mkl654321
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January 9th, 2011 at 10:18:08 PM permalink
Quote: reno

In this forum on April 8, 2010, the Wizard calculated that "the 2009 profit from blackjack errors in Nevada could be roughly estimated as 1,008,525,000 * 0.5155 = $519 million." (The Wizard acknowledged that this was a crude calculation, so maybe the real figure is off by a few million dollars.) But the point is that Nevada casinos earn hundreds of millions of dollars from player error.

I am not suggesting that casinos are inherently evil because they profit from player error. But I'm wondering why it is immoral or unethical for players to benefit from casino error.



The error the Wiz was referring to was player error in the play of the hand. No one is saying that the house shouldn't suffer the consequences if the dealer accidentally hits her hard 17 and busts. But this isn't that kind of house error. Getting paid too much, and keeping the excess, is inherently fraudulent whether the money comes from a supermarket cashier, a bank teller, or a casino dealer. I don't see that there's any meaningful distinction. A valid and enforceable contract exists between you and the house when you put down a bet. To knowingly accept more than that contract dictates in payment when you win is a breach of that contract.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 10:50:19 PM permalink
Quote: mkl654321

The error the Wiz was referring to was player error in the play of the hand. No one is saying that the house shouldn't suffer the consequences if the dealer accidentally hits her hard 17 and busts. But this isn't that kind of house error. Getting paid too much, and keeping the excess, is inherently fraudulent whether the money comes from a supermarket cashier, a bank teller, or a casino dealer. I don't see that there's any meaningful distinction. A valid and enforceable contract exists between you and the house when you put down a bet. To knowingly accept more than that contract dictates in payment when you win is a breach of that contract.



At what point did I agree to a contract saying I'd point out the casinos mistakes? It's not my job to run the game, it's theirs and if they fuck it up in my favor I see no reason to help them out.
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
Croupier
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January 9th, 2011 at 10:54:18 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

At what point did I agree to a contract saying I'd point out the casinos mistakes? It's not my job to run the game, it's theirs and if they fuck it up in my favor I see no reason to help them out.




By sitting down at the table you agree to whatever the rules are at that table.

If its not your job to run the games and they paid you 6-5 on a 3-2 table you would not point it out? You can't have it both ways.
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JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 10:59:42 PM permalink
Quote: Croupier

By sitting down at the table you agree to whatever the rules are at that table.

If its not your job to run the games and they paid you 6-5 on a 3-2 table you would not point it out? You can't have it both ways.



Yes, actually I can and always have. By sitting at the table I agree to whatever the rules are sure, but I don't agree to enforce the rules or point out any mistakes that benefit me.
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
mkl654321
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:03:58 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

Yes, actually I can and always have. By sitting at the table I agree to whatever the rules are sure, but I don't agree to enforce the rules or point out any mistakes that benefit me.



But by making a bet you enter into a further contract--you say "if I win, you pay me X, and if you win, I pay you Y". It's a valid, legally enforceable contract, even if you don't see it as such simply because it's between you and a steenkin' CASINO.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:21:40 PM permalink
Quote: mkl654321

But by making a bet you enter into a further contract--you say "if I win, you pay me X, and if you win, I pay you Y". It's a valid, legally enforceable contract, even if you don't see it as such simply because it's between you and a steenkin' CASINO.



LOL @ it being a "valid, legally enforceable contract".

Where did you go to law school anyways?
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
Croupier
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:26:39 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

LOL @ it being a "valid, legally enforceable contract".

Where did you go to law school anyways?



If you were underpaid, the casino has to pay you what it owes you. If you were overpaid, you have to pay back what you owe. Failure to do so from either side can result in a court case.

Dont need Law School to know that sounds like a contract to me.
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mkl654321
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:29:54 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

LOL @ it being a "valid, legally enforceable contract".

Where did you go to law school anyways?



I didn't go to law school, but where I did go to school, we learned that "anyways" isn't a word.

And "LOL" all you want, but a casino bet IS a contract. If you win, you expect them to pay you, don't you? And if they refused, you would certainly howl and moan, wouldn't you? And I DID take commercial law in college, and I know probably much, much better than you what constitutes a contract.

However, whatever I say, I won't convince you that casinos are just like any other business as far as both the law and and simple morality goes. You think that anything goes. That's your point of view.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
MathExtremist
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:37:50 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

Yes, actually I can and always have. By sitting at the table I agree to whatever the rules are sure, but I don't agree to enforce the rules or point out any mistakes that benefit me.



