Variations of A Back Off

Seems like the traditional tap on the shoulder polite backoffs have now been replaced with a more cruder approach.
Let me know if my fellow AP's can relate to the following:

Example 1: At one high end store, the PC loudly yells out my first name in the direction of my table. I did not have a players card with this store...just playing as an anonymous nobody. Now when someone calls out your name (I don�t have a common first name btw), you naturally/instinctively look up at the person calling your name, which I of course did, which exposed me right away. Needless to say, as soon as the jig was up, I was given the typical speech and I left without making an incident.

Example 2: Having experienced this new call-out backoff approach in example 1, I was at a different high end store during another Vegas trip, and the same exact thing happened to me. The PC with the phone to his ear, screamed out my first name. Amazingly, I had the wherewithall to completely pretend I did not hear him�did not look up�did not flinch...continued playing as if oblivious to the situation at hand. Through my peripherals, I could see the PC was still on the phone with his back to me. Probably telling the guy on the phone, "He didn't react...what do I do next?" I knew I was exposed, so my exit strategy was to calmly play out the double deck, and bail once ready to reshuffle. It was the most nerve wracking 2 minutes trying to finish out the shoe. It felt like every eye in the sky was watching me, like a burger burning under the heat lamps at a fast food joint. As soon as the deck was finished, I colored up and sauntered off like nothing had happened. When I tell my friends this story, they're utterly incredulous and even if true, think that I�m being overly paranoid.

Example 3: On another Vegas visit, after getting backed off at one mid-level store, I went to a different unaffiliated higher end store. No players card. Playing $100 min at a crowded table. In 15 minutes, I lose my buy-in and decide to call it a night and leave the table to live another day. As I'm walking around this high class joint, a very young suit calls my name, "Mr. XXXXXXX, Can I speak with you a moment?" Tells me I can't play bj. I tell him ok and we part ways. Was dying to ask him how he knew my name and got the intel. Maybe I thought he would actually provide me a real answer given his young newbie appearance. Oh well.
So I was under the impression only affiliated stores communicate the "undesirables" with each other, but this was a first for me. These 2 stores were not linked. It was as if an APB was issued on me to all the casinos for that evening.

Feedback please if you've experienced the same.

one teammate was confronted with an approach similar to yours but she ignored it and the heat died down. Later at the cage her cellphone rang and she answered it...the shift manager was standing 8 feet away and just said "Gotcha". It's a good idea to put your cellphone on vibrate and ignore it during play.

It's also a common ploy to page you by the name they think you are and see if you go to answer the call.

FYI, everyone MUST password protect their cellphones...some casinos confiscate them and try to go through your address book to find out all of your associates. You should set your iPhone to erase all data after 10 failed attempts to enter a password. Your password should not be your SSN last four or a PIN number you use for your slot club.

BP,

Do casinos hate counter that bad? Maybe the Pros hit them too hard and make it hell of a lot tougher for the rest of us non pro?

I have a fantasy of opening a convenience store in Vegas. When I see a casino exec walk in, I'll detain him on suspicion of doing something I don't like that is entirely lawful. Maybe I'll claim that he is comparing prices and only buying the things I have on sale.

I'll then have my security guards drag him into the back room, confiscate his ID, cell phone, etc., and threaten him with arrest. Should be no problem under Nevada law based on how casino's treat advantage players.

My wife (a civillian) lost 1500 on a shoe game at one high end joint on the South LV Strip. I bought in at a 100 min shoe and played for 20 min. Never spread above 1-5 on a 6D game. No card. Wasn't asked for ID, so I wasn't a "refusal".

I got the money back +500 bucks more - that's it. After I colored up I was walking to the cage when I hear my name called - loudly. I had never been backed off at this place before, but it had recently been bought by a larger conglomerate. Sure enough, I turned around and was backed off by a PC who bystanders said literally ran across the floor to catch me.

What good is it telling someone who is leaving that he can't play. Why not wait until the next time he returns and attempts to play? Do they think that by backing off the player as he leaves that he won't return? (LMAO) Any player good enough to be a threat know all about and how to play the back off game. If anything a backoff as the player is exiting, actually provides the player with some info. Let's him know that his play was outside the bounds of what the casino will tolerate and he can make adjustments for the next time. Oh, yes....there will be a next time. :)

Some places have no bounds in violating an AP's rights. Some casino goons have no qualms about looking through your phone or even stealing it outright.

They identify you as a player that they do not have an advantage over. You are taking a seat that they are losing money to. A pretty tourist would be better sitting there. You are considered a leach. They ask you not to come back. What would you do if you had a business that every table was full? Can you blame those bums?

Life is so unfair! Who said money cannot buy justice in this country?

They never learn it, do they? Jason makes a nice point.

A common freebie is the half-shoe -- a counter-measure that, depending on circumstances, will only successfully scare away those players who were never much threat to begin with. Occasionally a half-shoe will improve game quality. But more important: when done by a casino that's comfortable with full-blown barring, a half-shoe is the pit's way of telling you that they're not really sure if you're a problem or not. "We can't blow you out at this time," they're saying. Helpful.

In addition to the security code most phones have an additional security feature called unlock pattern, a user selected preset pattern has to be traced on the touch screen before the phone can either used for calls or the phone's data accessed.