Pit boss took dropped card out of play

Last week in Black Hawk, Colorado, a dealt card fell on the floor behind a player in a hand-held game. It took 5-10 seconds for the player to retrieve it. When the pit boss arrived, he took the card out of play. The player then received a new card. It begged the question...what if I intentionally, but covertly, dropped a card that I didn't like and stated, "Uh oh"? What are the chances that I could get a new card?

Don't look for a new AP play from what is an essentially fraudulent act - if it is done on purpose. Casino's can sense a good-faith accidental card drop, and let that one slide.

This is a casino operations' issue, even if you apparently don't think of it as a personal integrity issue, which it will quicly become on both counts.
Ahem.

First of all, a player on a pitch game (where a player gets dealt two face down cards to be "player handled and entrusted") means that player's hole cards do NOT go beyond the table's edge where they can be dropped outside of it, - unless a newbie is getting a break.

Many casino houses and gambling halls will call a "player's fault misdeal" on the hand - which it simply is, and so some other player may give you a rightly deserved "right hook/black eye" if he is also holding a pocket blackjack that was canceled by your deliberate cheating action. Ahem!

The fact that some other player did this innocently, and was given a break on this singe instance - doesn't mean you can start a whole new side-line scheme on casino cheating with this type of scheme or ploy.

This has got to be said very clearly to you and all here, - because the casino operator game protection agents (such as myself, and the site administrator of this site, who is now a mathematical game protection specialist at the Venetian/Las Vegas Sands Corporation) closely monitor this forum. Ahem...

Cheap and obvious cheating shots against bona-fide casino operators now generally now get a "thumbs-down" what-were-you-thinking-with-this type of thing, even when personal integrity does not prevent you from committing or considering such actions.

Quote: glenwiggy

What are the chances that I could get a new card?

Give it a try and find out...

I will say that if you tried a stunt like that where I work that you'd better pick a real stinker hand with a huge bet because you're not going to get to do it more than once. Our floor supervisors don't take very kindly to shot takers, but hey it could be a great way to meet some of the local gaming enforcement folks. They all seem like really nice people to me, but in a situation like you describe your mileage may vary.

Edit: Ninja'd by PaigowDan, Doh!

I'm not sure that I've seen it discussed recently, but I think any card that leaves the area immediately above the felt gets taken out of play. Maybe I'm wrong, though, because when the dice get dropped in Craps superstitious people will start yelling "same dice" and for all I know the house might let them keep playing with them. (But, of course, the dice are serialized, which a card wouldn't be.)

Hmm. That's possibly the best AP move I've seen proposed in a while (and by "best", I mean "least likely to get you arrested"). An easy way to discard a bad card and get a new one. Of course, you couldn't do it to much. It might help to act like you've got a hand tremor ("the shakes") the whole time that you're on the property (like maybe you're an alcoholic or have Parkinson's or something).

I wouldn't do it, but I can't see any reason why it wouldn't work at least once. Interesting idea. Probably illegal but it would be tough to prove you were doing it on purpose (unless, of course, your real name is Glen Wiggy, in which case you've already screwed yourself by publicly talking about it).

EDIT: I was typing this while the previous two replies were being posted. I think that Paigowdan's description of the whole hand being nixed would be a very likely outcome.

The Op said a card fell on the floor ,that doesn`t necessarily mean the player dropped it.Many times the dealer over pitches the card, so you pick it up and the floor examines the card then the game continues. You could probably get away with it once per shift,but cmon you can do better than this.It`s plays like this that makes Pai Gow dan think Ap`s are cheating which this play is.

deleted

When any dealing irregularity occurs, the dealer shall notify the pit supervisor, who shall direct the dealer to take the proper corrective action, and shall observe such action being taken. The pit supervisor, and not the dealer, must make all decisions concerning disputed play. If an irregularity occurs which is not described below, the pit supervisor shall determine the most appropriate action which the supervisor believes to be fair and equitable. Such action may include voiding a player’s hand by calling it a push, or voiding the hand for all players at the table by calling every hand a push.

Dropped card is not covered so it's entirely up to the discretion of the pit supervisor in Colorado.

fwiw We don't have face down Blackjack in the UK, but if I'm playing 3-card poker I never look at my hand until the dealer has finished all dealing; thus if there's a misdeal I'm not worried. I once saw a player who received a straight flush before the dealer realised he only had two cards - you can imagine the furore!

I should like to think if the card accidentally was thrown by the dealer too hard, the casino would not penalise any player. While, given the above scenario, it would seem reasonable to call the hand dead - a good casino at a low limit table might allow other players an option to give in or play on.

Bad idea I think. If your given a dud card with a big bet out there and your card falls on the floor- I think you are going to be guilty until proven innocent, and rightfully so.

Quote: NewAP

Bad idea I think. If your given a dud card with a big bet out there and your card falls on the floor- I think you are going to be guilty until proven innocent, and rightfully so.

Yes, the player is ALWAYS GUILTY. Especially if he commits the cardinal sinner of occasionally winning.