Being a professional card counter isn’t just about learning how to card count and then executing it at the tables. This is merely the first step in being a professional but one of the primary skills of a professional card counter is being able to sense “heat” or unwanted attention from casino personnel. This is not something that can be learnt from a book or trained to a certain extent.
In a way I was fortunate in that I had worked inside casinos as a Croupier and then Inspector and also trainee Pit Boss for nearly nine years. So I had first hand knowledge of what casinos looked for and how they operated. I knew what they tolerated and which things they let go. This is difficult to know on the outside because outsiders do not know what gets discussed behind closed doors.
As a card counter then you need to be “invisible” so to speak. If you find that the casino management are watching you even from afar then this could be an indication that they suspect something. Also when a dealer who has been dealing say 75% of the shoe suddenly starts only dealing 50% then this too could be another indication that they have been told to do so from higher up. Another strong way to detect heat is if the dealer and the Inspector suddenly stop chatting to you and become far more serious. This also could be an indication that something has been said behind your back.
