C-A-R-D-S! TEN-SHUN!
COUNT OFF!
13 June 2005
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
I have a couple questions regarding cards on a
blackjack game. When the decks are placed on a
game, do pit bosses check them beforehand to see
if they are all there? I'm always afraid that
some of the aces will be missing. Do they check
them when they come off the game? Also, when a
pit boss changes decks, why does he replace a
red deck with a blue one? David A.
You betcha they check 'em before they spread 'em.
The Blank would really hit the fan if the Gaming
Commission were to come in unannounced (as they
do), randomly pull a deck off a game (which they
do), and find cards missing. BIG WHOPPING NO-NO.
Before cards ever touch the green felt, a games
supervisor inventories them, making darn sure he
didn't make the mistake of leaving an ace or
king in the box. Yep, David, it can happen,
especially when a pit boss hustles a new deck on
the game. Because cards come in a collated
order, certain cards (generally an Ace of spades
and King of hearts) could be left sticking to
the two jokers. Though uncommon, it does occur.
It behooves all players that anytime a new deck
is spread, to make sure
all the cards are introduced into the game. You
need those aces for your blackjacks. Of course,
your question shows you knew that.
Next, the pit boss skims through the entire
deck, making sure every card is there, and then
checks the backs looking for manufacturing
defects like discoloration and uneven borders.
Upon completing that inspection, the pit boss
will spread the deck on the insurance line, so
the dealer can double check the amount and
quality of cards introduced.
Once playing cards are removed from the table
they are always counted to make sure fifty-two
cards are coming off the game. Some casinos
require that you also count down the aces
separately, since a crossroader would most
likely remove an ace. One casino I worked in had
dealers sort the cards and reconstruct them into
the order they were in when they came out of the
box every time we left the game. The dealer
coming in replacing me brought in his or her own
cards. I got so fast at whizzing them into order
that it took me less than a minute. You do it
expeditiously because the routine was eating
into your sacrosanct 20-minute break. Try that
at home.
The final step in the inventory process involves
writing some information on the inside flap of
the box. The information that is
usually required is: the date, the table number,
dealer on the game, the time the cards were
taken off of the game, and the pit boss's
initials. If there ever is a dispute on the
game, that documentation, along with "rolling
the tape", goes a long way in resolving it and –
maybe -- pinning a card cheat.
When replacing decks on a live game, there
generally isn't a choice of which color to use.
Though not all casinos use cards that have blue
and red backings, you do replace decks with the
alternate color the casino uses in order to
nullify any attempt by a charlatan to hold out
cards from the old deck.
Gambling quote of the week: "There are people
whose sole job is to design casinos, from the
carpet colors to the type of lights to the
slot-chair upholstery. The mission is always the
same --seduce the player into leaving his
previous life behind, abandoning whatever
constraints his real life imposes, trick him
into gladly and happily shoveling his money into
casino vaults." --Barry Meadow
|
