Heat while milking comps?

I was playing blackjack with a mild bet spread, 1-4 in black, with little cover and taking restroom breaks at a true count of minus two. I don’t want to disclose my exact unit, but my maximum bet is rarely in four figures unless conditions are ideal. I know my spread is "weak" but blackjack is only one component of my activity at this particular location, which offers good rules in high limit and is a place known for taking big action. I played some heads up or mostly with no more than one or two other players an average of 2-3 hours and had done this on different shifts. If the high-limit room was dead, I would play less.

The tables games supervisor came around and started talking to me, mostly just small talk, but he made a few complimentary comments on my play. That was it. I'm concerned that I may have been pegged as a non-loser although I have sometimes lost significantly at this casino. I play rated and the comps have been good. I thought 1-4 was a polite spread; maybe not all casinos agree with this. Should I be concerned or give this place a rest for a while?

JackVegas: Maybe; it could be heat, could not be heat. Giving the place a rest may work, but maybe not. This is the vaguest comment ever, but that's how I feel. There are no definite answers here.

EyeHeartHalves: There could be a lot of possible reasons for the interaction with the pit person. What if you only pulled this gambit while you are receiving comps there but not while that exact pit person is there? As in, "What if you did it less often there?" just to be safe and see how it goes?

EmeraldCityBJ: Probably fishing. They probably observed you making a correct basic strategy play that most ploppies screw up (e.g. you played Soft 18 correctly). When complimenting you, they may be probing to see exactly how much you know. There are a whole bunch of wrong ways to respond to this sort of situation, and many newer advantage players will fall for this gimmick. They will get a false sense of comfort and start sharing their knowledge with the pit, completely outing themselves in the process.

The only good way to respond to this situation is in a way which doesn't provide additional confirmation to the pit that you know what you're doing, and this is where having a good act can really be an art form. Having a bad act, or doing too much in an effort to prove to them that you're an idiot can also work against you. Your reaction should be consistent with what they'd expect to see from an average chump gambler.

LVBear: Jack Vegas is right; the question is unanswerable with any level of confidence. You've received good advice form everyone above. But looking at the bigger picture, you mentioned that you have other advantage opportunities at this store. Why play this weak blackjack spread at all? Blackjack is among the worst-comped games at most casinos. Milk your comps while playing the other opportunities.

Originally published on bj21.com Green Chip, edited for this format.