It seems like a long shot, but....

[blackjackomaha]

Does casino management instruct colleagues or employees to play at tables with the sole intent to strike a conversation with a suspected AP and attempt to siphon personal information out?

[Baberuth]

An AP would never give that info so it would be a waste of time. A good eye could do much more.

[blackjackomaha]

An AP would never give that info so it would be a waste of time. A good eye could do much more.

Correct. It most likely was an over-reaching ploppy. But he was persistently always asking "are you from around here?" "what do you do for a living?" "have you played blackjack before?". On top of that, he was always alerting the floor "omg look he is splitting 10's against X" or "wow, you act like you're dumb but you always know what to do."

After ignoring or giving him false information for a while, we told him to shut up and mind his own business. He left for 45 minutes...came back...asked no questions and did not play, yet was sitting and watching for another 15-20 minutes, and then eventually left.

Seemed odd to me.

[flyingwind]

Shills. Better to play it safe.
Even if it's just a strange ploppy, get rid of them to avoid the unwanted attention (which you did).

[Ouchez]

BJO

Sounds very fishy to me................proceed with caution.

Ouchez

[metronome]

Yeah... sounds fishy... really weird behavior.
I woulda' been lookin' over my shoulder in the parking garage when I left.
Remember, if your gut feels odd, it probably is odd.

[Memphis10Tigers]

Yeah... sounds fishy... really weird behavior.
I woulda' been lookin' over my shoulder in the parking garage when I left.
Remember, if your gut feels odd, it probably is odd.

Not necessarily true...I've had that feeling before, but I was just hungry.

[Lowrider]

Next time hit on him..be vulgar...tell him what you want to do him upstairs in your room...tell him you'll pay big bucks to do some really nasty painful things...that should take care of it

[somtum]

Playing at the Beau Rivage down in Mississippi a dealer once told me that his former employer, the Belligio trained him as well as other dealers to card count while dealing. If he suspected the player of CC, his job at the Belligio was to make as much conversation as possible to distract the player.

[Ouchez]

Playing at the Beau Rivage down in Mississippi a dealer once told me that his former employer, the Belligio trained him as well as other dealers to card count while dealing. If he suspected the player of CC, his job at the Belligio was to make as much conversation as possible to distract the player.

Somtum,
I wonder what he meant by "trained"? The cost of training in business is very expensive and I doubt any casino would spend the money to make this even a slightly worthwhile venture. Most likely a 20 minute meeting of the most rudimentary CC topics.

I have met very few dealers that knew much about even the basics of correct BJ play and those who say they count while dealing are mostly full of S##t. Also keep in mind counting alone will get you no where, it is what you do with those numbers, that is the "SKILLZ" factor.

I have met many dealers that I liked and some I could not stand, but the vast majority know nothing even close to what you or I or many more on this board bring to the table.

Ouchez

[jaygruden]

I believe that on one occasion the casino placed a shill at my table. Similar to what you have stated.......He was way too interested what I was doing and how I was playing my cards. I believed him to be, for lack of a better term an "undercover security officer" for the casino who was trying to determine if I was counting and how much of a threat I was to the house. BTW....I was backed-off a few weeks later. It may have been a coincidence and maybe me just connecting dots that didn't exist but if I were you, I would consider it a real threat. I am now on the look out for such shills.

[blackjackomaha]

I believe that on one occasion the casino placed a shill at my table. Similar to what you have stated.......He was way too interested what I was doing and how I was playing my cards. I believed him to be, for lack of a better term an "undercover security officer" for the casino who was trying to determine if I was counting and how much of a threat I was to the house. BTW....I was backed-off a few weeks later. It may have been a coincidence and maybe me just connecting dots that didn't exist but if I were you, I would consider it a real threat. I am now on the look out for such shills.

If this doesn't inspire confidence, I don't know what will!

Appreciate the info.

[moo321]

Playing at the Beau Rivage down in Mississippi a dealer once told me that his former employer, the Belligio trained him as well as other dealers to card count while dealing. If he suspected the player of CC, his job at the Belligio was to make as much conversation as possible to distract the player.

Name and shift? And could the guy actually count? There's one half-sharp asian male floor down there on day shift.