Casino mistakes that were NOT in your favor

Seeing the thread about mistakes in your favor makes me think of one of my most memorable experiences in the opposite category. A mistake made in the house's favor.

This was in the Mirage, probably around 2005. I used to go there mid morning to play the $25 double deck, DAS, with of course 3:2 BJ, on the blackjack tables. I'd get a comp breakfast for 2 ticket after just over 90 minutes of play.

I had my least favorite hand, 88 against a dealers face card. Of course I split them (a defensive split, pretty much by the book). I don't know what I had on the first hand, it either busted or lost, but I had a 19 on the second hand. The dealer had 18. He picked up all the chips on my side of the table, as nearly everyone had lost.

$25 a hand minimum was a little over my comfort level back then, and I was trying to disguise my card counting, so I was probably not very relaxed while playing. As such, I wasn't 100% sure (probably 85%) that he had made a mistake on my winning hand.

As the dealer quickly started dealing the next hand, I put my hand up. "Wait! I had a 19 on that hand, and I think you didn't pay me". His words, and more his demeanor, tone, and attitude still ring in my head to his day. "If you won, I paid you!". I feared looking pretty stupid if I was wrong, but I didn't back down. "No, I am pretty sure you didn't pay me.". Again, a stern reply, "If you won, I paid you". I said, "everyone makes mistakes once in a while, couldn't you have made one there?" "If you won. I paid you!", again, said in a condescending, confrontational way. No other words came out of his mouth. I was calm and polite in my manner with him, and a little bit unsure. Three of the others at the table got up and left, probably annoyed at the situation, but not one person spoke up, either for me or against me.

Finally the pit boss came over. I explained the situation. He said he would call upstairs to have them play back the tape. I was dreading how I would feel if I was wrong. The game went on while they reviewed things upstairs.

About 5-10 minutes later, the pit boss approached the dealer and told him to pay me, he had made a mistake and not paid me on my winning hand, just like I had said. Vindication!

I looked at the dealer, and he wouldn't make eye contact. "No apology?", I asked. He then looked up and gave me a look that could have killed. I actually feared a bit for my safety, and left the table shortly after that.

I made a bit of a comment to the pit boss away from the table, but thinking back, I should have done more, and described in detail this situation. Hopefully this mistake went on his record at least, and if it was a pattern, maybe he would have been guided to a new career.

It certainly was one, if not the most, negative casino moments that I can remember.

 

As far as I know, the only ones where I was unable to get paid after calling them on the error have been at the crap-table.
Once, it was with a $5 hard-6.
I had $5 each on the hard 6 & 8... 8-easy came up... very next roll was 3-3. As I waited to be paid, & it didn't happen, I called out, "Whoa...wait a second - what about my $5 hard-6?"
'You don't have a hard-6, sir'
Me: "I sure as hell did!" I placed it at the same time as my $5 hard-8"
Box: "You had a $10 hard-8 and it went down"
I knew I couldn't prove it, and I suspect that they actually did put my two red chips on the hard-8, but my call-out was "6 & 8 hard", as I tossed them my two red-chips.
Live & learn.
I now state each bet separately: "$5 hard-8, $5 hard-6"

 

Several years ago a new Indian casino opened near my house. I stopped in to sign up for the players club and play a bit. I had about $60 in a $1 slot machine and hit a small jackpot, seems like it was 3-$400. The machine immediately locked up and went dark. They ruled it a malfunction and didn't pay me the win, while disappointing it was accepted as a malfunction and I didn't fight it. However they also denied me my 60 dollars I had in the machine that was MY money. They flat refused to pay it to me. I asked for them to review camera footage or look into it and they called security instead and I was forced to leave. It took me several years before I went back.

 

I was in Tunica a few years back and was up $1,050. I took the last $50 and wanted to place it on 2 and 12 for one roll. I said exactly precisely that, word for word.

The dealer looks at me and says, "huh?" I repeat it. Has her mouth half open, practically drooling, almost sound asleep. "Huh?" I repeat it AGAIN. "Huh?"

And...the motherfucker rolls boxcars. I plead with all the dealers, the pit boss, everybody. No one claims to have heard me.