Suppose you're at the movies and you buy a $2 candy bar with a $10 bill. The absent-minded cashier thinks you handed them $20 and gives you back $18 in change. That's a mistake in your favor. Do you actually keep the extra $10? If not, how can you justify keeping an overpayment on a casino wager?
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:39:04 PM permalink
Quote: mkl654321

I didn't go to law school, but where I did go to school, we learned that "anyways" isn't a word.

And "LOL" all you want, but a casino bet IS a contract. If you win, you expect them to pay you, don't you? And if they refused, you would certainly howl and moan, wouldn't you? And I DID take commercial law in college, and I know probably much, much better than you what constitutes a contract.

However, whatever I say, I won't convince you that casinos are just like any other business as far as both the law and and simple morality goes. You think that anything goes. That's your point of view.



That's my point of view and that's my profession. I'm an advantage gambler and have no problem with making money off of a casinos mistakes. Anyways, if it bothers you as much as my grammar then you probably aren't to successful when it comes to advantage play.
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:39:32 PM permalink
Quote: MathExtremist

Suppose you're at the movies and you buy a $2 candy bar with a $10 bill. The absent-minded cashier thinks you handed them $20 and gives you back $18 in change. That's a mistake in your favor. Do you actually keep the extra $10? If not, how can you justify keeping an overpayment on a casino wager?



Most likely I would keep it, not my problem if they fuck up.
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
MathExtremist
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:48:36 PM permalink
Quote: reno

In this forum on April 8, 2010, the Wizard calculated that "the 2009 profit from blackjack errors in Nevada could be roughly estimated as 1,008,525,000 * 0.5155 = $519 million." (The Wizard acknowledged that this was a crude calculation, so maybe the real figure is off by a few million dollars.) But the point is that Nevada casinos earn hundreds of millions of dollars from player error.



If you're referring to suboptimal play, that's a different beast altogether. That's like complaining that prop-bet players lose more than passline players, or that roulette players lose more than baccarat players. Certain games have a skill element to them wherein the player can decrease (or, in some cases, increase) the typical edge of the game. That's to be expected. But the typical edge doesn't include the scenario where both parties play the game according to the rules but there is a mistake in the payouts.
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
Croupier
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:48:39 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

Most likely I would keep it, not my problem if they fuck up.



Say you get into a car accident. The paramedics hoist you into the back of an ambulance. Your wallet falls out of your pocket and one of the paramedics picks it up.

Oh but he doesnt give it you back, he empties it and sells your cards to identity thieves. Hey, not his problem you fucked up and dropped your wallet.


Apologies for the reductio ad absurdium (I think thats the term) but its to relieve frustration. I do feel better now.
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MathExtremist
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:49:21 PM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

Most likely I would keep it, not my problem if they fuck up.


And if they ask for it back?
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:56:29 PM permalink
Quote: MathExtremist

And if they ask for it back?



Apologize of course, tell them I thought I must have given a 20 also when I saw the change, give them the money and laugh about all of us making the same mistake.
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
JimMorrison
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January 9th, 2011 at 11:57:31 PM permalink
Quote: Croupier

Say you get into a car accident. The paramedics hoist you into the back of an ambulance. Your wallet falls out of your pocket and one of the paramedics picks it up.

Oh but he doesnt give it you back, he empties it and sells your cards to identity thieves. Hey, not his problem you fucked up and dropped your wallet.


Apologies for the reductio ad absurdium (I think thats the term) but its to relieve frustration. I do feel better now.



Ummm in the other scenario the cashier didn't bend over to pick something up and I grabbed the money from the register. That would be a little more similar to your scenario.
EvenBob: "Look America, I have a tiny wee-wee, can anybody help me?"
Croupier
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January 10th, 2011 at 12:00:58 AM permalink
Quote: JimMorrison

Ummm in the other scenario the cashier didn't bend over to pick something up and I grabbed the money from the register. That would be a little more similar to your scenario.



I know. Thats why I apologised in the same post.
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AnotherGambler
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January 10th, 2011 at 12:14:50 AM permalink
Some of you guys just don't get it.

Some of you keep giving examples that are NOT related to gambling. Of course if your paramedic took your wallet and gives info to identity theives...etc.....that would be TOTALLY wrong.

