Dealing with lookie loos

Scenario 1 - you buy yourself a drink....sit at your favorite machine ...and as soon as you start playing - a lookie loo will plant themself just behind you and watch you play...

Scenario 2 - table game - onlooker trying to peep at cards - making comments, teaching their friends using the cards dealt to you....

Scenario 3 - Lady leaves a machine - you start playing and she just "hangs around" to see if you win the money she lost ...

Does this happen to you .... does this bother you.... or am I making too much out of it ....?

 

Can't comment on scenario 2 but I don't mind that much if they're looking as long as they keep their distance and make theirselves invisible. If they are standing too close or directly behind me, it makes me really uncomfortable. I suppose it's the psychological aspect of feeling that the person is looking at you rather than the machine itself. Kind of like if you were in a bus or train or whatever with just one passanger, you wouldn't turn your back to him cause it makes you feel vulnerable. If that makes any sense.

 

Do the hookers at the Rio count as looky loos?

The one time I stayed at the Rio it was as a CET comped room. And I thought I'd giver them some play so was playing VP. I was playing VP at 5AM the morning after I checked in and was tapped on the shoulder -- I thought it was a cocktail waitress but it was a hooker...that evening a hooker sat down at the VP machine next to me and started talking to me about each hand I got...and later a gay hooker did the same deal of sitting at the machine next to me but not playing.....WTF?

 

None of those would bother me much, assuming #2 is at a game where the cards are dealt face up, like BJ. People do that at craps tables all the time, point out who's betting what and why.

I don't get a lot of looky loos, but it hasn't really bothered me, I just give them a once over to judge whether they have some angle or not. If not, I ignore them.

I'll stalk a machine I want to play, but I do it from a distance. First I check to see how many credits the player has so I can determine whether to wait it out or come back later. I also load up my own machine, so if someone's doing the same thing with me, they'll know I'm not going anywhere anytime soon.

 

You forgot #4 Player sitting next to you is losing or runs out of money, you are hitting bonuses or getting good line plays, they stare at your bonus round or want to engage in conversation while your playing. Their conversation of course is about how they are not hitting anything. The next line is usually "You appear to winning a lot, making a lot of money today?" or "Do you want to know where a hot machine is?". These are both meant for said person to try to extract money from you.

 

#2 would bother me quite a bit especially if I was playing LIR or 3 CP. Blackjack with the cards up would be easier to take but any vocal criticism about me hitting or standing would result in my saying something like "If you can play better, sit down and use your own money"!

 

#2 doesn't bother me at all. As long as they are keeping to themselves and not interacting with me that's fine. For #1, when that happens I simply stop playing the machine and sit in front of it for a noticeable amount of time between spins. The person either gets the hint and moves on or gets bored and moves on.

 

My theory is that the "looky loos" fit into one of three categories. 1) casino newbies who are harmless but annoying in general 2) creepy drunks who have no clue and are mostly harmless 3) people who have blown their bankroll and have nothing else to do but live through watching others play.
I don't usually have many of these folks. But, as long as they don't talke to me and I can't feel/smell their breath, I normally just ignore them.

 

Does not bother me at all. I do chuckle when someone leaves a slot and i immediately win on it though. If they were curious enough to stay and watch for a a few mins then they should have put more money in it!

 

The looky loos that really bother me come in the form of "cooler" friends. I have one friend who I absolutely hate to be in the casino with. She doesn't gamble much and I swear she has a black cloud over her head. I can be doing really well on a machine when she suddenly appears, hangs over the back of my seat giving a running commentary and the money just disappears. I'll suggest she sit down, but she doesn't take the hint. She no longer travels to Vegas with me unless it is a group of friends (like our upcoming trip in May when she is coming).

Hubby can be a bit of a cooler too but that is easily remedied. I hand him some money and tell him to play......somewhere else

 

None of these bother me, but can I add #4 sad sack loser who is mad you are winning. Just had this last weekend, playing UTH "of course he has high cards, I get nothing." Dude I am not playing against you... STFU

 

None of what you described bothers me. The only thing that does both me is when a stranger (usually drunk) is trying to talk to me throughout the game I am playing. I had this happen last month at CP. I was playing craps and he came up and asked how hot the table was. I gave him my usual snarky response (its room temperature) because I have always thought that was a dumb question. But I smiled while being snarky and the guy seemed to like my response. So he stood there, next to me, for the next 45 minutes, asking non-stop questions about what had just happened at the table and how I was doing on my sports bets. He kept patting me on the back and acting like we were best friends. I tried to give every body signal I could that I didn't want him slapping my back and I didn't respond to half his comments/questions. Finally, after 45 minutes of this, I colored up and left. He never once made a bet. And as I left, I saw he turned his attention to the woman on the other side of him and started chatting her up too. Sigh

 

None of that bothers me. If you can't smell the person, I don't get the rub?

 

Yes! I have to deal with the cooler friends too. The thing is, mine seem to be oblivious to it! Whenever I walk up to a friend playing, if i see they are not doing well, I stick around. If their luck turns, I'll stay and asked to be excused hahah! If they are doing well, sometimes I don't even stop by, if I do and they catch a bad hand or two, I say, "sorry, leaving." Thing is, I never ask how it's going or anything. I don't talk unless spoken to. Now if I could incorporate that into my marriage, my wife would probably love it.

 

None of the scenarios bother me at all.......... It will bother me when anyone tries to panhandle for cash in any type of situation

 

#5 - after a decent win on a slot and especially a JP - "you done playing that?"

 

My favorite is scenario#3 and nothing more than hitting something as she looks on so I can turn to her and make a remark like, " I guess you left a little early!" That storm away is priceless!!

 

1 - as a woman who, like someone mentioned below, usually likes to play by herself - I will first
look to see if it is a creepy person that makes me uncomfortable- if it is I will hit the service
button while I'm playing and when they come ask them to either get security for me or just
flat tell the person to move on - if it is not a creepy type person - ignore them.
2 - If they are really trying to look at your cards and it bothers you - tell the dealer or pit boss - they
will tell them to move along. If not - just ignore them.
3 - Same as 1 and 2 - if they are a real problem tell someone - if not - ignore them.

If you are a player - the Casinos like you and want you happy. If you need them to - they
will get rid of someone that is really bothering you. If they aren't really creepy or trying to steal
from you - just ignore them. They are probably harmless newbies, drunks, or idiots.

 

#2 sometimes bothers me. I will usually ask the guy (usually is a guy) that he should sit down and play and show his friends how it is done. I hate these "backseat" players who try to show how "experienced" they are by using you as an example. I usually tell them to sit down and play or STFU and move on. Usually they move on because they don't have the money or the balls to actually play and show how it is done.

I experienced #1 before. Guy just sat down next to me and watched me play. He took great joy that I won some. I think he was expecting a handout or something so I ignored him. Was kind of creeping me out. After a few minutes I pressed the "call" button and asked the waitress if they could call security because I felt uncomfortable that this guy was hanging around me. He left not long after.

I've seen #3 before also. Some people get off a machine (after losing) and they stick around to see if the next guy has any luck with the machine. They then cuss themself for leaving the machine (if the next player wins) or smile that the next player has the same luck on the machine.

 

Or...a fourth category, the scammer looking to separate you from your money...