Casino back room

As a professional advantage player and tech enthusiast, I‘ve had my fair share of tense encounters getting "backed off" from casino games. So what really happens when pit bosses give you the tap and ask you to try your luck elsewhere? Read on for my insider perspective on this rite of passage in the life of any serious player.

Backed Off Meaning: A Polite Request You Can‘t Refuse

Getting backed off refers to when casino staff – usually the pit boss or security – ask you to stop playing a particular game because your skill level has made you an unacceptable risk for the house.

Here‘s a typical back off interaction:

"Sir, we‘ve noticed you have quite an impressive talent for blackjack. I‘m afraid your play is simply too strong for us tonight. We‘re going to have to ask you not to play that game anymore. Of course you‘re still welcome to play other games like craps or roulette!"

While framed as a polite suggestion, make no mistake – backed off requests must be followed. Refusal could lead to forcible removal and being banned entirely from the property.

Back offs target players utilizing various advantage play techniques that shift the odds like card counting, shuffle tracking, hole carding, and dice control. But more on that later.

How Severely You Get Backed Off Varies

Casinos don‘t take a one size fits all approach to backing off supposed advantage players. The severity of the back off depends on factors like:

• Game – You‘ll almost always get harsher treatment for beating blackjack vs other games. Counting cards poses an enormous threat to their bottom line.

• Playing Style – Subtle and sporadic advantage play draws less heat than aggressive, obvious displays. Wagering swings are a red flag.

• Casino Size – Massive Vegas strip casinos can absorb more risk than local joints relying on slim margins.

• Repeat Offender – Each subsequent back off escalates until eventually you‘re out for good.

Here‘s the spectrum of potential back off outcomes, from mildest to most severe:

• Barred from blackjack but allowed to play other games.

• Asked to leave for the day but allowed to return.

• Trespass order banning you for a set time period like 30, 90, 365 days or longer.

• Permanently banned for life as a confirmed advantage player.

A 2018 survey of advantage players found that around 79% reported being backed off at least once, with the average number of back offs being 3.3. Let‘s examine why this occurs.

Why You Get Backed Off in Casinos

Casinos don‘t take kindly to any form of advantage play that systematically swing the odds in the player‘s favor. Common techniques that can earn you a back off include:

Card Counting

• Keeping a running count of card values to determine when the deck tilts favorably for players. Allows optimal betting and decisions.

• Can double your win rate with minimum 1-20 betting spread. Even more powerful with aggressive spreads.

• Casinos know all the common counting systems and watch for players showing the telltale signs. You will be made eventually.

Shuffle Tracking

• Memorizing certain cards‘ positions through shuffles then wagering aggressively when they reappear.

• Much harder to detect than counting. But casinos know it‘s possible and view any shuffle tracking bets as cheating.

Hole Carding

• Using stealthy tactics to peek at the dealer‘s facedown card, providing a huge advantage.

• Methods range from subtle (glasses that reflect hole card) to outrageous (tiny cameras hidden on player).

• Nearly impossible to get away with today thanks to modern casino surveillance capabilities.

Dice Sliding

• Controlling dice throws to influence the outcome through precision shooting.

• Mastery takes years of practice. Casinos keep eyes out for suspected dice sliders‘ precision grip and toss.

• Like hole carding, almost impossible to escape detection using this technique today. You‘ll be made and backed off.

While legal, advantage play techniques cut into casino profits so they do everything to detect and stop players using them. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to avoid getting barred early into your play session.

How to Avoid Getting Backed Off

Though difficult today, skilled advantage players have some tricks up their sleeves to avoid getting made too quickly:

• Make modest cover bets relative to your bankroll – no spreading from $5 to $500.

• "Wong in" to tables on positive counts to play fewer hands with bigger bets.

• Use subtle 1-3-2-4 spreads instead of aggressive 1-10 spreads that scream counter.

• Act drunk and chatty to seem like a reckless casual gambler, not an advantage player.

• Tip your dealers well to keep them happy and possibly on your side.

• Shift between casinos and change your appearance to avoid being flagged as a repeat offender.

• If backed off, politely accept it and leave. Never cause a scene.

Unfortunately, I‘ve seen advanced technologies like facial recognition and machine learning rapidly make true under-the-radar advantage play a pipe dream:

• Facial recognition flags card counters as they move between neighboring casino properties.

• Continuous shufflers and automatic card dealers eliminate nearly all counting opportunities.

• Vast databases of player hands identify subtle patterns across play sessions.

• Legal restrictions on past posting and pinching bets close many loopholes.

In short, the odds today are stacked against the savvy player. But back offs still happen regularly as the timeless game of cat and mouse continues.

Is Card Counting and Advantage Play Legal?

While casinos understandably view advantage play as threatening their business, it‘s important to note that techniques like card counting are completely legal. There are no state or federal laws against counting cards or similar methods in US gaming jurisdictions.

As gambling attorney Bob Nersesian notes, "The state gaming regulations do not identify over-skilled play as a prohibited activity as they do with cheating. There is a clear and purposeful distinction because skilled play remains legal."

However, as private businesses, casinos also reserve the right to refuse service and ban any advantage players they identify. This dubious distinction has been upheld in court decisions like Uston vs. Resorts International Hotel in 1978, where judges ruled that Atlantic City casinos cannot unlawfully detain or assault advantage players, but they can legally eject or ban them.

In other words, advantage play exists in a gray area – not illegal, but casinos make sure anyone attempting it faces consequences. Personally I think casinos take things too far when they permanently ban players for lawful advantage play. But they hold all the power in this equation.

Tips on Getting Unbacked Off

Once you‘ve been issued a back off or trespass ban, is there any chance of restoration? Here are a few of the rare success stories I‘ve heard:

• Wait out mandatory ban period, then politely request reactivating your player‘s card and access to games.

• Express sincere regret, offer to refrain from prohibited games. Appeal to management‘s sympathy.

• Lodge a complaint with the state gaming commission arguing the back off was unjustified if you have evidence on your side.

• Try your luck at tribal casinos which have sovereignty over banning players.

• Get cosmetic surgery and ID with a different name to disguise your appearance if permanently banned.

But the reality is once made as an advantage player, you‘ll likely remain blacklisted for life at most major casinos these days. As one blackjack expert told me, "Never say never, but don‘t count on getting unbanned."

The Murky Future of Advantage Play

Looking ahead, getting backed off seems inevitable for aspiring advantage players as casinos leverage technology to further tilt the odds in their favor:

• Continued proliferation of continuous shufflers and automatic card dealing takes the human element and room for error out of play.

• Ever-larger multi-deck shoes like 8-deck and automatic shufflers dilute the impact of traditional card counting.

• Legal crackdowns on techniques like past posting and pinching wagers close loopholes advantage players relied on.

• Facial recognition technology is linking the most skilled players across properties and even internationally. Nowhere to hide!

• With decades of play data available, machine learning can now detect the most subtle patterns of advantage play in real time.

So is this the death knell for serious players hoping to consistently beat the house? Probably not completely. Human ingenuity and the lure of beating the odds will likely sustain advantage play even as the bar gets ever higher. Skilled players may have to get more creative by combining new techniques with sophisticated technologies of their own.

But for now, entering a casino with dreams of big payouts through sheer smarts remains a risky endeavor. The house always wins in the end. Know the odds going in, play responsibly, and leave once you‘ve hit your loss limit. As long as you keep it casual, your play experience will be a whole lot more relaxing with plenty of complimentary drinks to boot!

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