An ATM machine is NOT, I repeat, NOT a game of chance!!!!!!!! You do NOT risk money when you go up to an ATM machine in the hopes of winning more or less money. Any comparison to an ATM machine or ANYTHING not related to to gambling is unfair to the accused.

MathExtremist--------could you please focus on GAMBLING TYPE scenarios???????????? What Casino do YOU work for????????

My point is that when a machine is put on the floor that allows you to win in the way that the accused won, then its a feature of that machine. The accused played by the rules of that machine. If the casino does not like this then thats too bad--complain to IGT and use whatever insurance you have for this. Once a machine is on the floor, the casino needs to stand behind it---any such rules of a machine that allow a player to win are fair game so long as they are not using devices etc......

We ALL know that machines are already set up to take our money. Slot machines are not truly random. A patron should NOT have to worry that when they go into a casino that if they win money by pushing buttons, that they will not be thrown in jail!!!!

Its all about ethical or moral behaviour here---NOT about legality----and when casinos become 100 percent ethical and moral (which we know will never happen), then maybe when these types of things happen a player will not throw it back to the house for playing something APPROVED to be played on the floor.
mkl654321
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January 10th, 2011 at 12:16:59 AM permalink
At the end, it comes down to personal moral standards and ethics. I know quite a few APs who have a bloodthirsty mentality regarding casinos. I used to be more that way, myself. If you paint the casino in your mind as an implacable adversary, then it becomes that much easier to subvert your own morality and take any and all advantage that you can. I, personally, decided that I didn't want to go down that road.

It may not be your fault that they fucked up, but it is your fault if you are dishonest. And keepiing an overpayment is nothing more or less than exactly that, whether the remitter is a casino dealer or a supermarket clerk.

The casino is not a place where simple honesty and decency are magically suspended. If they didn't swiftly and apologetically correct their error when I pointed out that I had been underpaid on a bet, I might feel differently. But in my experience, the player almost always gets the benefit of the doubt. Therefore I have no moral basis to cheat them.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
MathExtremist
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January 10th, 2011 at 12:30:51 AM permalink
Quote: AnotherGambler

MathExtremist--------could you please focus on GAMBLING TYPE scenarios???????????? What Casino do YOU work for????????


I don't work for enough casinos yet, unfortunately. And please explain why you think there is something inherently distinct between a gambling transaction and any other transaction involving money. How about the stock market - that's pretty close. If your stockbroker's computer had a glitch after he sold some of your stock and he gave you too little, wouldn't you complain? And if he paid you too much, wouldn't you tell him? What makes gambling its own ethical island?
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
AnotherGambler
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January 10th, 2011 at 1:03:21 AM permalink
There most certainly IS a distinction between gambling transactions and other transactions that involve money.

Any gambling game involves rules that are written to benefit the casino. When new games come out, after being tested, they are either left on the floor, or eventually go away due to reasons such as the game does not make enough money for the casino, the players win too much, or the game is not exciting to play, etc.....Sometimes those rules are subtly changed to make things either more fair to the player, or even more to the advantage of the casino. For many years, blackjack always paid 1.5 times----now you see places that pay 6-5 (I am not a blackjack player, so if I am incorrect, someone will surely correct me...)
There is only one type of place that such rules can exist and be modifed----its a casino!! NO place else.

Any other money type transaction is concrete in that when you walk into a store and buy something, you pay for the item at the current rate. You are NOT risking the amount of the cost of that item to WIN MULTIPLE ITEMS THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO BUY!!!!!

You mention the stock market----if my stockbroker's computer had a glitch and he gave me too little, I wouldn't be able to throw criminal charges at him, would I? NO!!! I would simply inform him of the slipup and expect the difference. But criminal charges????? C'mon!!!!!

You ask if the stockbroker paid me too much would I tell him---the answer is YES--because I was NOT entitled to that extra amount----- the point you are missing is that the accused WAS NOT PAID TOO MUCH!!! The accused was entitled to the amount paid by the RULES OF THAT GAME APPROVED TO BE ON THE FLOOR.

The rules of that particular video game allowed him to win much more than was anticipated. Again, casinos need to stand behind the gaming devices they approve to be on their floor.
SOOPOO
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January 10th, 2011 at 4:44:46 AM permalink
Perhaps there is someone who knows or has access to a high enough level casino executive who can ask this simple question of that executive---
Is a player RESPONSIBLE to point out a single error that the casino makes that would benefit the player?

