Winning

Obviously, winning can create heat. I say obviously not for any reason based on logic, but because casinos do not believe that players are supposed to win. Clearly, statistics show us that some percentage of poor players will win, even though most will lose in the long run. I have often used the rough number that 40% of player sessions are winners, but have never actually performed a study. Nonetheless, an “embarrassment of riches” draws attention. In my thinking, a large win should never be hidden. Gamblers do not hide wins. Gamblers brag about wins. Card counters hide wins. Which do you want to look like? The fact is that the casino knows the money is no longer in the chip tray. Do not force them to determine it on their own that you have it.

Losing

Oddly, losing also draws heat. I cannot remember the number of times counters have related stories where they have been barred from play after a large loss. It is generally believed that professional counters are easily identified because they do not react emotionally to losses. There may be some truth in this. But counters that do react emotionally also get barred after losses and many long-time gamblers express little reaction.

I have a screwy theory. I think that pit bosses, who observe winners and losers all day for years, see something different, but indefinable in their minds, in the reactions of counters who lose. Gamblers react in many ways. Dostoyevsky wrote that he experienced an orgasm after a large loss (Dostoyevsky himself, not Alexis, the player in The Gambler). Many counters, particularly those who have not played for long periods, tend to react with frustration and disbelief. They know the count is high. “Why are all these little cards coming out when I double down?” Perhaps this is why counters in the inevitable bad turns can be identified. Just a wild guess.

Casinos like good losers. They want to believe they are an entertainment industry, not an industry that caters to people with psychological addictions. There are many ways to react to losses: I’ll get you next time, I had fun, it’s just money, glad my wife wasn’t watching. Whatever you do, do not act as if it is a bad day at work.

 © 2009 Norman Wattenberger