I guess that was $750 by the boards, huh?

 

I was playing craps and had like a $18 placed 8. The table was busy so when the 8 came up, I patiently waited to be paid. Shooters about to roll and I don’t get any money, so I say... “can I get the money from the 8 I placed?” I get a response “sir we already paid you”. Now I’m pretty pissed bc I’ve been waiting patiently and now he’s not paying whatsoever. We go back and forth a few times when the guy standing next to me goes “oh that’s where this extra money came from!” And pushes $21 over to me from his rack. I just glared at him and he left a few rolls later. He was drinking so not sure if it was a mistake but his demeanor looked like he knew he was in the wrong and wanted to rectify before eye in the sky got involved.

 

This always worries me at the craps table, specifically with newer employees. I can easily spot mistakes being made when I have a standard 52 across. But when I start pressing bets by a unit, and I have a 126 dollar 8 i get nervous. If the stick is having trouble with a 36 dollar 8 payout, you KNOW they have no clue what they should be paying on 126 dollar payout!

 

This was not in Vegas but in a local casino in Ontario. Was playing Ultimate Texas Holdem and betting $10 on everything. When I first sat down I was pressing the bonus button they had in front of me. The snarky dealer said I had to pay to play that. I said okay and threw him a $5 chip. On the 3rd hand I press the button twice to make sure I got in. The dealer press his button and looked at me and said "you are not in the hand". I said but I want to play. He said "aw what does it matter" and gave us the cards. I looked down at 10 10. I raise it 3x and he said I can go 4x so I did. Flop 10 10 3. Yes quads. I looked in awe and knew I got screwed. Dealer flipped over my cards and the table went oh no. I got $350 from the quads but lost out on the extra $500 win.

The dealer than said to me "what does it matter its only $500, try losing $8,000 betting football". I got up and left. That night I wrote an email to the casino. After a couple of back and forth emails, they said they would call me. I got the call the next day at 9 pm. Spoke to the manager on duty and he said he knew the dealer I was referring too. After a discussion of 30 mins. he offer me a $25 food voucher. I politely decline and will never step foot in that casino again.

 

years ago, just started playing BJ. we were at Harrah's party pit table. I had 5/6 cards for 21. Dealer had 20 .Everyone else lost, dealer sweeps the table clear of chips and cards. I look over at my husband confused i had 21 didn't I? he gets dealers attention, they spread the cards. Sure enough I won, get paid and the dealer profusely apologized.

 

Why would you go back?

 

Was playing craps the orleans, nothing bug just the $5 tables.

Cashed out and only had one black chip. The box man tossed it to me and in my drunkensess I missed it and it hit the ground.

Ok, now it sjust one black chip but its still $100 so i am not going to just say screw it. Looked around, I know it hit my foot so should be right there, Looked, looked, looked. all right now, the place is pretty much empty so I know the damn thing is here someplace but what am I going to do? Rat the guy out because I am too uncoordinated to catch something thrown from 4 feet away?

Must have search everywhere for about 45 minutes until I saw my brother walking around in the far side of all the tables. Told him what happened and about 30 seconds later he found it, Way on the other side of the pit. Felt like a complete idiot,

 

On my first or second trip to mecca I walked up to a craps table at what was then the Las Vegas Hilton. At this point in time my gambling budget was somewhere in the neighborhood of $40 / day. I had zero clue of what I was doing and put $5 on the pass line. Very possible that a point had already been established. The point was made and the dealer refused to pay me claiming I had bet too late. I was at that point in my life too intimidated and too ignorant to do anything other than leave the table in a huff.

I then walked to an adjacent table and almost immediately received a $5 payoff for a bet that I did not make. I don't know if this was a result of a pit critter making things right or the gambling gods apologizing for their indiscretion.

 

At Cromwell a few years back, I stumble in drunk and throw $220 in $20’s on Craps table.

Dealers slide $180 in chips to me. I said I gave y’all $220.

No sir, it was $180.

Now I’m drunk as shit.....so I say, guys I know I’m hammered but I’m fairly certain I dropped 11 $20 bills on this table.

