A card counter by any other name…

Counting cards could be a tricky proposition. Your goal is to get a leg up on the house odds and turn the cards in your favor, in theory raking in the cash in the process. But like going to war in 1975, there’s a minefield to crawl through to get to your destination. Dealers, cold cards, other players, pit bosses and security cameras all stand in your way. So is there anything you can do, aside from dropping hands and making crappy bets on purpose to throw these folks off your trail? Perhaps, let’s take a look.

How far would someone go to get themselves into a casino undetected, just to squeeze out a few sessions before being banned again? Well, first, if this is happening to you and you’re counting cards, you need a better method for approaching that part of the game. You might be skilled, but if you’re too obvious, it won’t make a difference. It’s like being a 7-foot monster basketball player who can never get past the first quarter because you rack four fouls.

So this brings me to the question of whether actually changing your name legally could help your cause. Take a minute to absorb the gravity of what that means before we proceed, because I did. Now, it’s not for me to judge, and if blackjack is your entire means of bringing in money, then anything would seem like a plausible idea when you’re back is against the wall.

So, would it work? Maybe, in some casinos. But these days, your face is just as telling as your name, and if you’re trying to get back into the family of casinos in which you were banned the first time, you can forget it. They’ve got your picture in the database. So while Frank might now be in a blue blazer and flashing his John Q driver’s license, the only thing helping you out there is dropping 75 pounds and looking into reconstructive surgery.

You also have to go through a few other steps to complete this. You need to change your address, even your bank account. Then try going into a casino in which you’ve never played before. Try a different state from where you’ve established a comfort zone.

If that doesn’t work, you can always give the online world a try.