Pin cameras strategically placed and listening devices to receive
information on hole cards is definitely how I would do it. That
is,
if I were a crook.
On second thought this is not how I would do it. I would have to do
it like Slick says it is done.
Back in 1995 I was a regular poker player at Sandia in Albuquerque.
One of the other players there was Larry Grover A.K.A. "Slick." He
was a retired pit boss having worked 13 years at the Stardust and 17
years at the Landmark. He retired to Albuquerque and played a little
poker every day. He was definitely old school Vegas.
And he also had another colorful career. We used to sit and talk
while waiting to get in the games. He talked alot about Vegas but
also about Chicago and the mob. One day he brought a police
photograph in to show me. He was in the picture with 8 or 9 other
guys. He was 18 years old at the time. One of the others in the
picture was Tony Spilotro. Slick grew up with Tony. Spilotro was
the prototype for Joe Pesci's character in the movie Casino. Slick
told that of everyone in the photograph he (Slick) was the only one
not dead or doing life in prison. He also told me that if not for
his record he would have gotten the job running the Stardust when
Rothstein got run out by the Gaming Control board.
After listening to me talk about going to Vegas to play poker Slick
offered this advice:
"Don't sit down in any No-Limit games. You won't have any outs."
"Why not?, I asked.
"First of all those guys have been playing a long time. They've
taken on every piker that has ever come down the pike. You can't
beat them in the long run. But they won't take you to the long run.
They'll just team play you until they have all your money. Put you
out of your misery quick."
"How does team play work." I asked.
"They just play "best hand" against you. With three team players
involved, if one is holding AK, one is holding KK, and the other is
holding 99, only the pair of kings is gonna play. They won't give
you any money odds if you get lucky."
"What do they do? Signal each other?"
"No. Everybody thinks they use signals, but signals are stupid
because they are detectable. They use code language. Now, let's say
the code for Ace is "play" and the code for 6 is "cinch." Now let's
say one of the team players is under the gun; he looks down at his
hand and says "I can't play because I don't have a cinch." He just
told the team players behind him he threw away an Ace and a six. If
one of the team is in late position and picks up a big hand he makes
a statement that lets the players in early know he has a big hand.
But it's just everyday conversation so the marks have no clue. So
they play "best hand" with the added bonus of knowing 4 cards that
are in the muck and unavailable to them or the marks. It's a super
strong technique. The whole thing is unprovable unless one of the
team players rats out. So stay out of those no limit games, kid.
They'll play each other on the square, but when you sit down to play
nothing even has to be said. They're gonna chop you up. They've
been doing it for years."
Thanks for the lesson, Slick.
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--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "mickeycrimm" <mickeycrimm@...> wrote: