How Not to Get Barred
Gambling Times Magazine
by Bobby Singer
I’ve personally been barred from casinos all over the world.
Casinos from Monte Carlo to Africa to Tasmania, the Caribbean, New
Jersey, Nevada and many more have requested that I refrain from
playing Blackjack in their establishment, usually suggesting I play
one of their other games. Games like Craps and Roulette are games of
chance. As a professional gambler since 1960 I don’t believe in
gambling or taking risks. I only play Blackjack, which, as a skilled
player, gives me a mathematical advantage over the casino.
My playing career lasted more than twenty years because I was able
to disguise card counting in many ways. I made myself aware of the
casino’s attitude toward counters, how they determined a
player’s skills, and how they reacted once they determined those
skills, and, I learned how to react to their decisions.
Card counters and pit bosses have been at odds since the inception
of counting. Casino employees are just that, employees — they put
in their eight hours a day, five days a week. Most do not realize
the time and effort it takes to become a successful card counter.
When they see someone “playing” for a few hours, winning more
than they make in a week, it is only natural for them to feel
resentment. Casinos use all kinds of counter-measures to ward off
skilled players: shuffling up, deliberately not dealing to a
suspected counter if he raises his bet, and, of course, barring a
counter from playing at all.
Being barred is something of which to be aware of, but not afraid
of. It is an occupational hazard. There are only a handful of
counters left that have made serious money, and yet, have never been
barred. When a player is barred, the casino supervisor will approach
him and politely ask him to take his action elsewhere. The player
should not argue, he simply leaves. He can always return to that
casino on a different shift. After a couple of months he will likely
have been forgotten and can return to the same shift on which he was
barred.
Some casinos subscribe to the Griffin Agency, which protects casinos
from cheats, scams, and also counters. They do this through the use
of a mug book. Only counters who bet unusually large amounts of
money make this book, and fewer and fewer casinos are using this
service, preferring to handle counters themselves.
Casino policy on counters varies from casino to casino. Some, like
Caesar’s Palace don’t seem to care at all, while others suspect
all Blackjack players as counters. In New Jersey, however, casinos
cannot bar counters from play.
The ways counters are generally detected falls into two categories:
1. Careless betting practices;
2. Physical actions.
The following are suggestions and tips players should adopt to avoid
being detected as card counters.
Let’s discuss some of the basics for disguising your play. These
simple common sense tactics allowed me to play twenty years,
undetected. If it hadn’t been for my appearances on widely viewed
TV Shows, like Larry King Live, I might still be using some of these
tactics and still playing. To begin, while counting, be careful not
to move your lips. Don’t stare at all the cards. Look away, look
back, and appear as if you’re gazing around the casino. I often
wore sunglasses so they couldn’t see my eyes. When I did this, I
would say things like “I forgot my glasses at home and only
brought these prescription sunglasses,” or “I can’t see
without them and it’s very dark playing with them.” If you’re
playing first base and you bust or get a Blackjack, don’t wait for
the other hands to be completed to have a completed count. Estimate
the count and make your bet immediately. Adding to, or lessening
your bet at the last moment is a dead give-away.
Card counters never drink. Therefore, I’d order double gin on the
rocks occasionally fake taking a sip, and when I got a really
negative shoe, leave the chips on the table, ask directions to a
rest room, take my drink with me then pour it out and fill it up
with water. I’d also take some chips (hopefully unnoticed) and
pocket them to help disguise my winnings.
Don’t dress up to play Blackjack. A well-dressed person looks
intelligent and will get more attention. I usually wear something
like a Detroit Red Wings T-shirt.
Hone your counting skills so you can both count and carry on
conversations with the dealers and pit bosses. Use chips from
previous sittings whenever possible. When you take cash from your
pocket, they know what you started with and therefore how much you
win. Be careful when you take insurance. Your skills as a counter in
reference to insurance rules dictate when the count warrants such
action. However, you must exercise good judgment. Example, you have
fifteen and the pit boss is standing at your table and you take
insurance. That certainly shows the quality of your skills. If
you’ve been on a streak and the dealer is now shuffling, don’t
reduce your bet. That is looked on by the pit boss as a strong sign
of counting.
Sit at first or third base so you can count cards in a straight
line. If you sit at the center of the table, you will be looking
left and right like you’re at a tennis match. An obvious sign
you’re checking out all the cards. Do not study the discard tray.
Just occasionally glance at it to estimate the number of remaining
decks. All of the above, if followed, will certainly extend your
playing career.
The number one reason card counters are detected is greed. On each
Blackjack table there is a sign indicating the minimum and maximum
bet for that table. Let’s say you’re on a table with a $5.00
minimum bet and a $2000.00 maximum bet. That doesn’t mean you can
bet from $5-2000. A spread of 4-5 to one is usually tolerated.
There are many things I did as a player to increase the spread of
bets. Let me share some of those plays with you.
Most players buy chips of only one color, red, green or black. Some
get two colors. I always got red, green and black. I would usually
begin a shoe with one black, many red and some green (approximately
$200.00). Then I would mix my bets to several red and a few green
(approximately $100.00). I would continually mix the colors to look
like a lot of chips when really my average bet was only about
$75.00-100.00. During the last deck before the shuffle when the
count was favorable I would bet many black and many red with a few
green and sometimes duplicate this for a second hand. This method
always rated me in the casino as a big player, (whale) not as a card
counter. The three chips color system will almost always confuse the
casino! Sometimes I would play at a table with my wife, where we
would alternate large bets. She would bet large and I would bet
small when the count was favorable. Than I would bet large and she
would bet small. Then we both made large bets. We referred to this
style of play as the “Superstition Method.”
There are many ways to be careful and extend your playing career.
Pay attention! Be aware of your surroundings. If the pit area looks
empty, the eye in the sky is busy.
When the cut card placement gets shorter, you know the heat is on.
Don’t tip away your profits, however an occasional bet for the
dealer can often get a deeper cut card placement. When tipping, do
it in the fashion of a bet. I place their bet in my circle but tell
them it’s for them. When the bet wins I give them the winnings and
let the original bet ride. This way when you have a streak, the
dealer may win 3-5 bets in a row. Sometimes I tip when I see the
replacement dealer standing behind the dealer. This gets the
attention of two dealers for one bet.
Above all remember, you have the edge. You’re holding all the
“cards.” If you are ever told your action is no longer wanted at
a casino, accept it, be courteous and leave. There are still
hundreds of casinos left that just might be holding some chips for
you. And above all enjoy the art of winning.
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