Casinos & Card Counters: Using a Vice to Squeeze a Pimple
By Jeff Murphy

During my casino career dating back almost 15 years now (still fledgling by most accounts, but continuing to grow), I've developed and transitioned, yet never as much as during the past five years. With this transition has come much reflection and re-evaluation hopefully leading to greater gaming maturity and an overall heightened value toward my worth in the gaming business. Personal growth is extremely important especially for casino leaders, so I always welcome transitions toward development. Not only do I want to be my best, I also want my staff to grow properly without misdirection. In essence my interpretations become extremely important because they can affect larger groups of tomorrows leaders, a responsibility that should never be taken lightly by any casino professional.

Who amongst us haven't been influenced by our predecessors? Think back to the beginning of your career; there have most definitely been influences that have assisted the creation of your beliefs and management style. This is common and happens within every aspect of life. We try to take the best from those we respect and build upon the basics we've acquired. But what happens when a realization surfaces that our predecessors may have been wrong?

Dr. Edward Thorp speaks to gaming professionals at the 2008 World Game Protection Conference held at the Paris in Las Vegas.

I've come to realize I've made a mistake. In fact, the entire casino industry has made a mistake. The main topic of our mistake concerns card counting. My thoughts of card counting were stapled firmly in place at a gaming conference during a presentation by Dr. Edward Thorp. As the "Father of Card Counting" Dr.Thorp indirectly created my career as well as a few other gaming professionals to be sure. I entered the business at a time when massive professional card count teams were dominating the casino asset protection scene. Casino reactions or over reactions were standard protocol.

I'll be the first to admit, card counting provided an extremely exciting time within the casino industry. For me personally card counting was influential, as recognizing and catching card counters was a strong suit, instrumental toward my success. Over the years, as I've grown and become more advanced as a professional card counter so have my thoughts regarding the matter. Where the overall glitz of card counting created an enormous excitement previously, it steadily and rightfully has transitioned toward making informed business decisions in the best interest of gaming. This leads to the proposed question. What's the big, hairy deal with card counting?

We shouldn't be thinking the same way we did forty, twenty, ten or even five years ago, or we'll miss golden opportunities. Opportunities we may have been missing for a prolonged period of time with each year's passing simply grow larger. It's time to stop the madness and let card counters into our casinos with open arms!

I imagine some readers are probably thinking I have a severe drinking problem, but let me explain:

I'm not stating I believe the reactions provided toward card counting were totally mistakes in the day. Restrictive or reactionary rules may have had there value at a time when our industry was in need of some quick catch up work while becoming knowledgeable regarding the subject of card counting. Every casino manager wants to protect his or her casino without splattering egg all over his/her face. This is understandable. The problem is casinos haven't grown much over this elongated time period regarding the topic. Dr. Thorp's book, Beat the Dealer was published in 1962, over 46 years ago. Today in 2008, Casinos still don't have a firm grasp regarding how to properly handle card counting. What's the debate? What's the problem? For Pete's sake how much time does it take to figure these things out?

I'm not belittling card counting. In fact, it's more important than ever casinos really understand it. Card Counting should be a corner stone, must have skill to effectively monitor blackjack. If an advanced team infiltrates a gaming pit to consummate a potentially large advantage it is completely within a casino's best interest to take intelligent action. Decisions of this magnitude can only be successfully made utilizing a full and total understanding of the topic of card counting. Where casinos still make error today is treating the overall topic of card counting in a black and white manner without fully understanding its complexity and the necessary resolve toward handling card counting in a flexible assessing fashion. It is long past overdo, casinos must understand card counting completely. It's easy to state you know card counting, but to understand its detractions as well as its benefits is a completely different story. In that realm, most of us have failed miserably for decades.

In the past, I have written about asset creation as oppose to asset protection as there is strong merit toward quality review of our casinos' past thought processes with progressive recreations or eliminations of rules that hinder current gaming operations in favor of creating rules structured toward promoting our current gaming genre. Although I've lightly touched on the aspect of card counting views needing altering in the past, it wasn't until recently I was able to properly elaborate upon my views. Dr. Thorp secured my overall thoughts perfectly by stating (in concept) the casino industry made card counting a problematic issue rather than a positive marketing opportunity. I couldn't agree more. Dr. Thorp's one simplistic statement wrapped up five years of my torment regarding how to state this equally simplistic thought.

Rules should not be in place to ward off potential card counters from today's blackjack tables as the percentage of true professional caliber card counters are few. There are tens of thousands of players thinking they are card counters; lacking toplevel skills, posing no threats to casinos. We honestly shouldn't bat an eyelash toward these players in a reactionary sense. Realistically, a vast majority of players know the general rules and possess an understanding that there are systems out there but just want to play. There are also countless other players that don't even know the game's basic principles. Why would any casino implement "counter" action techniques if the threats of potential risks from card counting are significantly low from the start?

