> I think he somehow shuffled the 10s behind
> the cut card and then gave deep pen to
> intice me to bet.
... ... ...

> I went there on the defensive and got them
> to give me fresh decks, which they layed out
> and shuffled. Instead of being spread out
> like normal they were arranged in small
> fans. They were then turned over, mixed very
> lightly and shuffled in a poor way.

You are right with your second point as fresh cards, that are shuffled poorly, will lead to clumps of cards and a subsequent disadvantage to the player, regardless of whether that player is counting or not.

Your first point, indicating that the dealer locates the high cards and inserts them in the back, could be turned to your advantage as follows :-

If the shuffle is such that portions of the decks can be located then you should study the technique of 'shuffle tracking'. This is even more beneficial if 'O/U 13' is also available.

I'm not sure of the best books available on this topic (I'm sure that some members can advise you here) but it seems to cry out for this technique, if your account of what happened to you is because of high-count location.

Can you be more specific about the shuffle that they used at each casino ?

The more 'weapons' that you carry in your portfolio will allow you to benefit from certain casino conditions that other AP players may not be able to benefit from.

Best regards

Geoff