Half shoed for one shoe, does this mean anything?

OK, this has happened to me twice. I'll be playing on a six deck show with 75%-83% pen, then suddenly on one shoe, the dealer puts the card directly in the center of the shoe. I stuck around and played that shoe out. Then on all shoes after that, the pen goes back to 75%-83%. Think that means anything?

If you immediately get up and leave you've failed.

Sometimes if a casino suspects you're counting and they're not sure, they'll do this and look for your reaction. If you leave, you confirm their suspicion. Rookies are usually more paranoid and will leave at any hint of heat (actual or perceived).

Ploppies don't care what the pen is, and most don't even know what the word means. To them, 50% pen is no different than 83%.

You did good.

JB

Johnny Bravo and big player are right. You done good, guy (or sweetie)! Keep it up, and get'em while you still can!

AB

The floor is usually clueless and has no way of figuring if you are playing with an advantage.So the fact that you stayed proved nothing to him but gave you more time . Good work

Years ago Boomtown in Biloxi would halfshoe any new player sitting down. It may have had something to do with the size of the buyin as well. I don't know. Good thing I went to a handheld game..it was the first time I ever saw it. I probably would have gotten up, assuming my picture preceded me. My friend was the one on the game. He ignored it and they gave him the regular one deck house cut the next shoe and he cracked them for around 2600 the next couple of hours. Two days later, they had him surrounded while he played at a table with a highrolling drunk. As part of his "exuberant sucker act" (ineffective this particular session) he went to high-five the drunk on a dealer bust, missed and slapped one of the security personnel surrounding him. The drunk lost substantially, my friend asked for a comp, the pit boss laughed while he wrote it out and gave it to him. We didn't go back again because the games went downhill.

I have played at both casinos since these incidents happened, without any problems, so I'm not going to worry to much now.

Depending on the situation the cards may have been going very high. Such as in a high card block. Do they use a auto shuffler? As an ex-dealer/pit boss, I can tell you that either way, if the cards were running in a common order, the would alternate penetration to randomize the cards as to make it more difficult for you to catch the high or low card block. Also when they place the discards in the holder at the end of the shoe, did they change the way they placed the cards in there? because this also randomizes the cards. However, if they use the same routine before they shuffle this will have little effect on your play.

Here's some things to look out for.

(1) you are playing and the pit critter walks up, picks up the discards, glares at you and your bet as he "appears" to count down the deck at high speed. Most likely he can't even count his fingers and toes, but he does the act convincingly. How do you act?

(a) get quiet;

(b) leave after the hand is played;

(c) ask "what the hell are you doing, checking for a missing card or a dealer mistake? You are slowing the game down too much..."

(2) you are playing and the pit critter walks over, maybe from a "cheques play" or just because, and glares at you as you play. How do you respond?

(a) get quiet;

(b) leave soon;

(c) complain about losing your shirt and asking for a comp.

(3) your half-shoe happens.

(a) (b) same as above;

(c) Say something like "OK, if you are going to cut off 1/2 the shoe and waste all that time shuffling, I'll just go somewhere else to play" or else just play as if nothing is happening.

It will be unnerving the first few times you encounter this kind of "heat". But if you react reasonably, you can turn it around and make them think you are a real idiot, which is your goal. It takes nerves of steel (that's why I'm a stainless steel rat... :) ) to avoid letting them "get to you". Just don't start flat-betting or doing something "different" which is a form of "counter tell" they will be looking for. Show 'em nothing, and often they will crawl back under their rock for a while...