Railbird.

I'm at Aria last night (actually this morning), grinding it out at a $10 craps table. I'm in my favored position, to the left of the left dealer.

The table's running OK, not too hot, not too cold. Couple of friendly players at my end, but it's mostly quiet.

Guy sidles in on my left. Don't know how much he bought in with ($10 table to start, I'm flat betting the 6 & 8 for $30, plus pass line). Guy brings some energy to the table.

After about 20 mins, one of my pass line odds bets goes missing. I'm thinking I'm just a little drunk (true).

Table gets a little more crowded, but not really bad. The guy "accidentally" picks up my payout on a come out 7 ($10). I call him on it, but I'm not 100% sure.

Then another pass line odds bet goes missing, then another. I don't say anything but start paying more attention.

Next time, I don't see the move (coincidental cocktail waitress), but basically catch him, and he hands it over.

I'm one second away from blowing the whistle on this guy, but I don't know how. Even though I'm tipping the hell out of the dealers, new dealer tells me to just watch my own bet (he's absolutely correct.)

Catch the guy one more time; he apologizes and I say "Don't do it again." He mumbles something and I say "Don't do it again." He mumbles something else and I say "Please don't do it again." No problems after that, he ran out of bankroll.

When I first started playing craps I did pick up some else's bet. Once.

This guy was throwing carny bets all the time.

So here's my questions:

1) Ever happened to you (not stealing out of your rack, but stealing your bets)?
2) How did you deal with it?
3) What is the legal remedy? Should you discretely ask the boxman to go to the tape to prove it?

PS
4) Tip the dealers, I got rated very favorably.

I can only think of one time when I guy tried to pick up my winning odds bet. It appeared to truly be an accident and nothing further came of it.

Quote: Chuck

1) Ever happened to you (not stealing out of your rack, but stealing your bets)?
2) How did you deal with it?
3) What is the legal remedy? Should you discretely ask the boxman to go to the tape to prove it?

1. Yes, but in video poker. I mention the details in my Four Queens review under "personal background."
2. As mentioned in the review, we called security, and I'm proud that we did.
3. I would have discretely alerted security if I were you. First, he probably successfully took some bets from you that you don't even realize. It would take detaining him and a review of the tape to get them back. Second, I feel it is simply the right thing to do to rat out such thieves. To not do so just enables them to steal from the next victim.

How to do it is another question. If you make a public accusation at the table, he would just deny it, and run off with the money. I would excuse myself for a bathroom break and alert a supervisor in another pit. I would even offer to play the victim, so that security could witness it, and have just cause to detain him.

Quote: Wizard

1. Yes, but in video poker. I mention the details in my Four Queens review under "personal background."
2. As mentioned in the review, we called security, and I'm proud that we did.
3. I would have discretely alerted security if I were you. First, he probably successfully took some bets from you that you don't even realize. It would take detaining him and a review of the tape to get them back. Second, I feel it is simply the right thing to do to rat out such thieves. To not do so just enables them to steal from the next victim.

How to do it is another question. If you make a public accusation at the table, he would just deny it, and run off with the money. I would excuse myself for a bathroom break and alert a supervisor in another pit. I would even offer to play the victim, so that security could witness it, and have just cause to detain him.

Thanks, Wiz, I appreciate the reply.

I know mistakes can happen, so the first time I actually saw him pick up, I called him on it, and made like a dealer - "here's your bet, here's my bet, keep 'em separated." That was also the point where I realized the guy was possibly ripping me off. I caught the ear of the dealer next to me, but unfortunately, it was right after a shift change, and he wanted no part of it (although I suppose to his credit, he took a hard line with the players after that).

It's a hard thing to break up the vibe on a crowded table at 3:00am. I think I handled it OK, you gotta weigh 50 or 100 bucks against the consequences of making a true (or false) accusation. But I'll totally be watching next time