Also- on a slightly different note- tell me what you think of this, ME (and others)
I play basketball- If a referee calls a foul on my opponent even though I know he did not make contact with me, shall I intentionally miss my 2 foul shots? In a refereed game once called the foul can not be rescinded. So 'errors' in your favor are made by the referee (casino) and all players (gamblers) just make the 2 foul shots (take the extra money). Would you call the basketball player taking advantage of that referee's error 'unethical'? If you were calling your own fouls and said you were hit when you were not, that I would call cheating (and unethical).
SanchoPanza
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January 10th, 2011 at 5:53:19 AM permalink
Quote: mkl654321

It's true that Vegas is the most honest gambling environment in the history of the world.


What percentage of applications for gambling licenses has Nevada rejected compared to other jurisdictions like, say, New Jersey?
MathExtremist
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January 10th, 2011 at 7:53:45 AM permalink
Quote: AnotherGambler

There most certainly IS a distinction between gambling transactions and other transactions that involve money.
Any gambling game involves rules that are written to benefit the casino.


So if there was a player-advantageous game on the floor, and you were overpaid in *that* game, would you tell the dealer?

Quote:

You ask if the stockbroker paid me too much would I tell him---the answer is YES--because I was NOT entitled to that extra amount----- the point you are missing is that the accused WAS NOT PAID TOO MUCH!!! The accused was entitled to the amount paid by the RULES OF THAT GAME APPROVED TO BE ON THE FLOOR.


I think you believe the scenario is different than it was. The player, through deception, had a casino employee activate a game configuration that acted differently than the posted rules of the game allowed. It is as if he were playing a blackjack game, but after getting the manager to turn on some arcane option, he was paid 10-1 on every blackjack with the AQ of hearts. Being paid 10-1 is *not* part of the rules of the game as approved.

If you were playing an electronic blackjack game, and you knew of an action that a machine operator could take to enable a piece of testing code or inadvertent software glitch that changed the rules of the game, paying you 10-1 on a blackjack with the AQ of hearts, would you instruct the machine operator to perform that action? Would you tell him why? If you did tell him why, would you expect him to comply with your request? Doesn't that imply that, had the machine operator known about the bug, he wouldn't have turned on the option in the first place?

Look, I don't know what the actual glitch was, but it seems pretty clear that the allegations against the defendant are that he
(a) had inside knowledge of a machine software defect that wasn't public knowledge,
(b) deceived an employee into activating a particular configuration with the intent to take advantage of that software defect,
(c) surreptitiously used the machine with this configuration activated, in a way that had the employee and operator known about it, they would have deactivated the machine, and
(d) profited from the machine in a manner that was not intended by the operator and would not have been expected by any other user.

If the machine and operator were anything other than a gambling device and a casino, there wouldn't be any question in your mind as to the ethics of the defendant. Why does the casino environment give you a free pass to act unethically?
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
MathExtremist
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January 10th, 2011 at 8:00:57 AM permalink
Quote: SOOPOO

Perhaps there is someone who knows or has access to a high enough level casino executive who can ask this simple question of that executive---
Is a player RESPONSIBLE to point out a single error that the casino makes that would benefit the player?

Also- on a slightly different note- tell me what you think of this, ME (and others)
I play basketball- If a referee calls a foul on my opponent even though I know he did not make contact with me, shall I intentionally miss my 2 foul shots? In a refereed game once called the foul can not be rescinded. So 'errors' in your favor are made by the referee (casino) and all players (gamblers) just make the 2 foul shots (take the extra money). Would you call the basketball player taking advantage of that referee's error 'unethical'? If you were calling your own fouls and said you were hit when you were not, that I would call cheating (and unethical).



I worry that this is straying off-topic a bit. I see a quantitative difference between the scenarios we've been discussing and the original incident. If I have reason to believe that the referee is not biased, I probably let things go for the sake of maintaining the flow of the game. One, if the ref isn't biased, things should balance out. Two, I am a paid entertainer and throwing the game makes for poor entertainment. Three, I am anecdotally aware of several situations in professional sports (not just basketball) where a player with a reputation for honesty has overturned an initial decision by a referee or umpire. It is telling that there are so few players with such a reputation.

