranoid about this useless thing, so I was wondering if a simple backoff might be escalated to something else for someone like myself.

As far as the idiots who might use this, they deserve whatever they get., not really for "cheating" but for utter stupidity.

ihate17

When they search my phone and find

KenSmith said:

Flash, I think you missed ihate17's point.
His concern is that even someone without this software on their cell phone might be more likely to be detained and searched in the current situation of paranoia.

This leads to another thought. Are there phone numbers on your phone that you would prefer are not revealed to anyone in the casino? I bet there might be. If they can make a pretense of checking your phone for card counting software, this could be a problem.

Click to expand...

Hi Ken
When they search my phone and find the number of the NGB, an attorney, and a family member who is an executive for a casino, it could become an interesting time.

ihate17

Devices / phones

"Possession" is not illegal; there needs to be proven intent to use it, per the law. Obviously it's not worth the risk.

I'd recommend not using an iphone or any lookalikes on the floors; get a nice, old junky flip-phone that obviously can't run this software. They're basically free with metered calling plans (if you even want to use it for calls..)

Can the phone tell you the true count by using the camara feature on the iphone so you don't have to enter every card you see by hand. If you have to enter each card by hand that would take way to long to use and would be totally useless in a casino. Casino management is probably more paranoid table maximums have come down in several casinos around Tahoe. For example where I work the max bet went from $500 to $200.