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Blackjack Insider Newsletter, June 2004, #53

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Myself, along with several other gaming experts, will be interviewed for a show about fairly common moral dilemmas that casino players often face. We'd like BJI readers to take a moment and complete this anonymous survey of 22 yes/no questions. When you are done, click the 'Submit' button at the bottom, and your answers will be added to our database (no personal information, including e-mail address, is recorded or kept).

PREMISE: Moral dilemmas are presented to a panel of gaming experts and to the public who then vote whether certain actions are right or wrong. FORMAT: A question is asked about a certain situation as that situation is shown on the screen. Then the results of our survey are given for that question to see how most people would handle the dilemma. Next an expert is asked to give his opinion. Realizing that most people would do pretty much anything to beat the casinos, the main purpose of the expert is to explain how cheating affects players at the table, and more importantly, what rules are simply the casinos’ rules of the games, and what rules and procedures are dictated by the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Survery is now closed

1. SITUATION: If you could cheat the casino, without risk of being caught, would you do it?
   Yes
   No

2. SITUATION: You have credit at a casino. You’ve won that night.
   DILEMMA: Is it right to keep the money until payment is due in several weeks so that you can get the interest on it in your bank? (This is called “walking with the chips.”)
   Yes
   No

3. SITUATION: A blackjack dealer is flashing his hole card, giving you a distinct advantage.
   DILEMMA: Should you continue to play and use the information or inform the dealer? (Legally it has already been determined that it is up to the casino to prevent dealers from making such mistakes.)
   Yes
   No

   FOLLOW UP QUESTION: Is it right to inform your friend of what the hole card is? (As a rule, casinos do not permit players to help each other even though it is a rule that is not strictly enforced.)
   Yes
   No

4. SITUATION: You notice that a blackjack dealer is flashing his hole card to another player. If you follow that player’s lead, you too have an advantage in the game.
   DILEMMA: Would you continue to play?
   Yes
   No

5. SITUATION: A blackjack dealer who is tracking the count of the cards, knows that on the next round, the cards that are left in the shoe will give the players an edge.
   DILEMMA: Is it right for the dealer to shuffle the decks and take away the players’ edges? (This is called “preferential shuffling.”)
   Yes
   No

   FOLLOW UP QUESTION: Is it all right for a player to join a blackjack game after they know that the cards remaining in the deck favor the player? (Most casinos will not allow players to join the game mid-shoe.)
   Yes
   No

6. SITUATION: Not shuffling the decks until late in the game is an advantage to the players who have the ability to track the cards played (Card counters). A dealer makes it known that he will go deeper into the decks, if the players are willing to tip him.
   DILEMMA: Is it right for the player to tip the dealer?
   Yes
   No

7. SITUATION: A slot machine is obviously malfunctioning and paying out even on losing sequences.
   DILEMMA: Is it right to continue to play that machine?
   Yes
   No

8. SITUATION: The casino is crowded. You want to be comfortable. A spot opens next to you.
   DILEMMA: Is it okay to play two hands to discourage people from sitting down?
   Yes
   No

9. SITUATION: A dealer is clearly cheating by colluding with another player. Their cheating appears to have no effect on your game.
   DILEMMA: Should you continue to play?
   Yes
   No

10. SITUATION: You’re playing blackjack and you suspect another player of adding to his bet when the dealer isn’t looking?
    DILEMMA: Should you inform the casino?
    Yes
    No

    FOLLOW UP QUESTION: Should you tell the pit boss if you suspect another player of cheating?
    Yes
    No

11. SITUATION: Your friend is going to Vegas and suggests she could use your player’s card in her machine so you can get extra slot-club points on her play.
    DILEMMA: Would you allow her to do it?
    Yes
    No

12. SITUATION: A friend at home gave you five dollars to bet for him in Las Vegas. You do what he asked and the bet pays off big!
    DILEMMA: Would you take the money home to your friend?
    Yes
    No

    FOLLOWUP QUESTION: Would you play a different five dollars for your friend?
    Yes
    No

13. SITUATION: A poker player is accidentally letting you see his cards as you play.
    DILEMMA: Would you inform him that you can see his hand?
    Yes
    No

14. SITUATION: You have found several large-denomination chips on the floor of the casino.
    DILEMMA: Would you keep them?
    Yes
    No

15. SITUATION: The casino has given you a comped room that you don’t need.
    DILEMMA: Is it okay to give your comped room to a friend?
    Yes
    No

16. SITUATION: A friend of a friend of a friend, tells you to play a certain roulette wheel at a casino and bet a particular section because the wheel is biased.
    DILEMMA: Would you play those numbers on that machine?
    Yes
    No

17. SITUATION: You see a player leave a slot machine but it still has credits on it.
    DILEMMA: Do you tell the player?
    Yes
    No

    FOLLOWUP QUESTION: Do you simply wait until he’s gone and cash out the credits for yourself?
    Yes
    No

18. SITUATION: In craps, a dealer forgets to remove your losing bet from the layout.
    DILEMMA: Is it okay to say nothing and let it ride?
    Yes
    No

    FOLLOW UP: Would you admit to cheating if the pit boss approached you and indicated that you were trying to cheat?
    Yes
    No

19. SITUATION: A stranger approaches you with a large number of chips from a prominent casino. The person says he needs to run to catch a plane and doesn’t have time to cash in the chips. He’s willing to sell them to you for 50 cents on the dollar.
    DILEMMA: Is it okay to buy the bargain chips?
    Yes
    No

20. SITUATION: You’re at a blackjack game when a novice blackjack player is about to make a really stupid play that will surely result in a busted hand.
    DILEMMA: Do you tell him he’s making a mistake?
    Yes
    No

21. SITUATION: You’ve learned a technique of dice throwing which will give you an edge over the game but might make the casino bosses angry.
    DILEMMA: Do you use it?
    Yes
    No

22. Should a casino be allowed to throw a player out because he’s legally figured out a way to beat the game?
    Yes
    No

Survery is now closed

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