Your chips or their chips?

26 May 2015

By Frank Scoblete

FROM ERNEST: I have evolved my knowledge and love of blackjack in a significant part from over the years reading your excellent column. Truth be told, I have guided many a player to your column if they want to be a student of the game. I also enjoy craps and again feel your great articles have played a significant role in my enjoyment of that game. Without a doubt though, blackjack is my game, but over the years, it has been nice to have craps as an enjoyable alternative, especially during the negative blackjack streaks.

My question: On a trip to play at a casino in Louisiana, I had an interesting and educational lesson that really raised many questions for me. Unfortunately, I'm not sure of the lesson learned! I am bilingual in English/Spanish and one such blackjack pit boss knows that. Late, late one evening (actually early morning) the pit boss at the request of security asked (begged) me to help security with a serious issue involving some patrons that spoke only Spanish. I was glad to help so I worked as an interpreter for casino security for an hour or more.

The issue being dealt with by casino security involved basically a patron who stole a slot machine ticket from the machine that another patron was playing. Security was able to catch the person who stole the ticket cashing the ticket (it was a sizable amount) through video security cameras. According to the sheriff's department who was called in by casino security, the thieves (there were at least two scammers working together) were professional at this scam and simply just trolled the casinos looking for victims at slot machines.

Here is my lesson and my questions out of this experience. After all was said and done, the poor innocent slot player who had his slot ticket stolen just flat lost his money he had won at the slot machine! The sheriff and casino security could not take the money away from the thief even though video showed her stealing the ticket and cashing it. The sheriff said the innocent patron could file charges against the thief but that's it!

When playing blackjack or craps or any table game are your playing chips really protected when you leave the table for a quick restroom break and leave the chips at the table? What if you come back to find chips missing or completely gone? What then? Based on the experience I just shared above, I believe a player could be out of luck! Is this so? Based on that one experience where I assisted by interpreting, at least at this particular casino, I fear the answer is not good for the player.

Thank you for any thoughts you may have to share with me and all readers of your column.

FRANK RESPONDS: Even if the dealer or floor person or pit boss tells you to leave your chips on the table, they and the casino are not responsible for them. Someone comes over to steal them and does actually steal them; you are as screwed as the slot player you wrote about. This holds true for all casinos, not just the one you wrote about.

By the way, you should have asked for a comp for a room and a meal since you were so helpful in giving your time. That might sound less than generous but they used your skill to help them. Now they should help you.

I believe you should always take your chips with you. Leave a dollar chip (if you have to reserve a space) but color up and bring the rest with you. Those chips? That’s your money. Someone steals them; they are stealing from you, not the casino. They are cash in a different form.

For your great e-mail I am sending you a copy of my book “The Virgin Kiss” and a copy of my book “I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Blackjack.”

Frank’s new book is “I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Blackjack.” To contact Frank write to fscobe@optonline.net.