color up mistake

[kewljason]

I had an incident earlier this week, in which I can only plead, stupidity. But just the same, I am wondering how some of you would have handled it.

I had a very uneventful short session that ended with a small win of $375. I cashed out $575 after buying in for $200. This in itself was a bit abnormal for me. I usually don't color up small amounts as this, preferring just to walk with the chips, so usually my color ups occur after bigger wins when I have a larger number of chips to carry. As I said, this was a rather uneventful session in which the count didn't get very high through two shoes, so my entire color up consisted of all green chips, which was part of the reason I colored up rather than walking with them. At any rate, dealer stacks up the chips and announces correct total of $575, then pushes a small stack of black and green towards me that I scoop up and place in my pocket. 15 minutes later (after a brief stop for a bagel and juice) I precede to the cage to cash out. I reach in the pocket and pull out the chips. 3 black and 3 green. ($375) I double check my pocket, even checking for holes.

After reveiwing the events in my mind, I come to the conclusion of two possibilities. 1.) In placing the chips in my pocket, I missed the pocket with 2 chips. Seems like a stretch. 2.) The dealer shorted me $200 (presumably by mistake) during the color up. I remember the dealer announcing $575, but didn't actually count the chips that I picked up as I was engaged in a 'sports' conversation with the pit person. Yes there was a pit guy there that was supposed to double check this color up, but I can assure you he no more did than I did.

Anyway, I considered going back to the table and asking the pit to ask surveilance to check the color up on the tape, but decided against it. I didn't want to make an acusation that I wasn't absolutely certain of. (although I feel relatively sure this was the case) Being a place that I place fairly regularly and a dealer that I have played with a few times, I decided that I didn't need the extra attention and to chalk it up to my own human (stupid) error and vowed to be more attentive in the future. Even on the smaller transactions! Courious to hear how others may have handled the situation.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Two other possibilities:

1) It was a very expensive bagel and juice. You didn't bite down on anything hard and flavorless in the bagel, did you? If so, some chicken wire would have been a good investment.

2) You colored out for $375, and on your convoluted path to the cage, the numbers 375 and your buy-in of 200 got mingled psychologically and you convinced yourself you had $575. I do things like that all the time.

 

[shadroch]

This is a question.
Is it possible, in a case like this, to go to the gaming commision officer in the casino and ask them to review the tape?

 

[kewljason]

Two other possibilities:

1) It was a very expensive bagel and juice. You didn't bite down on anything hard and flavorless in the bagel, did you? If so, some chicken wire would have been a good investment.

2) You colored out for $375, and on your convoluted path to the cage, the numbers 375 and your buy-in of 200 got mingled psychologically and you convinced yourself you had $575. I do things like that all the time.

Your second senario is interesting. I know that is not what happened though as I am pretty certain of the amounts involved. Plus, if I had only had $375 in chips in front of me, (15 green) I wouldn't have colored up, but would have just walked with so few chips.

Your first senario, which also did not happen, :laugh: reminds me of another situation several years ago. I forget the exact circumstance, but I was playing and had a $500 purple chip in my right front pocket next to my wallet. I ordered a bottle of water and pulled out my wallet to tip and believe the chip fell out. When I got to the cage some time later....no purple chip. Expensive bottle of water. After that I started using a completely seperate pocket for chips only.

 

[daddybo]

Most likley the dealer made the mistake. Sometimes we "see" what we are expecting to see, regardless of th reality. I personally think you did the correct thingim chalking it up to experience. Two blacks aren't really worth the hassle and extra negative attention. I was coloring up a couple of nights ago with a nice pile of multicolors and was shorted two purples. The pit even ok'd it. I looked and said that's not right. She recounts and sure enough she was two short. It happens both ways fortunately.

 

[kewljason]

Most likley the dealer made the mistake. Sometimes we "see" what we are expecting to see, regardless of th reality. I personally think you did the correct thingim chalking it up to experience. Two blacks aren't really worth the hassle and extra negative attention. I was coloring up a couple of nights ago with a nice pile of multicolors and was shorted two purples. The pit even ok'd it. I looked and said that's not right. She recounts and sure enough she was two short. It happens both ways fortunately.

I would have been more vigilent with a multicolor color up in the four figures involving purple as well, Daddybo. The small amount and routineness of the transaction, no doubt contributed to my lackadaisical attitude. While $200 represents 2-3 hour of EV to me, I concluded as you would have. Not worth the extra negative attention. Especially in a place I play routinely.

Your story shows just how little the pit pays attention as well. I have often seen pit people ok a transaction from accross the pit, when I know there is no way they can see what is actually there. The bionic man with his bionic eye, maybe could have seen. :laugh:

 

[daddybo]

oh yeah!

:laugh: It has been my experience from other "occupations"; it is the mundane and routine task where the mistakes are made... and like you, it was the the amount involved as well as the complexity of the chip make up that made me pay attention. :whip:

 

[21forme]

On unrelated note, buying in for $200 when betting green seems awfully small. Is that what you usually do?

 

[kewljason]

On unrelated note, buying in for $200 when betting green seems awfully small. Is that what you usually do?

I actually buy in for $100 when playing a $25 unit, so $200 represented a rebuy-in for me. Yes thats right 4 units! :laugh: A trick I learned from one of my favorite members, Callipygian, who, sadly I don't see post much any more. I will share will you my thoughts on the advantages to this method. It gives the impression that I am not staying very long, which fits in well with my hit and run style. And when it is time to be off and running, I usually have only a handful of chips to grab. With the style, I play, there was nothing more suspicious than buying in for $500 (20 units), playing 2 or 3 hands and then either color up or walk with a double handful of chips when the count tanks quickly. Second advantage is this senario: You buy in for $100 and lose 4 units. Rebuy in for $100 and lose 4 more units. Now the count is going positive. So I buy in for a couple more hundred and slap down a 4 or 8 unit wager, it looks like I am steaming rather than raising with the count.

 

[chichow]

Buying in with 4 units only?

Would this mean that you are also back counting before jumping in for this style of play?

--

As for mistakes, I have seen quite a number of times that the pit also misses the error by the dealer.

so yeah it happens.

 

[daddybo]

Buying in with 4 units only?

Would this mean that you are also back counting before jumping in for this style of play?

--

As for mistakes, I have seen quite a number of times that the pit also misses the error by the dealer.

so yeah it happens.

It means you won't get as much initial scrutiny. multiple low buy-ins are preferable.

 

[muppet]

i religiously count chips/money when they are given to me to make sure it is correct so that these things don't happen..

i also get quite distressed on the occasions when i have more or less $ than what i thought i should have. in the past this has been due to incorrectly remembering how much i bought in for