[SheetWise]

Most floormen believe that they have a handle on the game -- and that they have it under control. Almost all of them are wrong, of course -- so management is redefining the game -- and trying to create a game you can't win with the illusion that you can.

Casino mid-level management is hired on trust, not skill. Trust is valued so much higher than skill, that most managers would let their retarded son manage the floor in favor of a turncoat veteran counter. When you're dealing inside a casino -- the currency is trust, not dollars.

Back to your question. When I was managing the store, I used to negotiate games with counters. I would watch them play, analyze their strategy, watch their reactions to their BB losses, talk to the cage about their credit lines, monitor their out-of-pocket play ... get reports from Central Credit, and eventually apply SWAG methodology to estimate their bankroll. Once I knew that ... I would give them the decks they wanted, the cutoff they wanted, the rules they wanted, and my spread.

Almost all of them were too arrogant, and took the deal. They were good players -- but didn't get the game. They were overbetting their bank by our design -- and when the game turned south -- they abandoned their strategy, and I accomodated them by raising their limits. They chased -- we won.

I've got to admit that while I was inside, I set up a few games where we got beat -- but overall, beating counters is pretty easy.

There's your advantage. If you really understand the game -- don't play cat and mouse with the casino. Go to the shift manager or casino manager and negotiate a private game, with set rules, spread, decks, cutoff, and time they will allow you to play. You renogotiate when the time runs it's course.

It's in your interest to negotiate a $100-$500 game when you know your BR will support 10x that. Go low -- appear to sweat your losses -- and negotiate a good game.

The inside people really think they're smart - they're not going to admit -- even to themselves -- when they're wrong. Use that to your advantage.