Why arent BJ stretgy cards allowed on tables?

This rule has gotten more and more on my nerves over the years. I thought maybe it was just a lower limit thing, but as I have moved more to the $25/$50 min tables I find the same attitude on behalf of the pit crews. This was punctuated during a recent Borgata trip at a $50 minimum table. Now look, I've been playing for going on 15 years, I know I dont necessarily need to have the card there, but its nice to have just in case. I had a good relationship with this particular pit boss over a few days, so this conversation was not combative at all. Just want to point that out as sometimes emotion can be hard to convey in text.

Pit Boss: Sir, we'll need to have you take that off the table
Me: (lifting my bottle of water up thinking that was what he was talking about)
Pit Boss: No sir, the blackjack card, it cant be on the table.
Me: OK no problem. (move it to sit on the rail)
Pit Boss: Sorry sir, it cant be touching the table at all
Me: Seriously? You can have drinks all over the table that could spill at any time and close the table for 15 minutes or cigars that can burn the table but this card cant be on the table?
Pit Boss: Sorry thats the rule.
Me: Just curious, but why is it the rule? You guys sell these in your bookshop and yet you're telling me I cant use it?
Pit Boss: You can have it in your lap but not on the table.
Me: So you dont mind me using it?
Pit Boss: Right.
Me: And you dont mind that I have constant visual contact with the card since it can sit in my lap?
Pit Boss: Or in your hand.
Me: Thats crazy, so I can use it so long as it doesnt physically touch the table?
Pit Boss: Correct.
Me: You dont really have any good reason for this rule do you?
Pit Boss: Not really, no.

Now, I only play BJ maybe 15 days a year total, in Vegas and AC, but this has been my experience every single time. And why? There is no good reason if you can hold it in your hand why it cant be on the table.

Anyone know of WHY they have this rule? I could see if they didnt want you to use it at all - thats one thing.

There is no good reason if you can hold it in your hand why it can't be on the table.

Anyone know of WHY they have this rule? I could see if they didn't want you to use it at all - thats one thing.

Casinos are afraid of all sorts of things that rarely happen. They waste more time and money on some of the silly "game protection" protocols, especially those that slow down the games, than advantage players could ever win from those games.

In the case of the Basic Strategy cards, it could be as simple as some casino boss thinking it could be used as a "shiner" to allow you to see the dealer's hole card. Most casinos do not allow anything that's not directly part of the game to be on the table, except drinks and ash trays. This rule makes the table less cluttered and eliminates props that could be used for sleight-of-hand cheating maneuvers, chip hiding, etc.

In the vast majority of cases, it's just general paranoia, but from the casino's perspective, uniformity of enforcement of "clear tables" rules makes sense, whether it be a Basic Strategy card, a copy of Current Blackjack News, or a photo of someone's cat.

On the table, they don't want things that look like playing cards, etc. Without going into details, a cheat could use it to his advantage. I'm surprised this guy enforced the rule, but that's probably the theory.

Lefty

It isn't hard to memorize the complete basic strategy.

Isn't it worth it if you're playing $25- $50 min even if it's only 15 times a year?

is that they don't want you sharing the information with other players, or allowing them to look at the card, as it is in plain sight, on the table.

They figure that it's bad enough that one player will play perfect BS without having a few more players having access to the same thing.

I have many pit boss acquaintances, and this is what they have always told me.

Don

This is the argument that came to my mind first.On the other hand, they would never openly admit that it's because of the other players. They want to entertain this widespread illbelief that strategy cards are just there to fool the players.

Francis Salmon