But back on topic, the original incident was not a one-time human error. It was a repeatable, continuous, ongoing flaw in a device. The analogy to basketball would be if you could get the ref to call the foul every time down the floor just by flopping the right way. If you did that repeatedly, with the intent to use that technique to defeat the other team, would you suggest that's an ethical act?
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
reno
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January 10th, 2011 at 8:34:10 AM permalink
Quote: mkl654321

The error the Wiz was referring to was player error in the play of the hand. No one is saying that the house shouldn't suffer the consequences if the dealer accidentally hits her hard 17 and busts. But this isn't that kind of house error. Getting paid too much, and keeping the excess, is inherently fraudulent whether the money comes from a supermarket cashier, a bank teller, or a casino dealer. I don't see that there's any meaningful distinction. A valid and enforceable contract exists between you and the house when you put down a bet. To knowingly accept more than that contract dictates in payment when you win is a breach of that contract.



So if the dealer erroneously hits his hard 17 and busts, the player has no ethical obligation to correct the dealer's mistake. But if the dealer erroneously overpays the player, then the player has an ethical obligation to correct the mistake. I'm surprised that you'd make this distinction! Why is it ethical to profit from some dealer errors, but not others? The honest player ought to speak up in either scenario, and if the dealer refuses to correct his mistake, the honest player ought to report him to management, (just to keep the game honest).
SOOPOO
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January 10th, 2011 at 8:40:59 AM permalink
Reno- correct- those were the types of errors that I took advantage of my last time in Vegas at Asia poker. the dealer missetting her hand frequently. I was never paid an incorrect amount, nor was i ever paid when my hand did not beat her hand as set. I agree with you, i see no distinction, and I would agree that mkl's post is internally inconsistent.
MathExtremist
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January 10th, 2011 at 9:37:07 AM permalink
Quote: reno

So if the dealer erroneously hits his hard 17 and busts, the player has no ethical obligation to correct the dealer's mistake. But if the dealer erroneously overpays the player, then the player has an ethical obligation to correct the mistake. I'm surprised that you'd make this distinction! Why is it ethical to profit from some dealer errors, but not others? The honest player ought to speak up in either scenario, and if the dealer refuses to correct his mistake, the honest player ought to report him to management, (just to keep the game honest).



I still think we're straying off-topic. A proper analogy would be this:

Frank is a good blackjack dealer, but you happen to know his dirty little secret. You sit down at Frank's table and threaten to expose his dirty little secret unless he always hits his hard 17s while playing you. Frank does that for you, so then you're playing a game of blackjack which you *know* isn't being played according to the intended rules.

You're the only one that knows Frank's secret, and you intentionally exploited Frank and profited thereby. The defendant is the only one who knew the slot machine's secret, and he intentionally exploited it and profited thereby. What's the difference?
"In my own case, when it seemed to me after a long illness that death was close at hand, I found no little solace in playing constantly at dice." -- Girolamo Cardano, 1563
mkl654321
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January 10th, 2011 at 11:40:06 AM permalink
Quote: reno

I'm surprised that you'd make this distinction! Why is it ethical to profit from some dealer errors, but not others? The honest player ought to speak up in either scenario, and if the dealer refuses to correct his mistake, the honest player ought to report him to management, (just to keep the game honest).



I'm surprised that you don't see the distinction. One instance is how the house chooses to play its hand, and the other is whether a PREVIOUSLY-AGREED UPON payment is correct (the fact that the payment was contingent upon a certain event makes no difference). To turn it around, if I accidentally stay on a hard ten, or mistakenly hit a hard 19, I have to suffer the consequences. But I can't change my bet after the outcome, whether I win or lose.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
mkl654321
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January 10th, 2011 at 11:47:25 AM permalink
Quote: SOOPOO

Reno- correct- those were the types of errors that I took advantage of my last time in Vegas at Asia poker. the dealer missetting her hand frequently. I was never paid an incorrect amount, nor was i ever paid when my hand did not beat her hand as set. I agree with you, i see no distinction, and I would agree that mkl's post is internally inconsistent.



You're not grasping the distinction between how the house plays its hand and the agreed-upon payout amounts for a winning bet. I strongly suspect that your point of view is fed by a take-no-prisoners mentality based on viewing the casino as The Adversary, since if we move the scenario out into the "real world", I doubt that you would cheerfully pocket an extra twenty that the supermarket cashier mistakenly gave you.

