When a dealer pays a bet in error

**JTampa** · 01-11-2014, 06:42 AM

Looking for an opinion on this strange scenario that occured yesterday. I was dealt a BlackJack with the dealer showing a face card ($125 bet). After the dealer checked the hole card, she paid my BlackJack at 3 to 2 (I also won a Match the Dealer side bet on the face card). When the dealer revealed the hole card, she too had Blackjack! and then wished to take back what she had paid me. I asked for the Pit Boss, who explained that people make mistakes, and they must take back the money- no ifs ands or buts...I agreed that people make mistakes, but when I make them, I pay for them too. I was not expecting to keep the whole BJ payout, but felt they should compensate me in some way (half the money, less, a comp, something...). I suggested that we split it- No dice. I felt the house showed low class here. Am I wrong? Any similar experiences?

**Three** · 01-11-2014, 07:35 AM

The casino was right. You would actually be guilty of theft in most jurisdictions if you kept it. I saw a guy trying to pull what you did and what resolved it was the Floor pointed out by asking for it she was extending a courtesy and the next step would involve the police. I have heard from a source I respect that in Vegas you are not required to give back a mispay but I think the next hand must be dealt first. If you refused I doubt the Vegas casino would let you come back. The casino has asked for mispays back even on future visits to restore what was mispayed on the last trip. If anything else occurs they are extending you a courtesy.

**JTampa** · 01-11-2014, 08:31 AM

Thanks, Tthree! Not a big deal, really. To be clear, the checks never left the spot while this discussion was going on. I just thought it was a bit slimy to not offer me something in way of compensation for dashing my hopes of a decent win. A beer on the house might have resolved the whole thing...

**steveistheman84** · 01-11-2014, 02:58 PM

if you get a huge mispay and don't have much more than that on the table, just bet everything you have on the table on 2 hands and if you lose, just tell them that your broke! pretty good +ev play.

**JTampa** · 01-12-2014, 05:33 AM

Not bad, Steve. Only in this case I never even picked up the $. The dealer caught her mistake before dealing the next hand. I was just looking for something more tangible than an apology. Personally, I think the classy thing would be to consider the overpay final. The house can afford it, and they would profit from showing good faith to a regular player. It would also be an incentive for dealers to be more careful. On the other hand, they would probably take the loss out of the dealer's pay, and I wouldn't want that. This question was all about class, not the strict sense of the rules. A little class and good faith on the part of the house would go a long way.

**Three** · 01-12-2014, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by steveistheman84

if you get a huge mispay and don't have much more than that on the table, just bet everything you have on the table on 2 hands and if you lose, just tell them that your broke! pretty good +ev play.

Next time you play there you would still owe the mispay. They could even charge it to your credit card. Of course you could deny the charge but then you wouldn't be welcomed back again. Nothing like backing yourself off because the casino wouldn't let you steal from them. Mispays, if they don't notice it is gravy. If they notice the classy thing for YOU to do is cooperate in correcting it. You will find the players that are a joy to have at the tables last longer before the tap than the ones that are problems.

**JTampa** · 01-12-2014, 07:34 AM

I would never cheat the house because a dealer is bad at simple arithmetic. I've pointed out mispays (in my favor) and corrected them myself before, for reasons Tthree has pointed out. I guess I consider it different when the dealer pays a Blackjack after checking the hole card. An unusual situation for sure...I still think my offer the split the payout was reasonable, but anything more than a half-hearted apology would have sufficed.

**Norm** · 01-12-2014, 08:28 AM

Casino management has the duty to avoid errors, whether against the corporation or the customer. If they see an error quickly enough, they have the right to correct it. If they make an error against the customer, clearly the customer has a right to point it out. I find that merely, quickly putting up your hand or pointing will cause the dealer to look again, usually see the error and sometimes correct it without any need to deal with the pit. If the casino makes a payoff error, or a misplay in the player’s favor, I’ve never even heard of a casino saying it is the duty of the player to inform. I’d be interested in examples that I’ve missed. After all, if the player mistakenly signals stand when he meant to split, that’s tough. Mistakes can cost. However, if the error is large, say the casino pays with a purple chip instead of a pink chip, a casino probably has the right to refuse to cash it, even if the error is discovered later. IANAL, but I would guess this is something like a “unilateral error”. An error that one side makes and the other side should have known was made, can be corrected later. For example, if a bank mistakenly credits your account with a billion dollars, better not try to spend it. Smaller errors are different. If an airline mistakenly advertises a ticket for $1.00 instead of $100, they probably have the right to rescind a purchased ticket. (But may not do so anyhow to avoid bad press.) If they mistakenly advertise for $20 instead of $100, there is no reason that the purchaser would rightly know this was a mistake as airline tickets vary so drastically in price, and I don't think the airline can rescind the ticket.

Again, IANAL and these are just my impressions. I’d be interested in comments from a real lawyer.

**SiMi** · 01-12-2014, 11:26 AM

Norm

IAAL and you've got it right.

RS · 01-12-2014, 03:57 PM

Better not to argue over it. After all, you should not have gotten paid anyway - remember that.

**BJGenius007** · 01-12-2014, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by JTampa

I was just looking for something more tangible than an apology. Personally, I think the classy thing would be to consider the overpay final. The house can afford it, and they would profit from showing good faith to a regular player.

All my God, are you born yesterday?

I have never seen any casino "pay it anyway". The best for something tangible is a free drink pass. Even that it is super rare.

**redbuck** · 01-13-2014, 10:52 AM

You were owed nothing. The cards are what they are, regardless of what the little lights might show. I was playing once in MS (about 10 yrs ago), and I had AA against the dealers 10. She checked, no BJ. I split, got 2 faces, she turns over her hole card and it's an Ace. She got flustered and called over the pit boss and I said "no problem" and gave them my bet (but not the split, of course). She felt bad but, I gave them no grief. "It is what it is"..

**Three** · 01-13-2014, 08:27 PM

I had them check and the little light came on so the dealer flipped over the 5 he had in the hole to show hard 15 and then flipped it back down. The Floor was called and he asked if everyone saw it.I think one guy missed it so the floor ordered it to be played double exposure so everyone had the info. Ne told the dealer not to worry about it because it does happen. It didn't really help most of us as we had made 2 card hands but one guy had 4.2. It took the rest of the table a while to convince him to double down on his 6 against a 15. The dealer busted.