Social Engineering

As you probably have gathered thus far, card counters are not wanted in a casino. There are a number of behavioral characteristics which have been attributed to the 'typical' card counter. Probably the most obvious act of a counter is a large increase in bet size. If you recall in the Card Counting section, when the deck is favorable, you bet more. When the deck is unfavorable, you bet less. Dr. Thorp's original system required a variation in bet size from one to ten units. When the deck is favorable the system may dictate that you go from a ten dollar bet to a hundred dollar bet. Kind of gets the attention of the dealer and the pit boss.

However, this type of wild wagering is typical of big money hunch bettors. Hunch betters will just plop down a bunch of chips at random due to 'hunches'. Therefore, a large increase in bet size won't necessarily cause you to be pegged as a counter. Intense concentration, never taking your eyes off the cards, lack of emotion... ie, playing like a computer, is pretty much a give away that you are counting.

Other things such as 'acting suspicious', meticulously stacking your chips, betting in discernable patterns, and a devout abstention from alcohol may also attract unwanted attention.

So what if a casino thinks you are counter? To be honest, there have probably been less than 1000 people who have been permanently barred from play (ie, they have their mugs in the black book). A far greater number have been asked to leave but were not prevented from returning in the future. Tipping the dealer may not necessarily get the casino off your back, but it certainly doesn't hurt. When you toke the dealer, place the chip in the corner of your betting box a few inches from your bet. You may want to say "we are in this one together" or some such to make sure they are aware of the tip. This approach is better than just giving them the chip because their 'fate' is tied in with yours.