I'm as interested as ME is in the question of just why when many people enter a casino, morality goes out the window for them. In almost any other situation I can think of, people would not DREAM of quietly stuffing an overpayment in their pockets. So it's an evil greedy casino. Why should that affect YOUR moral compass? It puzzles me, in that moral relativism isn't a concept most people are comfortable with in the abstract. I guess they're comfortable with it in the actuality?
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
P90
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January 12th, 2011 at 11:38:05 PM permalink
Quote: mkl654321

In almost any other situation I can think of, people would not DREAM of quietly stuffing an overpayment in their pockets. So it's an evil greedy casino. Why should that affect YOUR moral compass? It puzzles me, in that moral relativism isn't a concept most people are comfortable with in the abstract. I guess they're comfortable with it in the actuality?


I don't think it affects the moral compass itself. Rather, it affects where the line between "fair game" and "unfair play" is drawn. With rare exception, casino games are biased for the casino, and not exactly fair. Further, the way casinos sometimes treat their customers resurrects the view of them as the mob - it's enough for one of ten casinos to screw over one of its thousand patrons for shadow to fall over all of them. People view the casino as screwing them already, so they view mistakes in their favor as mistakes in the process of screwing them.
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reno
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April 14th, 2014 at 2:15:29 PM permalink
I stumbled upon a 2014 update of this court case in case anyone is interested in how this story ended: Federal prosecutors dropped the charges. The wire-fraud counts were dismissed in November 2013; the computer-fraud counts were dismissed in July 2013.

This other article from May 2013 is also very detailed, though not as up to date.
FleaStiff
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April 14th, 2014 at 3:23:17 PM permalink
The case attention because of the amount of money involved and because the two apparently were able to fool a machine developed by one of the world's foremost slot makers. Some people said the case tested the bounds of what is considered cheating, saying the two defendants merely took advantage of a programming weakness.

Read more: http://triblive.com/aande/gambling/5354565-74/nestor-poker-machine#ixzz2ytx0Z3K5
reno
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October 8th, 2014 at 8:45:42 PM permalink
This article explains the entire story from start to finish.

I'm not sure what the moral to the story is, but the rule of thumb is: don't get greedy. Hit 1 jackpot and leave the casino. Wait a week before returning to the same casino. Use a slot club card to disguise your play (dump $100 into a negative expectation slot machine), but don't use a players' card on an advantage play. Avoid playing the same machine twice. Avoid jackpots over $1,200 (handpays). Don't tell your friends. Don't enlist an accomplice.

And the most important rule of all: pay your taxes.
ThatDonGuy
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October 9th, 2014 at 6:58:44 AM permalink
Quote: reno

This article explains the entire story from start to finish.

And the most important rule of all: pay your taxes.


That's the problem; Nestor couldn't pay his taxes, as Laverde handed over his money in exchange for not being charged himself.

This brings up a legal question; if it wasn't Nestor's money, then why does the IRS consider it income, and if it was Nestor's money and he wasn't convicted of any crime (and he wasn't), then why can't he deduct it as a "theft loss", since technically Laverde stole it from him?

The tax code says that "fines" are not deductible (e.g. if you "make" $1 million but have to pay a court-mandated $1 million fine, you still have to pay taxes on the million), but no court ordered this "payback".
HughJass
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October 9th, 2014 at 8:54:21 AM permalink
I believe that it was Mr. Fleastiff who expressed it best when he equated the actions of the players to pastposting. I have encountered similar bugs on two different occasions. Both times I quickly distanced myself from such machines. That is in light of the fact that I profitably play machines with weak PRNG's. I can't tell you exactly where that line is drawn in the sand but I know on which side of it that I stand when I'm there.
reno
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October 10th, 2014 at 9:57:56 AM permalink
Quote: Paigowdan

A defective crap table would be one with loaded dice. But...if the layout marking are wrong (FIELD PAYS 2:1 ON ALL NUMBERS), knock yourself out. I would call the floor over and say, "The layout is wrong, it allows advantage play and excess house losses."



And if the pit boss arrogantly assumes you're wrong when you alert him of the incorrect layout marking, is it still unethical to continue to play the game for profit?

Incidentally, the Wizard found a defective craps table with incorrect layout markings in the Dominican Republic at the Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragura Hotel. In that case, the table effectively offered no house edge on the hardways-- it was a fair bet.

