Caught Counting Cards

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In the movie, we see Ben (Jim Sturgess) take a beating from Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne) after he is caught counting cards. Similarly, in Ben Mezrich's book Breaking Vegas, we find the Fisher character beaten bloody in the bathroom of a Bahamian casino. Alternatively, low cards benefit the dealer because they must hit stiff hands (12-16 total) where lower valued cards are better in these common hands. A dealer holding 12-16 will bust every time when the following card is a 10, thus making this essential to card counting. That is the basics of card counting. The idea behind all card counting is that, because a low card is usually bad and a high card usually good, and as cards already seen since the last shuffle cannot be at the top of the deck and thus drawn, the counter can determine the high and low cards that have already been played. The movie Rainman provided me with my first glimpse into the world of card counting.In Rain Man, Tom Cruise plays the slick, self-centered Charlie Babbit.Dustin Hoffman steals the show as Charlie’s autistic savant brother, Raymond Babbit. In a sub-plot of the movie, when Charlie realizes Raymond possesses a photographic memory and an incredible penchant for numbers, he hatches a plan to. What can happen if I get caught counting cards at a blackjack table in Las Vegas? You’ll be asked to leave and then the police might be called if you turn up again. The key thing with even the most basic of card counting systems, is the movement of you bets. A lot of newer tables have RFID readers built in and chips with RFID built in.

Most of us play blackjack in the casinos for two reasons. First, we want to have fun and second, we’d like to “take down the casino” and win all of the money. Learning basic strategy is a good way to minimize the house edge the casino has against the player. In theory, keeping the edge small will allow players to extend a bankroll longer and possibly win a few bucks in the short term.

Mit students caught counting cards

Variance is all casino games that have a house edge will allow short term victories. Unfortunately, the edge over the casino won’t be long lived. In the long run, the only way to beat the casino in blackjack is to flip the edge from the house to the player. Beating the casino in blackjack isn’t for everyone and it’s not very easy (especially if you like a few drinks while you play). Flipping the edge from the house to you can be achieved by counting cards.

Counting cards isn’t illegal but it is certainly frowned upon by casino operators. Card counting is simply tracking cards and placing larger wagers when the advantage in the game is on your side. We have an entire page dedicated to learning how to count cards. You can read all about it here.

There are many ways to count cards and take the advantage over the casino. Unfortunately, if you’re caught counting cards you’ll probably be asked to leave the table. Having said that, it’s still possible to count cards when playing blackjack without getting caught. There’s no foolproof method to avoid being caught, but these tips should help.

1. Find the right game. Not every casino has a blackjack game that will be affected by counting cards. You can do research online to find the best games to play. In addition to looking for beneficial rules, you’ll be looking for a betting spread with limits that you’re comfortable playing.

2. Keep your spreads small. One of the biggest problems for card counters is spreading their bets to the limits. While this is the best way to make big money, it’s also an easy way to get noticed and caught. Avoid the spotlight by going for all or nothing. Don’t get lost in the money and enjoy smaller wins.

3. Keep the count to yourself. It’s easier for a casino to catch a card counter when they’re announcing the count out loud or visibly counting at the table. Like I said, counting cards isn’t easy. The skill takes a lot of perfect practice to master. You shouldn’t take your newfound card counting skills into a casino until you can keep it to yourself. Don’t let the dealer or pit bosses see you counting.

4. Don’t appear to be so smart. I’ve established that counting cards isn’t easy but it’s a good way to swing the edge in blackjack your way. Take some of your potential profits and make a bad bet every once in awhile. One way to throw the dealers and pit bosses off your scent is to make a mistake that a recreational player would make. You’ll know the count so do this when you make a smaller bet.

5. Enjoy some non-boozy drinks. I always need something to do with my hands when gambling and a drink usually helps keep me calm. However, drinking booze will hamper your ability to count. Drink a soft drink, coffee, or tea. Don’t try to mask like you’re drinking booze. That trick is old and will throw up a red flag to the casino that you’re counting.

