When the dealers shift…should you?

Even the dealer needs to take a break every now and then, right? Yes, he or she does. Rhetorical question. But the question that does need to be answered is what you as a blackjack player do during that time? Do you sit through, take a break and come back yourself or use it as an opportunity to change tables, reardless of how well you’re doing at your current one?

In some blackjack circles, it’s almost like clockwork that the observant player will change tables when the shifts change, so as not to allow the dealers to pass along any information to the next guy about how you play. And while I can see the justified paranoia behind this method of thinking (believe me, I do) it’s ultimately ridiculous and counterproductive.

Here’s why. First, what information are the dealers going to pass that the eye in the sky isn’t already aware of? If you’re being watched, you’re being watched. The dealer won’t be able to spot how you’re playing, counting or cheating any different from the cameras. And what other information is the dealer actually going to pass along? That you’re a good tipper? So, maybe the next dealer won’t…spit in your cards? Yes, that’s ridiculous, so you’re starting to get my point here.

Second, if you’re getting up every time there’s a shift change, don’t you think that in and of itself is drawing attention to you as a potential card counter? Nothing spells suspicious like routine behavior. That might sound backward to some, but you all know it’s true.

Third, this isn’t the 70’s. There’s electronics to track much of what you’re doing at the table even if you get up and come back after a shift change. Your “information” (i.e. betting patterns, time played, amounts wagered) is all accessible to them anytime they want to look. It’s much harder to hide this from the casino these days if the casino is determined to keep tabs on you as a player.

Now, if we’re talking about getting up, stretching your legs, getting a drink and damaging your elbow pulling a few hundred slot spins just to mix things up, hey, that’s what you’re there for, right? A little R&R? Oh, you’re not? Then you must be trying to make it look like you are while justifying your actions with one of the above reasons, in which case you’re wasting your time, fella.