>This went on for a couple of hours with this guy betting on top of >the other bet every time the count went up. On negs, he dropped off.

You can get away with ALOT at most of the Tunica casinos. When and how depends on many variables, but it is much, much easier that in LV. The fact that based on the above comment PV, you appeared to have been able to "camp out" for a couple of hours is an indication that you can get away with more there.

>By this time, I had left the table, but kept walking back past them >to see how things were going. No heat of any kind, even though they >started out with $25 and jumped straight to a combined $200 on one >hand.

What prompted you to devote the effort to go back and check out "how things were going" with they fellows? This is something I never personally have done and wondering if there was some motivation for us to do this. As for jumping bets, it can and should be done. Not all the time, but it should be done at times.

>Finally, a boss came over and talked to them for a while, then ended >up comping them to the steak house.

As you have discovered, comps are very easy at Tunica casinos.

>I saw them later doing the same thing again, with one of them >practically counting out loud, and discussing whether it was high >enough for the second guy to come in or not. Perhaps $200 is below >radar for this place?

You can get away with going higher than $200. Although I am not certain about GS, I know for a fact that if a player is betting more than $500 a hand at Hollywood, Tunica, at least one Floor Person is required to stand right at the table! Irrespective of this, you can still get away with it, if done properly. This important thing you want to do (and establish this early on) is what prompts the dealer to call out "black action" or "checks play" AND most important, HOW THE PIT REACTS TO THIS. WATCH THE PHONES!! This will give you a good "feel" for the workings of that particular Pit.

Once again, I trust information provided on this board remains here.

Regards, Rick

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

Answers

Coaching

Great coaching! I look forward to getting some help from you in Vegas! I know you can help me.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

clarification (PV)

Thanks for the comments, Rick, they should prove to be helpful. To clarify a few points, I didn't actually camp out at that table. I didn't make it clear in my post, but I left the table shortly after these two guys started their routine because I didn't want to be ramping my bets in unison with theirs. I kept walking back past their table, as I was moving around a lot anyway, to check out what kind of heat they were going to get. I was wanting to find out what the casino's comfort level is without having to push the envelope too far myself. I was actually expecting to see a barring in progress, and wanted to see how it looked when it was coming. What I saw instead, was that they could get away with any tactic they wanted as long as they were under $200. I didn't see them bet more than that, so I will trust your $500 figure.

On jumping bets: I agree that it is a good practice as long as you can get away with it. However, until I saw these guys doing it, I didn't know if you could do it blatantly without molestation at this casino.

The "checks play" cry was sporadic. The first table I played at, I put out $100 and the dealer said it. The PC barely responded, didn't even look my way. After that, the dealer ever called it on me again. This was at Horseshoe, and no matter what I bet, they didn't call it on me, even though they did call it on another player when he bet the same thing I had bet on another hand. At G.S., they called it once on a guy who put out $500, and then never called it again where I could hear it. Several times I jumped from $25 to $150, and no one paid any attention at all.

Here's something that did get their attention: I picked up a card in each hand to see how the dealer would react. He didn't say a word, but instead, he slapped the table in front of me, and kept on dealing. Later I did the same thing with another dealer, and got the same response. I have done this a few times in other towns as a way to distract the dealers, but here they just smack the table almost unconsciously, and keep right on going.

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

clarification (Rick)

>Thanks for the comments, Rick, they should prove to be helpful. To >clarify a few points, I didn't actually camp out at that table. I >didn't make it clear in my post, but I left the table shortly after >these two guys started their routine because I didn't want to be >ramping my bets in unison with theirs.

You actually CAN camp out at these Tunica tables. Once the pit gets comfortable with you (this takes a shorter time than in LV) you are set!

>I kept walking back past their table, as I was moving around a lot >anyway, to check out what kind of heat they were going to get. I was >wanting to find out what the casino's comfort level is without >having to push the envelope too far myself. I was actually expecting >to see a barring in progress, and wanted to see how it looked when >it was coming. What I saw instead, was that they could get away with >any tactic they wanted as long as they were under $200. I didn't see >them bet more than that, so I will trust your $500 figure.

Good study job! Did you notice anything of interest in the workings of the pit?

>On jumping bets: I agree that it is a good practice as long as you >can get away with it. However, until I saw these guys doing it, I >didn't know if you could do it blatantly without molestation at this >casino.

Great. I'm sure you can get a room comp for next time, when you can "go to town" with your betting!

>The "checks play" cry was sporadic. The first table I played at, I >put out $100 and the dealer said it. The PC barely responded, didn't >even look my way. After that, the dealer ever called it on me again. >This was at Horseshoe, and no matter what I bet, they didn't call it >on me, even though they did call it on another player when he bet >the same thing I had bet on another hand. At G.S., they called it >once on a guy who put out $500, and then never called it again where >I could hear it. Several times I jumped from $25 to $150, and no one >paid any attention at all.

I find that "checks play" is used so much that the dealers and pit in most places just go thru the motions. However, in some places, specifically Stardust in LV, "checks play" prompts an immediate phone call to surveillance and unless you are aware and know how to throw them off scent, they will have you pegged in roughly 30 -45 minutes.

>Here's something that did get their attention: I picked up a card in >each hand to see how the dealer would react. He didn't say a word, >but instead, he slapped the table in front of me, and kept on >dealing. Later I did the same thing with another dealer, and got the >same response. I have done this a few times in other towns as a way >to distract the dealers, but here they just smack the table almost >unconsciously, and keep right on going.

This is a little scary. As you know the "use only one hand" to handle cards is based on a fear of card mucking. My concern here is that if you were playing unnoticed, this move could very well take a surveillance person aware from his comic book!! The fact that two dealers did the "table slap" could be coincidence, but one never knows, maybe it's some sort of "silent signal."

Regards, Rick

-- Anonymous, January 21, 2000

response (PV)

On the workings of the pit: I was most surprised by the lack of any interesting activity while these two guys were so obviously counting. There was almost no activity at all. At first I thought that meant they were being watched by the sky, but eventually I decided they were just not being worried about at all. The PCs seemed to be unusually busy with counting the chips in the tray, recording bet sizes for comps, chatting with each other and with the players, etc. There was one guy playing at a $100 table, betting $500 for a while, and one PC stood at that table the whole time, but other than that, not much.

Fitzgeralds was a little different, probably because they allow mid-shoe entry on two deck games. I wonged into a game with $100 and the dealer called 'checks', and a PC came over and asked if I had a players card. Then he stood there until after the shuffle, but I left, rather than put out $100 off the top; I hadn't sat down, anyway. I got more attention here than I expected, but not serious heat. When I bought in, one PC came around the table and sat next to me while she got information for my player's card. She sat and chatted for 15 minutes or so, but I chalked that up to my charm and good looks.

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2000