I would never question the authenticity of someones posts but in my opinion wizard, your idea of playing to the casinos heart strings due to being a veteran is not worth it. If you put up a big bet and get a 19 vs a dealers 20 are they going to pay you anyway because you are a vet, hell no. And the free drinks come to anybody playing, whether you're an illegal alien, or a decorated war hero, if your money's green than you get the same free booze. They might be nice to you and want to chat with you while you're playing, which might actually work against you if you're not experienced enough to talk and play correctly at the same time. The only time I've ever seen anybody really need a backstory is when you are playing with a lot of money and betting big. Than they might want to know where your money comes from, and saying you're a veteran wont cut it. As brave as our war veterans are, it doesn't make them rich. I believe if you are a veteran it doesn't hurt you at the casino, but its no major help either. The casinos are big business with no heart. Some of the people that work there may be sympathetic, but there is still a bottom line, and if your play is found to be suspicious, than you're out of there no matter who you claim to be. Which leads me to this, the best cover is smart play. If you can do that it usually takes care of itself. Theatrics and elaborate stories only lead to unwanted attention and as an AP thats the last thing you want. I've been playing an advantage game for over a decade and the only stories I've ever had to come up with is what I do for a living. And I promise you I made them short, simple, and boring, and never needed to elaborate any more about them. If you can't fly under the radar eventually you're going to get shot down.
