moo321
Well-Known Member
If you're going to last at all in this business, you need to learn how to handle heat. You can't mistake every bored pit boss with a counter catcher. And you can't get booted from a good game because you're not paying attention.
One of the reasons to practice extensively, aside from not screwing up, is to be able to pay attention to the environment. If your counting is down pat, you'll notice a floor person on the phone. You may notice a new suit coming to your pit. You may even hear people talking about you. If you're too busy counting, you may miss the signs.
In my opinion, this is one of the biggest errors new counters make. They either don't pay attention to the pit, they flee at the first sign of anything, or they play on and get backed off when there were warnign signs.
You must learn what is NOT heat. A boss asking you for a card when you sit down is NOT heat. A boss writing your bet down when you get rated is NOT heat. A dealer calling checks play is rarely heat, but can become heat. The pit boss chatting you up usually is not heat.
On the other hand, you need to know what IS heat. A boss watching you, and then immediately going over to the phone, and talking about betting spreads, IS heat. Be aware that most phone calls are for chip fills, not counters, but for God's sake don't play on into a skill check from the eye. A new suit showing up, particularly a pit boss, shift manager, table games manager or security manager, is often heat. The security manager will be wearing a non-collared shirt and a blazer in most cases, often with a radio. Get Cellini's book, it's FANTASTIC for telling the difference!
Learn how to work a pit. Many pits can be talked into a sense that you are just a dumb gambler. Give them what they want. Some guys you can bullshit with them. Other pits will leave you alone if you act pissed off (at the world, NOT them personally) and like you just lost your ass.
Be aware of why the casino would watch you. Most casinos will watch for bet variation; if you jump up to $100 downtown, you get "checks play" called. This can often be manipulated: spread $5-95 on the DD and you may be ok. Or spread $10-2x$75 on the shoe and you may be OK. Some of these systems can be fooled by betting patterns: run a fake progression or opposition betting, and the floor will ignore the "checks play" coming from your table after awhile.
There are other things that can bring down heat. One is making huge bets: lots of casinos freak out when a $500 bet hits the felt, some freak out at any black action. A few don't give a **** until $2k, but these are rare. Be aware that a large bet can bring down heat, even with a small spread (say $100-500).
Losing or winning large amounts can bring heat, especially if there is a fill or CTR involved. I generally exercise stop losses and stop wins based on the size of the casino to avoid heat. "Why would some guy who usually bets low green lose $4k in this little riverboat?" or "Why did this guy who usually bets low green just win $5k?" Many casinos have thresholds for these; some are a $3k win, some a $5k win, etc. At a smaller place, I'm usually done at $2-3k. A big strip casino or big AC joint I may take $5k, but that's about it.
Most importantly, ALWAYS leave at the first sign of real heat. I've honestly only gotten backed off once when there was a sign real heat, and it was stupid. I've had maybe 1 backoff a year that came out of nowhere (eye), and these are unavoidable, but VERY rare. All but one occured on day at empty casinos. One occurred because a certain casino always skill-checks players at third base. It's really not that hard to avoid backoffs: just hit the door if there's heat. I honestly think I've dodged a couple of dozen backoffs by leaving when heat started coming down.
One of the reasons to practice extensively, aside from not screwing up, is to be able to pay attention to the environment. If your counting is down pat, you'll notice a floor person on the phone. You may notice a new suit coming to your pit. You may even hear people talking about you. If you're too busy counting, you may miss the signs.
In my opinion, this is one of the biggest errors new counters make. They either don't pay attention to the pit, they flee at the first sign of anything, or they play on and get backed off when there were warnign signs.
You must learn what is NOT heat. A boss asking you for a card when you sit down is NOT heat. A boss writing your bet down when you get rated is NOT heat. A dealer calling checks play is rarely heat, but can become heat. The pit boss chatting you up usually is not heat.
On the other hand, you need to know what IS heat. A boss watching you, and then immediately going over to the phone, and talking about betting spreads, IS heat. Be aware that most phone calls are for chip fills, not counters, but for God's sake don't play on into a skill check from the eye. A new suit showing up, particularly a pit boss, shift manager, table games manager or security manager, is often heat. The security manager will be wearing a non-collared shirt and a blazer in most cases, often with a radio. Get Cellini's book, it's FANTASTIC for telling the difference!
Learn how to work a pit. Many pits can be talked into a sense that you are just a dumb gambler. Give them what they want. Some guys you can bullshit with them. Other pits will leave you alone if you act pissed off (at the world, NOT them personally) and like you just lost your ass.
Be aware of why the casino would watch you. Most casinos will watch for bet variation; if you jump up to $100 downtown, you get "checks play" called. This can often be manipulated: spread $5-95 on the DD and you may be ok. Or spread $10-2x$75 on the shoe and you may be OK. Some of these systems can be fooled by betting patterns: run a fake progression or opposition betting, and the floor will ignore the "checks play" coming from your table after awhile.
There are other things that can bring down heat. One is making huge bets: lots of casinos freak out when a $500 bet hits the felt, some freak out at any black action. A few don't give a **** until $2k, but these are rare. Be aware that a large bet can bring down heat, even with a small spread (say $100-500).
Losing or winning large amounts can bring heat, especially if there is a fill or CTR involved. I generally exercise stop losses and stop wins based on the size of the casino to avoid heat. "Why would some guy who usually bets low green lose $4k in this little riverboat?" or "Why did this guy who usually bets low green just win $5k?" Many casinos have thresholds for these; some are a $3k win, some a $5k win, etc. At a smaller place, I'm usually done at $2-3k. A big strip casino or big AC joint I may take $5k, but that's about it.
Most importantly, ALWAYS leave at the first sign of real heat. I've honestly only gotten backed off once when there was a sign real heat, and it was stupid. I've had maybe 1 backoff a year that came out of nowhere (eye), and these are unavoidable, but VERY rare. All but one occured on day at empty casinos. One occurred because a certain casino always skill-checks players at third base. It's really not that hard to avoid backoffs: just hit the door if there's heat. I honestly think I've dodged a couple of dozen backoffs by leaving when heat started coming down.
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