Exhibit CAA is a pseudonym of James Grosjean, a professional gambler and author, well known for his book Beyond Counting: Exploiting Casino Games from Blackjack to Video Poker.
The old saying, “There's no such thing as a stupid question” is wrong when it comes to blackjack.
Sometimes, inexperienced card counters ask questions of casino employees that inadvertently bring attention to the fact that the counter just might be more knowledgeable than the average casino patron (“civilian” or “ploppy”).
For example, don’t ask if there are any tables without CSM’s. Don't tell me that “lots of civilians dislike the machines, so it's a common question.” Some civilians dislike the machines (and fewer still will actually take their business elsewhere because of it), yet ALL counters hate the machines. Why would you raise a red flag when there is a simple method of getting the answer: just look around! Check with online sources (like BJ21 and the casino's website), and then look around at all the tables for confirmation.
Similarly, do NOT ask:
Avoiding stupid questions can often avoid attracting attention that you don’t want, and sometimes can enhance your longevity in a casino. Don’t be stupid!
Originally published on bj21.com Green Chip, lightly edited for this format.