I was playing pitch blackjack at a casino in downtown Las Vegas and the table was full of players. A woman playing with a dealer toke bet out has 16 with dealer 10 showing and signals for a hit. The dealer shakes her head and says don't do it. It turns out the dealer has a stiff and busts. I keep playing and notice that the dealer is peeking at her next card with her thumb. She is not very good at hiding the fact she is peeking at the cards, and she even seems to be somewhat proud of the fact that she has recently learned to 'deal' advanced method. I place a few small bets for the dealer and I also get some favorable advice. But I'm only betting small about $10 or so, after about 15 minutes I get nervous and leave the table.
Is this common for new dealers at break in joints to learn how to mechanic the cards? I never have seen anything quite like it and it was a little scary. The dealer seemed like she was using her skills to help some players, but maybe she was cheating me before I caught on... what would you have done?