What Happens If You Are Caught Counting Cards

6. Take a break during a good and bad count. Another reason to enjoy a few drinks is that it will give you an excuse to leave the table to use the restroom. If you can count cards you should assume that dealers and pit bosses can count too. Take a break when the count is high and they’ll be less likely to assume you’re counting. This should help distract the casino from your counting.

7. Don’t forget to tip. Tipping is a good way to distract a dealer from your counting. Share the wealth if you’re winning. Tipping is a good way to get the not only distract a dealer but to get them on your side. Don’t be afraid to engage the dealer and ask if they’d like the tip directly or if they’d like to play the tip. Playing the tip allows the dealer a chance to play with you and double the size of the tip.

A lot of the skills to get away with counting cards end up tying back to not being greedy. Ultimately all card counters want to make money. The smart counters understand that making a smaller profit is better than making no money at all.

What happens if you are caught counting cardsCaught

Counting cards is a legal activity. There are no federal or state laws stating that card counters are committing an offense. Police officers cannot arrest you for counting cards at a casino, nor can they convict you of any crimes. Before you hit the Las Vegas Strip and try your hand at counting cards, however, realize there are several ways card counting can land you in jail.

  1. Casino Trespassing:

While the police cannot detain you for the act of counting cards, they can make an arrest on the grounds of trespassing. Casinos are technically private property, and casino patrons must respect house rules. Many casinos have high-tech cameras and security measures in place to detect and prevent card counting, since this act takes money the casino could otherwise win. If a security guard has reason to believe a patron is counting cards, the guard can ask a patron to leave the table, stop playing that particular game, or leave the casino.

Most casinos ask card counters to leave the property once discovered. Casino security guards may hassle you into leaving the table, ask you to back off a game for a time, or bar you from the casino entirely. If a casino bars you, you may not return. If you return anyway, you can face trespass charges.

  1. Using Electronics or Machines to Count Cards:

While the law doesn’t say anything about restricting the use of intellectual means to count cards, it does have a provision against using electronic and mechanical means. This type of card counting constitutes cheating, since you’re gaining an unfair edge over the other players at the table. It’s your prerogative to use your brain to count cards as a natural advantage, but once you use other means, the police can arrest you.

What Happens If You Get Caught Counting Cards

  1. Non-mechanical Cheating:

This brings us to cheating by non-mechanical/electrical means during a card game. In Nevada, gambling control authorities prohibit cheating in casinos. Cheating during a card game is an arrestable offense. Using your intellect to count cards can help you win but does not change the game, and is therefore not technically considered cheating. If you cheat, altering the outcome of the game by switching cards with other players or adding cards to the deck, a casino can arrest you.

  1. Physically Assaulting Casino Employees:

If a casino employee admonishes or detains you for counting cards, you’ll probably be angry, frustrated, or embarrassed. Odds are, you’ve been drinking, and now the casino has barred you from playing your favorite game of the night. Many people accused of counting cards make the mistake of pushing or touching security guards or other casino employees. The casino can then have you arrested on grounds of physical assault or harassment.

  1. Disorderly Conduct:

Caught Counting Cards In Vegas

Casinos do not need a reason to ask you to leave. They can ask any patron to leave at any time, for any reason or for no reason at all. If you refuse to leave and begin acting belligerent, aggressive, or just plain rude, casinos can have you arrested for disorderly conduct. The best thing to do if you’re asked to leave is to apologize, leave the casino, and lay low for a while. If the casino took your picture while detaining you, they will have your face on file and will share it with sister casinos.

If you need criminal defense lawyers in Las Vegas because of casino charges, contact De Castroverde Law Group for expert help. We can come to your defense if you’re arrested for false ID, assault, battery, theft, disorderly conduct, trespassing, and more. Call us today for a free consultation at (702) 222-9999.