Large cuts, no mid shoe entries, strict rules, early shuffles, over-reactions, back-offs, barring, mishandlings of situations, lawsuits - who do they hurt? They hurt the casino. My current casino operation is the lower end of mid-sized with a yearly guest head count of about 1.5 million. Over a three-year period, we've had roughly 5 million guests enter our doors. Over that same period, we've had extended observation of 44 players, business issue with 24 players and about half of those were assessed as true professional caliber card counters. 5 million guests minus 12 potential threats equal 4,999,988. That's .00024% of our overall guests. Sure larger casino venues may see a higher volume of card counters, but at that same time, it would stand to reason their headcounts are much larger to boot. Is there any casino in the country or world that would let .00024% of its players dictate the way a casino operation is run? (As of this moment if folks reflected honestly, the answer would probably be yes.) After an asset creation review toward the matter is completed though, I would hope casinos would reevaluate rules and standards gearing the game of blackjack toward the dominating 99.99976% of the casino's guest population.

Is card counting an issue? Has it ever been? Maybe, but not nearly to the degree it's been stated. Card counting certainly isn't the devil reincarnated as the casino industry has suggested.

The evil lies within how we've utilized the information and our knowledge. Casinos are in dire need of strong card count training programs instituted for all staff members making decisions regarding a player's fate and/or for those staff members actually handling situations with card counters. Poor decisions regarding stringent rules, backing off and improper handling of players not only hurt and affect the players, they kill the casino. Card counting is not a problem. How we choose to handle card counting can be very problematic.

Occasionally we hear about a player bringing a suit against a casino regarding the issue of card counting. Most often, this involves the manner the situation was handled. Card counters are not a security liability and should never be approached by security forces. For the few players actually possessing card count skills of the highest level, a respectful business conversation, an agreement of understanding and a hand shake will most often ward off the potential problem of card counting. Recognizing card counting alone creates enough distraction for the player to end the action or alter play enough to throw the advantage. Both sides can part respectfully, with no harm, no foul for either the player or the casino. Card counting is essentially a cat and mouse game, but in more of a cartoon "Tom and Jerry" fashion. Casinos and card counters will play a bit, avoid, scurry and sometimes catch; waving to each other upon parting until another day. We'd never want to eat the mouse. That would be awful! Simply put we need each other. The thought of beating the casino creates more players. Card counters provide the stimulus toward creating more play simply by demonstrating a little success and sharing these accomplishments with others.

The recent hit movie featuring card counting entitled "21" is based upon the MIT Card Count Team's excursions and the book, Bring Down the House by Ben Mezrich. This script turned big screen productions creates public display toward gaming, helping casinos as oppose to hurting them. I watched the movie with hope it would generate "stimulate" more casino play. Casinos could only be so lucky to have millions of viewers get the "novel idea" of attempting to break our banks. I say bring it and deal with it!

I have recently heard rumor that a card count team estimated at well over 100 members is stepping into the mix based out of the state of Washington. Apparently this team is involved with making a reality television show about their experiences as a card count team. I would bet there is some real truth to the rumor as I have seen a significant rise in card count activity on the west coast. If the rumors are true is it a bad thing? Not from where I stand. I have a keen table game staff, a Cracker Jack surveillance team and low limits covering my back. I believe in the expertise of our staff to the point we've been running 2 to 1 blackjack promotions; opening up our game to a slew of potential problems regarding card counters. The point is I'm not running this operation based upon the potential threat of card counting. We've taken the time to truly understand the topic (remember card counters make up only .00024% of our gaming population). The difference for us is we can proactively handle the situation rather than just react blindly or based upon a fear of card counting. We are fully prepared. Our primary goal is to build business. If their television show generates more play for casinos and helps us build the business, I think it's brilliant. Free prime-time marketing that tells people to play at the casino works just fine for me.

Be smart, train well, and don't "count" your chickens before they hatch, stop overreacting and create opportunities for casinos by reevaluating the true threat of card counters. In other words, cultivate instead of procrastinate while accepting card counting's larger influence which is opportunity.

Card counting is not criminal. It's not even a significant problem. Let's take our hats off to the true artists of card counting who don't delve into any actions that could be deemed criminal. Your efforts and talents are valued and respected by casinos everywhere.

Are you thinking this is outside the box and might be too extreme or progressive a thought? After more than forty years, progressive seems difficult to swallow. Evaluate your casino operation, look at the numbers, and compare the actual problem of card counting verse the casino's perception/reaction to topic of card counting.

A couple of years from now, who knows all of us may see the first billboard reading……… CARD COUNTERS WELCOME.