Card counting happens. The cherry red casinos know it. It’s technically not illegal, but obviously not something they want to see going down, taking advantage of them and thus hurting their business. So blackjack casinos employ all sorts of security measure to catch counters in the act and/or test them…little tricks that goat players into giving enough away to convince the casinos they’re counting, and fueling them with enough ammunition to ban you from the premises.

So what are these…tells…for lack of a better word? The first one revolves around the dealer. I call it the “wink”, but it could be any subtle facial tick, gesture, bob of the head, anything. A slight, almost instantaneous way for them to convey silently to you that they’re wise to your act. Regardless of whether you’re even doing anything wrong in their eyes, you can’t help but be caught off-guard by it. First, if you are counting, you’ll almost unconsciously start looking around, thinking the dealer accidentally tipped you off. Truth is, the dealer probably doesn’t know anything for sure. If you’ve done well, that’s enough of a suspicion right there to make the play on you. If you react like a guilty man would, they assume you’re guilty. The trick is they force you to give yourself away by your reaction. If you just smile back and take another sip of your drink, you’re probably going to be fine.

Another trick is changing up the shuffle or cut – throwing the blackjack players a curve. Half-shoeing is a popular one. If the player is counting or shuffle tracking, sees the cut and decides it hurts their odds, they may decide to get up and hit another table. Again, self-conviction. Most counters are wise to this, though, and will play the shoe out using minimum bets or close to it, and then leave. This is still too soon, in my opinion, because while it might not be enough to have them pull you aside on the spot, it’s enough for them to keep their eye on you for a while. If that happens, you might as well cash out and hit the restaurants.

Whatever you do, don’t assume the dealer is just making a “mistake.” Casinos like the Venetian don’t make mistakes too often, and while the dealer might be the low person on the totem poll, they’re working for the house the same as anyone else. Always keep your eyes open and play it cool.