Advantage Play - Angle Shooting.....

Most of us "know" what advantage play is, and some of us will take every available opportunity to make a play when we perceive a mathematical advantage in the players favor. Gaming coupons are the easiest "advantage play" as they usually give the player a large advantage for one play or for a limited time frame. ("WIN" chips, those non negotiable play until you lose chips bought at discount are a good example also)

Video Poker is the most obvious, simply because the pay table shows us the theoretical payback, and when we add in other factors such as points or multiple points, cash back, etc, the advantage player knows the casino edge has temporarily switched to the player using perfect strategy. Advantage play does not guarantee a win, but that does not stop an advantage player, who will almost always "gamble" when the "price is right".

What I'm hoping to discuss is another "advantage" play. "Angle Shooting".

Angle shooting often is described as unethical. Some may say it is cheating. Others feel there is nothing wrong with it. Some forms of angle shooting may even be illegal in some jurisdictions.

Perhaps the poker player next to you is unaware as they accidentally expose his cards to a player on his left or right. Perhaps a BJ dealer is unaware of a bad habit making it possible to occasionally spot a hole card during the deal, or a poker dealer often flashes a card that can be seen from seat #1 when dealing to seat 8, or the bottom card when cutting the deck. Information not available to all players. Intentionally miss calling your poker hand (Flush) in the hopes the opponent throws their hand away before you expose your four flush, saying "Ooops, I misread my hand." Leaving your players club card in the machine to benefit from the next players action, etc.

The topic of Angle Shooting could also include "found" Titos hanging from a machine, credits, bonus rounds not played on a machine, etc.

Is it "Me" against the casino with no holds barred? After all, the casino will take everything they can from the player, so the player should be able to take everything they can from the casino.

Is there a line to cross?

What's "fair"?

Even if you believed in that, there's a big difference between seeing the dealer's hole card in blackjack, and seeing the cards of the poker player next to you. The player next to you isn't playing with the casino's money.

If another poker player gives you an advantage, be it flashing a card or squealing every time they get a good card, then it is fair for you to use. Trying to distract or confuse another player beyond normal table chatter is not fair.

I also consider it fair to use information supplied by a sloppy dealer. The casino plies you with free booze in an attempt to make you sloppy so they can take advantage of you, so I say it is fair to take advantage of them if they also supply you with a sloppy dealer. It is not fair for a dealer to be sloppy because of a spoken or unspoken collusion with a well tipping player.

Knowing basic VP strategy for a given pay table is fair. Replacing the RNG with one of your own is not fair.

Hole carding a BJ dealer is ok in my book. I'd be a little leary of hitting those 19's when you know the dealer has a 20 though.

In a poker game...if someone isn't a butt head and is inadvertantly exposing his cards, I may say something...like 'don't show me your cards'....Once. If he's a butt head, all bets are off.

How about if a dealer pays you too much or pays you off for a bet you already collected on? Would you keep it or are you a believer in good and bad karma?

That's an example of good karma in action.

Hmm, . . . if DonDiego ever crosses the line, he will inform this Forum, . . . if his cell has access to Free Wi-Fi.

Husband and wife collusion at the poker table. That will earn you a knife in each tire.

I tend to agree. Any information or edge that would be available to someone else in your shoes is fair. This would include leaving your player's card in a machine.

Re. winnings that seem to be abandoned, a reasonable attempt should be made to find the other player.

A dilemma that was related to me recently: One hold'em player had a smaller pair to the large cards in the middle. The other player showed his large cards, but he hadn't made a pair, nor any other hand. The dealer erroneously mucked the pair and pushed the pot to the other player, announcing a straight. During the next hand, the player who showed the pair realized there was no straight, and the other player acknowledged the dealer had pushed the pot to the losing hand. End of story.

Exactly, if I get paid at the blackjack table by mistake I figure it's a reward of good karma because I try to ooze good karma.

For example, I ate dinner in a diner tonight. The bill was $24.86. I handed the cashier a $20 while I fumbled for a $5 to complete my payment. She was busy making change and while I'm trying to hand her the $5, she's trying to hand me $4 and some change. She seemed like nice person, everyone in the diner was nice and the food was good and I was with my son so it was a easy decision to straighten things out.

Shooting angles at the casino is different from angles at a local business.

The line I won't cross is doing something that could cause me to get my ass kicked.

I have corrected a dealer who over paid me on occasion. Most times I won't but sometimes I do. When I have a multi-card 20 and the dealer pulls a multicard 21, sometimes I exclaim,'"all that work just for a freaking push". It works on occasion.