Watch the dealer

We’re all paranoid. We have to be. We play cards in casinos that are designed to take our money and kick us out just for winning whenever they get suspicious. Of course, sometimes they have good reason. But other times, we’re the ones with the skeptical, accusatory eye. This relates to blackjack when they switch dealers. It might seem like a regular rotation switch, but we all know better.

This brings me to the related question of “Do dealers watch for suspicious betting patterns?” Is the guy you’re tipping keeping track of you while you’re trying to keep track of the count? Well, maybe not the dealer. Most dealers can’t count, nor can they really spot many of the tell-tale signs of a counter. They’re too busy – especially the speed dealers – actually dealing the cards and keeping track of paying who won and collective from who lost.

But there are so many other tiers of casino personnel, the dealer should be the last guy you’re worrying about. The pit supervisors, floor managers and cameras all are of more immediate concern. The pit guys are the front line, they’re the ones watching everybody for suspicious activity. I’ve heard of casinos that, when something seems shifty, will send in a specific dealer who specializes in how to count and how to spot those who are counting.

If you do run into one of these dealers, then it could spell trouble. In a normal casino setting, the dealers aren’t really friendly with the pit crews (those guys are watching the dealers as much as they’re watching you), but every so often you’ll get a rogue dealer who wants to kiss these guys’ butt, or even take aim at their job. And there’s no better way to do this than to deliver a potential blackjack card counter right to their doorstep.

So watch out for those dealers. Note shift-change tim intervals, and sit a few hands out when they change. Watch their eyes and what they do, it might provide insight into whether they’re just dealing or trying to keep track of something else, as well.