Colin Jones (S2 E6): The Lady at the Card Desk – Gambling With An Edge

Nowhere in The 21st-Century Card Counter did I see the percentage of BJA members that are females, but I’m pretty curious. I suspect the determine is rather very low, as it is even in some other fields that do not require a significant physical component—such as chess or computer science. I bear in mind scanning the auditorium for the initially lecture of CS51 (CS150 in all those times), and seeing probably three ladies out of 100-200 learners.

In gambling, there might continue to be social limitations in the course of the understanding course of action, but as soon as the chips are in the betting circle or the pot, it’s a guess. A participant who appreciates how to get an edge in the sport will be capable to make dollars. Richard Munchkin, a co-host of Gambling With An Edge, has famously explained, “Being an Asian woman is worth $1 million in an AP’s vocation.”

Snopes has contracted me to point-verify that statement, and I consider it would be greatest to break up it into two components. I’ll chat about the Asian element of it subsequent time, but let’s target on the woman section. I’m basing my feedback on my possess research (having talked to other APs and read the interviews in CJ’s guide), and my possess experience, owning labored with a dozen female teammates about the many years, so I hope this doesn’t sound like me mansplaining the female ailment.

The main plan fundamental Munchkin’s statement is that on line casino pit bosses, who in Vegas are typically white males, will misogynistically underestimate a woman participant. I imagine true-world practical experience bears that out, while I would level out that women may possibly not be the only demographic team that gets ignored. Pit bosses really don’t seem to be to maintain a superior viewpoint of white males carrying Harley Davidson jackets who have a tattoos-to-teeth ratio better than 1.

Here’s what SemiPro, a woman dealer-cum-counter interviewed in CJ’s reserve, has to say: “My backoffs happen a lot quicker than my boyfriend’s do most of the time. You stand out a lot more as a woman card counter, simply because lone girls in casinos are outliers. I at the time requested Tommy Hyland if the woman players on his team experienced any common taking part in encounters that differed from his male players, and he reported a key 1 was that it took casinos a lot more time to forget about about them.”

So right here we see the difficulty: Though a pit boss’s “Bayesian Prior” could possibly be that a woman has no skill, the pit manager then collects data on the female more quickly, due to the fact the female is obvious. Card counting can not stand up to considerably scrutiny, so the exposure proves lethal. The heightened scrutiny is for two common good reasons. As SemiPro details out, there won’t be quite a few ladies betting significant income (at minimum not white girls). But on prime of that, the bosses are predominantly male, and will tend to notice ladies, and may possibly be a lot more inclined to try out to flirt and make compact communicate.

I experienced that trouble with a female teammate at the Stardust. The floorman was all above our table, flirting with her. “Can’t you get rid of him?” I complained. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked. At minimum drop the B term on the man, and escalate that to the K phrase if he nonetheless does not get the message! (Am I mansplaining now?)

I was strolling by way of Bally’s Vegas lately, and a supplier says to me, “You utilized to appear in below with that blond.” This is a seller who was under no circumstances a concentrate on, whom I didn’t even recognize, who does not know my name or anything at all about me, but he remembers “that blond” from many years previously. So her enhanced visibility contaminated me!

Due to the fact that visibility can be really unforgettable to the casino team, a female AP could possibly have a pretty hard time recovering from a backoff at a house, as Tommy instructed SemiPro. Again in the day, Mr. Fortunate made use of to enjoy with his spouse, a statuesque blond Russian. They played all over city for huge stakes, but after they got backed off, it was more than. There was truly no way the town would at any time neglect her, and Mr. Lucky was memorable and “guilty” by affiliation.

The exposure trouble is heightened for female APs, but the regular techniques of lowering publicity would still use. As SemiPro states: “You may possibly under no circumstances blend in, but you can try to stand out much less.” Remaining generally quiet is improved. Constantly stay away from any personal subject areas of discussion, other than rapidly dropping the H/B/K phrase to pre-empt flirtations. When seat situation doesn’t issue, prevent sitting at 1st or 3rd foundation, for the reason that those seats invite the floorman to sidle up and chitchat.

I do think a female can additional quickly make radical alterations of physical appearance devoid of triggering suspicion, these kinds of as changing hair shade or style, radically altering clothes type, and donning different makeup. It is most likely ideal to look simple, but it is a tricky situation for a young feminine AP who spends a great deal of several hours in the on line casino. As a teammate when lamented, “But these are my pretty years.” Guaranteed the AP is at get the job done although in the on line casino, but it’s continue to the AP’s life, and what AP (male or feminine) wishes to sleep in a automobile, piss in a jug, and intentionally be unattractive? (Is not the card counter’s lifetime glamorous?!)

There are performs that gain from getting two APs at the desk, and a woman-male pair would then mix in incredibly the natural way in individuals scenarios, and be equipped to bounce from table to desk alongside one another.

So, in evaluating Munchkin’s assertion about the worth of remaining an Asian female, GWAE/Snopes would amount that assertion, as it pertains to the woman portion, as: To some degree Accurate.