You got heat?

[Intermediate]

I was recently playing a juicy 2D (0.5 cutoff) game with one other person at the table when a guy (middle age, clean cut) walks up and starts playing after the next shuffle. The TC after the first round went up to+3 and the guy starts talking about watching what everybody else does when the “count is high”. I was dealt an (A,9) vs Dealer4, and he asks (to nobody in particular) why nobody ever doubles on (A,9), and that it “wasn’t even part of the Illustrious 18”. The dealer, a younger gal, didn’t seem to pick up on any of his card counting talk. The place wasn’t crowded and the Pit Boss would come over occasionally and make a friendly comment. After 10 more minutes of his commentary on the count and seeing his bets rise and fall with the count (but with very little spread) along with him playing BS, I decided I need to get awayfrom him. However at that point the third person had left, so it was just the two of us, and I didn’t want to leave the deeply dealt game. I left soon thereafter because I had been there about an 70 minutes.

Thinking back on it and reviewing my play (it was a losing session), I wonder if I should have ignored the guy and just continued to play because the rules and cut were good, and I was getting a decent # hands/hr. I was spreading1-8 in Green and the casino seemed to tolerate the action. Maybe I was wrong,and this guy was something of a shill brought in to drive me away. What wouldyou have done in this situation?

I went by the table about 20 minuteslater, and he was still there, but now playing heads’up with the dealer.

[blackjack avenger]

You needed to leave when the count dropped, end of shuffle or play through one more med or big bet cycle. The more valuable the place the sooner departure.

Also, needed to leave casino immediately
without cashing out if possible

He was probably an arrogant counter. He will get bit, try not to be around

Remember his face, avoid him. Perhaps you may catch him in casino worker outfit.

Yeah, all should fear
Oh, never mind

[Ouchez]

Intermediate,

I would have to say this guy is insane or is casino security, game protection.

Yes, you have to exit that game for awhile or stay and flat bet or use a progression and see what he ends up doing,,, saying.

Strange indeed.

Ouchez

[Goatlife]

this reminds me of something that happen to me really recently. I was playing a game and it was the first game of the session in this casino. I was playing heads up and the dealer ask if i wanted to see the burn and i said it doesn't matter to me so he shows it and its a 10 and he goes its a minus 1. I then say what does that mean. He then tell sme that he counts and thats the value of the card in counting. He plays sometimes after work but doesn't have the bankroll to do it seriously and only keeps the running count and he gets crushed so its not worth it even though he is just learning. I said interesting but learning a game that indept would take the fun out of it and im hear for fun. I start doing small progression bets for cover. The count sky rockets and I have to bet into this thing. I do and he says nothing. I left after the shoe and made sure to over tip (hoping he wouldn't rate me out) singles prob like 15 in the whole session ( i winded up losing like 600 hundred so i think he was appreciative of the tips). I left after the shoe and got something to eat and came back on next shift and everything was fine. Would anybody do anything differently in this situation?

[blackjack avenger]

this reminds me of something that happen to me really recently. I was playing a game and it was the first game of the session in this casino. I was playing heads up and the dealer ask if i wanted to see the burn and i said it doesn't matter to me so he shows it and its a 10 and he goes its a minus 1. I then say what does that mean. He then tell sme that he counts and thats the value of the card in counting. He plays sometimes after work but doesn't have the bankroll to do it seriously and only keeps the running count and he gets crushed so its not worth it even though he is just learning. I said interesting but learning a game that indept would take the fun out of it and im hear for fun. I start doing small progression bets for cover. The count sky rockets and I have to bet into this thing. I do and he says nothing. I left after the shoe and made sure to over tip (hoping he wouldn't rate me out) singles prob like 15 in the whole session ( i winded up losing like 600 hundred so i think he was appreciative of the tips). I left after the shoe and got something to eat and came back on next shift and everything was fine. Would anybody do anything differently in this situation?

Some may say you did well
Others you tipped to much
Others would have not tipped at all
Others not if losing
Your ROR goes up with tipping

[Frostbyte]

I would have to say this guy is insane or is casino security, game protection.

This was my immediate thought. Especially if the dealer didn't seem fazed. Or perhaps he was just known to be (surprise, surprise) an incompetent counter who they were making money off of.

[Most Interesting Man]

I probably wouldn't do this, but if someone (a dealer or another player) is openly counting, you could have them tell the table when to raise bets. Then you could follow along or not.

[White Guy]

I have had both things happen to me. IE: Dealers who claim to be counters, and other blatant counters at the table.

I have watched a guy spread from 25-2x300 back to 25 on a great well watched DD game while the pit is looking pretty pissed because it is obvious to anyone the count is moving. The guy lost, then turned in a players card. That is crazier than talking about what you are doing IMO.

I played for 2 hrs with a guy and he had a BS card on the table with the ILL 18 on it. He referred to the ILL 18 portion only and not the BS part and even said, " oh 16, yes I am supposed to stay this time because of the ratio of small cards."

He was losing, pit didn't care probably because he wasn't playing a winning game according to what I saw although he was trying and better than almost all ploppies

Dealers often try to act like they know more to "help" you in order to get more tips. Most overstate their knowledge and are trying to sound smarter than they are.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

When anyone, dealers included, make unwelcome comments like these I leave.

There is no benefit to staying at that table as the atmosphere is poisoned and if your

betting moves in lock-step with another player you are all but asking to be 86'd.

If the miscreant is babbling about "ten density" or "the count" he will soon be

watched, if he is not being checked out already.

[Baberuth]

I would never stay at a table where a player or dealer talks about counting and referrences the game at hand. Why take a chance? Who ever the guy was with Intermediate, he was a guy to stay away from and he ruined the game for him. That game should be exploited at another time of course.

[blueefficacy]

I know of more than one example at local shops of gentleman (regulars) who openly advertise their counting and are well tolerated by casino staff. They do make poor use of their information, to put it nicely.

[Intermediate]

I know of more than one example at local shops of gentleman (regulars) who openly advertise their counting and are well tolerated by casino staff. They do make poor use of their information, to put it nicely.

I'm thinking my situation was another example of these cases. Most of what this guy yakked about was playing variation and he showed only a weak spread in his bets. So I got the impression he didn't understand the value of bet spread. I find it hard to believe that anybody who was serious about AP would openly draw attention to their knowledge. It certainly succeeded in ruining a great opportunity for me.

[Intermediate]

Don't you think that was the goal?

Yes, you are right, that was my first thought, that this was someone brought in to drive me away - a modern day shill.