back-off

Just experienced my first back-off after years of occasional trips to Reno-Sparks and thought I'd share it. It happened at Rail City in Sparks, where I was spreading $3 to $10 (sic). After about 1 1/2 hours of play, broken up by breakfast, the dealer was about to deal to us (3 players including myself. I bet $6). Suddenly someone bellows "STOP!". Everyone freezes. I'm figuring a thief or cheater has been caught in in the act. Instead the female pit boss (none too attractive) marches straight to me and solemnly pronounces, with everyone staring: "You can't play blackjack here anymore. You're welcome to play any other game, but not blackjack".

Dismayed but determined not to show it, I color out, expressionless and without a word (no tip). As I head toward the cashier I hear the PB say "Thank you". I ignore her and keep walking. I guess I showed HER.

All in all, I'm not anticipating any nightmares: the experience was way gentle compared to the horror stories one reads about. But fun it wasn't. And I have to give the PB an F for Discretion. Apparently $6 trumps discretion in her world.

Wheather it was the surveilance team in the sky or a cracker jack pit member that nailed you, someone acted before you could throw out that $6.00 bet and it's +$.10 e.v. Hell,give em all a raise. No telling how many careers were advanced that day. I'm sure you will think twice about attempting to take that casino down again.

People who do not know better would never believe your story. Sadly it is so true and too common.

I've been backed off Rail City on two of my five visits there in the past three years.

The first back off was after spreading 25-150 for 24 minutes. I was down $425 when backed off.

The second back off I was also spreading 25-150. This time I lasted thirty minutes and was up $235 when backed off. I had dug a pretty deep hole and made a pretty sweet comeback. I jumped to 2x150 on a monster count in the final deck where I got all my losses back.

The three sessions I was not backed off lasted 15,18, and 20 minutes and were all winning sessions of 200, 475 and 945 using the same spread. Once I bet $200.

My take away is simply play no more than 20 minutes and leave.

I'm still amazed they backed you off from your sub minimum wage EV! Nice to know they waste their resources on such a poor return.

My experience is 20 minutes is the maximum session length I can play in Reno. The problem is what do I do the next day? It makes no sense to me to play each place for 20 minutes and then take a full day off before returning. But I've been backed off on return trips on consecutive days on several occasions. Even on different shifts. I find Reno a very tough venue to accumulate any EV.

were you playing at the time? Just curious.

I've heard some strange tales along the way about what casinos are willing to do to upset players. In this case, were they paranoid that you might walk out of there with $7.43 of their money after playing there all day? I've heard things along the lines of casinos hassling players that were not card-counters at all and nothing more than a lucky basic strategy player. This is either the ultimate in stupidity and paranoia or a matter of someone trying to "throw their weight around", abusing their position for "kicks" and either one is bad for business.

Has it come to this, where anyone that is not a guaranteed and bona fide loser gets run off a table? What of other players watching this spectacle unfold before their eyes, do they think, "Oh my gosh, I had better lose and also try to look mentally impaired while I'm at it in order to gamble in this place or that will happen to ME!" or do they simply walk out and try to avoid playing at some place where they are so nasty to their gamblers? I would venture to say that this sort of behavior on the part of casino employees is not exactly stellar public relations.