If playing a defective machine for profit is "theft," is it also "theft" to play a craps bet which mistakenly offers no house edge? Or is it only "theft" if it's positive expectation for the player?
tongni
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October 19th, 2014 at 12:52:45 AM permalink
I read all kinds of justification about why AP is acceptable, honorable, just, etc. - that AP's are taking money from a faceless corporation that profits off the suffering of others, AP's are punishing the casino for their greedy ways, and so on. I don't see it in that way at all, and honestly I think most of the people who use that rationale are just looking for a way to convince themselves, as they would do no differently in the casino's position.

The way I see it, when you walk into the casino, you are playing against the house. The rules are set by state statute. Cheating isn't "unfair play" or "disingenuous moves", it's a set of rules defined by law. The house is free to do whatever in their power legally and under gaming regulations to win the most money off you (and in fact sometimes they cross the line, by overserving patrons, providing patrons with drugs, allowing people to bet who are all but incapacitated). You are allowed to do whatever in your power to win money at the games they offer, as long as it is legal. In most places they are allowed to ask you to leave, but that's the extent of their power. The courts have upheld those rights. If they wanted to make a piece of legislation saying that failure to return overpayment of a gaming wager is a felony, the legislature could. If they wanted to make a piece of legislation saying that card counting or playing with an advantage is a felony, they could.

It's not like these things are nuanced loopholes in the law - in fact in certain gaming jurisdictions the regulations specifically address the rights of players/advantage players and what things you may be barred for. If the law has something specifically addressing what I am doing and telling me it is legal and just, and judges have ruled on similar cases and said it is legal, and I'm playing against an opponent who will do everything in his legal power to beat me, well, I probably shouldn't hamstring myself.
darkoz
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October 19th, 2014 at 1:13:45 AM permalink
Quote: tongni

I read all kinds of justification about why AP is acceptable, honorable, just, etc. - that AP's are taking money from a faceless corporation that profits off the suffering of others, AP's are punishing the casino for their greedy ways, and so on. I don't see it in that way at all, and honestly I think most of the people who use that rationale are just looking for a way to convince themselves, as they would do no differently in the casino's position.

The way I see it, when you walk into the casino, you are playing against the house. The rules are set by state statute. Cheating isn't "unfair play" or "disingenuous moves", it's a set of rules defined by law. The house is free to do whatever in their power legally and under gaming regulations to win the most money off you (and in fact sometimes they cross the line, by overserving patrons, providing patrons with drugs, allowing people to bet who are all but incapacitated). You are allowed to do whatever in your power to win money at the games they offer, as long as it is legal. In most places they are allowed to ask you to leave, but that's the extent of their power. The courts have upheld those rights. If they wanted to make a piece of legislation saying that failure to return overpayment of a gaming wager is a felony, the legislature could. If they wanted to make a piece of legislation saying that card counting or playing with an advantage is a felony, they could.

It's not like these things are nuanced loopholes in the law - in fact in certain gaming jurisdictions the regulations specifically address the rights of players/advantage players and what things you may be barred for. If the law has something specifically addressing what I am doing and telling me it is legal and just, and judges have ruled on similar cases and said it is legal, and I'm playing against an opponent who will do everything in his legal power to beat me, well, I probably shouldn't hamstring myself.



I don't disagree with what you have said. I just cant figure out what your position is.

Are you against AP's because you disagree with their rationale and they are cheating the house or saying its okay because its legal and the government has chosen not to make card counting and other AP moves illegal even though they could.

Please clarify.
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darkoz
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October 19th, 2014 at 1:20:20 AM permalink
Personally, I would contact a lawyer like Bob Nersessian and try to sue the casino for return of the money.

I believe he has a case on the following grounds:

It was Laverde who handed it back. It was not Laverde's money therefore he had no right to use it to protect himself or disperse it.

The case has been dropped so officially there is no wrong-doing. He took advantage of a glitch which has been ruled not criminal. The casino has no right to the return of the money. (Note the Iverson case where the court had to declare there was cheating going on for the casino to be able to keep the money).

Thirdly, the IRS wants him to pay taxes on the wins. Therefore the IRS is stating the belief he won the money and is in possession of it. (Correct me if I'm wrong but if you rob a bank for a hundred grand and you're caught when you arrive home, the money returned to its rightful owners, you go to jail but you do not get an IRS bill for $100,000 profit.)
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