From: mbuck@fibers (Michael D. Buck)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: I got "counter-measured"!  What went wrong?
Summary: Reno Hilton figured me out
Keywords: barred shuffle-up unhappy
Date: 18 Nov 92 17:00:25 GMT
Reply-To: fibers!mbuck@dg-rtp.dg.com
Organization: Allied Fibers, Petersburg VA

While at the Reno Hilton this weekend, I was identified as a counter.
To my knowledge, this is the first time this has occurred.  I found
the experience somewhat unpleasant, and would like not to repeat it.
If anyone can offer advice as to what was most likely to have betrayed me
please let me know.

Here's the scenario.

SD, 7-spot table.  5 other players at the table, occupying spots 1,2,3,6 & 7.
$3 minimum bet, thus requiring two $6 bets if I wish to play two spots.
First hand after the shuffle, I typically play two $6 bets.  If the count
went bad, I would back off the one hand at $3.  If the count went good,
I would either maintain my two $6 bets for the second round, or change
to two $10 bets, only if I had been playing 2 $6 bets consistently for
awhile.  That is, I did not wish to appear to range from one bet of $3 up
to two bets of $10 each.

I played at one table for about 2 hours before the problem began.  When the
main dealer (40 minutes out of the hour) went on break, I noticed that the
replacement dealer was giving me a bit of the evil eye.  When she left after
her 20 minutes, the main dealer returned and began immediately to deal one
round and shuffle up consistently.  I continued to play a few hands, and then
got up to leave.  As I did so, the dealer loudly asked me in a gloating way,
"Can't count the cards anymore, no?".  He then proceeded to tell everyone at
the table that I was counting cards.  His tone indicated to everyone that he
considered counting cards to be basically on the same level as killing small
children with a fork.  The disgust in his voice sounded quite genuine.
Before he finished "colring up" my chips, he also tried to intimidate me with
the probability that I had now been photographed, and was known to the casino.

OK.  Now, here are my questions to you veterans.  I know weird plays
didn't give me away, since I never (once again) had the opportunity to
split 10's or double down on A-9, or hit a 13 against a 6.  In fact, the
reason I quadrupled my starting buy-in was much more due to fantastic cards
than strictly due to counting.  So, what gave me away?:

  (1) Was the bet spread too large?  (Effectively $3-$20)
  (2) Should I have figured out a way to squirrel away some of the
      chips I had won?  I bought in with $100, and ended with $425, all
      laid out in front of me in $5 and $1 chips.  The stack did seem
      sort of ostentatious, even to me.  Every time in the past that I
      have tried to put away some of the chips on the table, that drew
      me more attention than I think I would have if I had left them.
  (3) Did I stay in one place too long?  By the time my 2.5 hours at the
      table were completed, all the other players had been recycled two
      or three times over.  I was apparently the only one winning at that
      table.  Is it good practice in general to play only a short time at
      any one table or casino?
  (4) Would it have been better to always play two hands, rather than
      switching back and forth from one to two hands?
  (5) I didn't really notice any pit people staring at the table watching
      my play.  Is it likely that the eye-in-the-sky noticed me first,
      and called down to alert the pit and dealers?
  (6) I hate the concept of "cover betting", and I really wonder how much
      good it does, so I didn't do any.  Is it your experience that making
      the "wrong" bet (I.E. -- betting more when the count goes bad) once
      per 30-40 bets really throws the pit off?   And if so, doesn't it
      eat into your advantage too much to do so?

Also, should I now avoid the Reno Hilton?  I realize that's exactly what
they want me to do.  But, I wonder how much effort they really are going
to go to to make sure that a $5 counter stays away.  Were their intimidation
tactics just that, or will they *actually* notice me quickly if I try to play
there again?

Please feel free to use E-mail if you don't wish to post to 'rec.gambling'.
________________________________________________________________________
Michael Buck                          |
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