Shortcuts

Since most floor Supervisors have very little time to attempt to count down a deck, it would be advantageous for a supervisor to learn shortcuts in identifying possible counters.

There are three indicators that distinguish the counter from the average player:

1. The counter must use a betting spread.

2. The counter must deviate from Basic Strategy, especially when the count is in the high plus range.

3. The counter will only take insurance when the deck is rich, with a high plus count.

The supervisor, knowing the three indicators noted above, can and should be able to notice if a player has spread to a higher wager. By observing the bet fluctuation, the supervisor can now assume that if the patron is counting, the player will make plays common to a high plus count.

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A full description of the betting and basic strategy variations used by advantage players, very useful in detecting a skilled advantage player, follows. Due to the fact that this material was written by another, I cannot give it away on this website. However, the entire article may be purchased through the website by visiting this link. THe article is included in the Casino Surveillance Operations Manual by permission, and can be purchased as a single article or as a part of various packages, including Prevention and Detection.

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Card counting is not cheating. Backing players off of a game by suspicion only will mostly likely cost the property tons of money in the long run. Just because someone can count does not says that the player is going to beat the house. There are a lot of bad counters out there who do not use the Basic Strategy variations, or are not skilled with them.

If you receive confirmation that the player or players are in fact card counters, you must report this to your immediate supervisor. Be prepared to report the following:

1. Bet spread used

2. How the player has raised or lowered his bet to the count

3. Explain different playing strategies observed in relation to the count

4. Ascertain if the player has an advantage over the house and estimated win over an hour period of play.

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