Undue HEAT

I'm a newbie CC, but in reading Wong's BlackJack Secrets I am remembering some very recent and extreme HEAT I've experienced.

In using BS in Downtown Vegas, I had a dealer at Binions ask what I did for a living. When I told him I work for a textbook publisher, he didn't say much. 15 minutes later when I was up $400, he asked slyly; "Well when did you publish the book on counting cards?" This is not really an example of heat, but more of a dealer suspecting a CC.

My last trip to Vegas, my brother had us staying at the Gold Strike in Jean. The first day was fine as I won $1100 playing the SD game (I'm a green to light black player and spread from $25-$200, NOT knowing at the time anything about heat). The next morning when I came back to play one-on-one with the dealer again and, guess what... I was dealt ONE ROUND per deck! Yes, a shuffle after EVERY hand I played! I got destroyed and gave back the $1100 I'd won the night before

I asked my brother (who's a video poker junkie and frequent Vegas visitor)what the HELL was going on and he told me about Casino Heat. Seems to me that ANYONE who wins a bit at the table is under extreme scrutiny.

Comments....

..what the hell were you doing? Shuffle after every hand? Wasn't that kind of like a clue?

Personally, I have had success at Binions (and other members of the board will tell you the same) - most of the dealers don't care whether you're counting cards or not, that's assuming that they even know how to spot you. As for the stuff in Jean - why did you wait for them to break you before you left? It was fairly obvious what was happening.

My guess, and please don't take offense, is that you must be making an OBVIOUS rookie mistake that's giving you away. Are you moving your lips when you count? Are you watching the cards like a robot? On top of that, you're spread is WAY too high - remember that greed will give you away faster than any other mistake :).

He dont count. I witnessed a sweaty casino last night only dealing 2 decks out of a 6 deck shoe against a ploppy! This guy was betting 25 to 500 hundred a hand and using some progression system. I almost felt like yelling at the damn pitboss " Hey you dumbass, he's not counting!" Instead I looked at the yuppies in the pit after the end of the shoe and belted out a disgusting laugh trying to give the pit the impression of "Look at yourselves, you morons!"

What a freaking joke.

at the time this happened, just playing BS. I had no idea of the joys of counting at the time!

how did you determine when to spread from $25 to $200? They probably pegged you as a counter the first day and when you returned the next day they didn't watch your play then (when you were just using BS), they already had a decision on what to do if you returned.

was betting bigger when I was "on a roll" and going "with the flow". I know now how crazy that sounds!

I have to agree with dazed. I was in Vegas this past summer before I took up counting and didn't even do basic strategy. spread $25-300
1 hand at Circus Circus with my sister and brother in-law at table and
went on a hot streak. I won $3000 or so and they started the countermeasures. I had no idea what they were doing but it didn't help them. They 1) half shoed me the last 2 hrs I was there. 2) changed dealers about every 15 mins 3) changed cards twice 4) Many suits a
fixture at the table with many phone calls. It was an 8 deck game and my sister won a bit also, My brother in law is hopeless and lost about
$500. They actually cost themselves money because after the changed the cards for the second time I took my plopie group (and i was one of them lol) to another casino..the pit was surly the whole time and I tipped the dealers like mad...their loss...

That is, indeed, my point. I was a ploppy at the time this happened. Seems to me that ANYONE who makes any sort of gain at the table receives heat. Its like the scumbags who run the Casinos expect to win EVERY DAMN HAND.

I can't wait to go back, actually count, and punish them!