How Do Casinos Identify Card Counters?

I assume that it is impossible to prove that a player is a card counter. So, on what basis does a casino identify/ban a player for counting cards?

[Editor's Note: We could have asked a pit boss to answer this question, but we went instead to a card counter to get his perspective on being picked off by the casinos. Colin Jones is the author of our book 21st Century Card Counter and one of the most knowledgeable blackjack players we know. He founded and managed a big blackjack team, then developed a blackjack-training website, BlackjackApprenticeship.com, and leads intensive Blackjack Bootcamp workshops. He's experienced heat and been backed off and barred by casinos all over the country. Here's what he has to say about the why and how.]

The beauty of card counting is that it's a system based on mathematical principles. Play according to the system, bet in a way that takes advantage of the system, and you make money (over the long haul, of course). Unfortunately, this also means that the casinos can figure out if you're playing and betting according to that same system.

That being said, here are the four most common ways I've seen casinos identify players.

Databases. It's become more common, as the first line of defense, for casinos to look up a player in a database (primarily SIN or OSN). If they see you winning, betting big, or fluctuating bets, a casino often asks for a players card or ID, so they can see if you're a known undesirable ... aka "not a sucker." They might do this before ever watching your playing decisions or anything else: "Let's just check the database to see if he's in there."
If someone looks like he or she is counting cards. To me, this is the classic case of a casino cutting off its nose to spite its face. I've known plenty of wannabe card counters or straight-up gamblers who have been backed off because the casino thinks they're a threat, even if they aren't. I once met a gambler with six figures worth of losses over several years of poor "card counting," but plenty of casinos had backed him off simply because the guy was trying to count. It might be that a guy is just winning too much and the casino panics.
Analyzing your play in real time. If a casino suspects you of card counting, it may deploy a pit boss or surveillance operator to watch you. If you play properly and change your bets along with the count (by counting along with you or running your play through counter-catcher software), they'll then determine if they want your play or not. Remember, if you can play with an advantage based on observable information, the casino can observe that same information to decide if you're playing with an advantage.
Analyzing your play after the fact. Sometimes a casino reviews a player after he's left, especially if you hit them for a big score. I've heard of casinos that analyze any player who won over $5,000, $10,000, or $20,000. I've had plenty of times when I got out without a backoff on a winning session, only to be turned away on my next visit.

This is all part of the cat-and-mouse game. In my book, I talk about forms of "costly" camouflage and "free" camouflage to try to avoid casino detection. But at the end of the day, casinos don't want winners, so dealing with backoffs just comes with being a profitable player.

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rokgpsman Nov-07-2020

Much harder than it used to be

The blackjack games that casinos offer nowadays are nearly impossible to beat, even for card-counters. Games using continuous shuffling machines can't be counted. On games where the dealers shuffle by hand they shuffle before dealing very deep into the deck which greatly reduces your chance of getting the good cards you expect from the count. When the count is positive that means the deck is rich in 10-value cards but you rarely get to that part of the deck. At best you get a few hands when the count is good, you increase your bet and get tagged as a possible counter. Not a very good situation for the player. At lower stakes your winning can be tolerated, they don't want to lose a customer over a small amount of money and figure you'll lose it back later. But start making big bets and winning those hands will get you spotted fairly fast as a possible counter, even if it's just luck on your part.

Kevin Lewis Nov-07-2020

Hilarious

Long long ago, I was playing at a now-nonexistent Strip casino I called the Slipping Silver. I was counting and spreading a modest $5-25. Two tourists were at my table, one on each side of me. They were betting $100-300, varying their bets based on, I don't know, the movement of the ice cubes in their drinks. We were all winning heavily. The pit boss eventually told them they couldn't play any more, but left me alone--even though I was the only one who was counting. Drunk guys betting large amounts are great cover.

Pat Higgins Nov-07-2020

Big Tex

Liked the QOTD on bring backed off at BJ for card counting   Just wondering about craps with all the so called “dice controllers” and the various web sites by so called “craps experts “ what if anything are the casinos doing to back people off.  Just wondering.  Might be interesting.

Jerry Patey Nov-07-2020

Card counting.

They count cards too. What tips them off is you increase your bet as high card numbers increase. Basically the bet change gets their attention. The MIT team were successful because they had spotters playing at the tables. They could signal for the high card count. Therefore you could go in to the table and bet high and it would not draw attention. The MIT teams were not caught counting cards. On was an idiot and actually had copy of his contract and they got their hands on it. Contrary to narrative the team did continue and won 4-5 million. Good story.

rokgpsman Nov-07-2020

No tracking advantage in craps

@Pat
From what I've seen at craps players don't get backed-off for increasing bets, in fact the casino likes it. The roll of the dice is truly unpredictable, it isn't affected by previous rolls so there's no way a player can get into a more positive situation like you can in blackjack by keeping track of the cards that get removed from the deck as the game is played. The casino knows that craps will take in more money than it pays out to the few players that win. They let the dice-setters fiddle with the dice as long as it doesn't holdup the game. If setting the dice a special way makes a player feel like he has a better chance of winning (it doesn't) the casino is ok with that since it encourages a player to play longer. With that said, there are smarter plays in craps like betting the free odds behind the passline and staying away from the longshot bets in front of the stickman even though they are exciting when they hit. Casinos don't worry about craps players getting an advantage.

Question of the Day - 07 November 2020

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