After about 15 minutes of playing/asking them to review the tape....guy taps me on the shoulder....

“Sir I apologize. Bob pay this man $40.”



The next instance was at Harrah’s Cherokee. 7 out on the Craps table and all bets go down. Again I’m pretty damn drunk (common theme for Earl) and I say hey I had a Dont come bet! Now I’m a loooooow roller. And I had like a $20 DC with 2X odds which is insane high for me.

20 minutes later after reviewing tape I got my money.



Last story, I’m at Longhorn in Vegas. I have 9 and 8 at blackjack. I stand. Dealer gives me a card.....ummmmm?????

Well it’s a 4. He says, uhhh sorry I thought you said hit. Let’s just pretend you said hit.

Ok whatever. $2 blackjack game hahaha. Who cares. Guy next to me has J 6. He hits. Busts.

It looked like he was gambling his last $10 so I have him my winnings. That was a strange one.

 

If you called the bet that way, I can understand the dealer confusion. They are used to hearing, "$50 hi/lo". Thay would have known exactly what you wanted.

I get the same reaction when I ask for a "horn, high three". Seems simple enough, but they are just used to hearing, "horn, high ace deuce".

 

It took me several years before I did. They have an amazing crab leg buffet for a great price and solid VP options. I’m a degenerate, and sometimes do degenerate things...

 

CRAPS:
Just in the last few days, during pretty hot runs, had to call out unpaid hard ways that hit around 3 times.
Last day, @MSS, swing shift, a dealer they said was named S**, though that was not what was on his nametag, could not keep track of inside bets coming in,
Player next to me and I would be doing same bets for an hour and he couldn't handle it.
The last straw was when I threw a $2 hardway back up and we had a repetitive debate whether I had really thrown $1 or $2 at him.
Had to leave in frustration half a table rotation after, only +$5 after a pretty brilliant half hour holding the dice.

Another funny incident, had 0.25 left on a vp machine, ticketed out, ticket printed, but threw an out of paper error, put it into the change machine to get my quarter, put a $5 in behind it to get more tip money, machine rejected the 5, said it was going to give me my quarter, didn't. Cal owes me $0.25!

 

Playing craps at Foxwoods, and threw a green chip on a Yo. An 11 is rolled, but the dealers claimed they did not see my bet despite other players at the table backing me up. My uncle and I had some choice words for the dealers, colored up and left.

 

I usually catch most errors unless I have been drinking heavily I am sure I missed a few things. One time I was playing BJ at a local Indian casino and was on a pretty good roll and I think playing 2 hands at $100 each. I remembered I stayed on both hands against a 4 or something. He ended up drawing 3 or 4 more cards and said 21. Swiped em up quickly I said WAIT! You had 22. He fanned em back out properly, got the pit boss, and I got paid. Close if I didn't catch it!

 

Instead of letting the matter die when you got paid, you stir the pot more and then feel that you feared for your safety? Really?? You want to get a dealer fired for making a mistake on a payout... Really?? Have people tried to get you fired when you've made a mistake at work?

 

Last shoe of the night at the Indian casino and the lightning fast dealer comes in, faster than I've ever seen a dealer deal. I think the goal was to chase everyone off the table so they could finish early. I ended up one on one after the 2nd hand, and played through about 4 decks. On the last hand she swept up my chips and cards on my 21 vs 20. I said something right away and the pit boss pulled my 21 back out, nobody apologized. I think I had $30 out there, so $60 swing. That meant I was ahead. I don't care how fast you deal the cards, you don't scare me.

 

Over a lifetime, I've had 3 mistakes happen at the cashier when they were counting out cash. One I was able to correct, another I went back and couldn't successfully argue they had ripped me off $100 (it would probably turn up in their audit), and the final one I had them count it out 3 times and they thought they counted correctly each time until I had to show them that their count didn't match the number of bills.

Once, they counted a handpay incorrectly.

And then there was the one time I received a counterfeit bill from the Tropicana cage in AC. I noticed it an hour later (serial number was rubbed off), and I took it back to the cage. They said it was counterfeit and confiscated it. I said I received it from this cage. Didn't matter, and they made me feel like I was a criminal to boot.

--max