Is counting with chips a "device"?

[Automatic Monkey]

It is illegal nearly everywhere to use any kind of a computing device at the table for advantage play. Now let's say I use a chip code, with my pile of cheques for keeping track of sidecounts or key cards or something. In effect, I have made an abacus, and an abacus is a form of computer.

The defense would argue that the house gave me the cheques at the table and knew they could be used for this purpose therefore they consented to my actions, but that might not be enough. Do you think I'd get busted? The way my learning curve works I'd only have to use the abacus for a while before it's unnecessary but still I don't want to take a chance getting prosecuted for something like that.

 

[gorilla player]

I'd be worried

that it would be a bit obvious. However, I have heard of people using them to remember things like an ace side-count... The concern would be a stack of chips that varies in height exactly with either the running count or true count or whatever you are using...

I remember Uston's "The Big Player" book talking about remembering different side counts based on position of shoe on stool rung, etc... I've read in the past where others used things like cigarette position on ashtray, rotating a beer bottle, etc...

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Obvious for sure

But in CT where I play heat is non-existent, less even than AC. The games are not that vulnerable and the stores are just so big they are willing to absorb lower level counters. I already use an ace sidecount, but what I wanted to add was 1) a sevens counts for a Super 7 bet and 2) keycards for ace prediction. The problem with keycards is that it's hard to remember the ones you are collecting on this round at the same time you're recalling and playing the ones from last round. So I want to: first collect keycards, then during a shuffle imprint them on my chip pile, and for the next round I can collect more keys while looking at my chip pile between rounds to see if I need increase my bet. Either way, I'm only going to have to do this for a few sessions before I don't need the chips to record, but I can't practice well outside of a casino so I'm probably going to have to do it unless I find another workaround.

 

[John Wesley Powell]

Using Cheques...

Not illiegal, no matter what any one says. Some of Hylands girls were arrested in Canada for using beads on a necklace. The case was dimissed as I recall. Cheques are not a foreign device. I've seen them used to track one pass shuffles. It is okay to use cheques - as long as you play where the pit comes to work in the short yellow bus.
JWP

 

[SammyBoy]

I doubt they would prosecute you.

And even if they did I don't think a jury would convict you. I would be more concerned about tipping off the pit to your advantage play.

 

[gorilla player]

so..

You are going to have a bunch of stacks of chips, each meaning a different thing? Sounds workable, so long as you can keep up with what each pile means. Of course the first time you split or double-down, you might wreck your counters if you are not careful where you get the chips from.

 

[John Wesley Powell]

Prosecute?

They wouldn't arrest you for using cheques.
One pass shuffles, sections A, B. C, D, E, F (shoe, breaking the sections down by the full deck). More advanced, breaking the sections down by the half deck. Sections A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L. Now use 6 or 12 stacks of cheques to track the shuffle. Not tooooooo obvious. Personally - find a one or even two pass shuffle. Map it, practice it at home till you can do it in your sleep, during an earthquake or forest fire. Then learn to cut the deck, practice this till you can automatically cut 12, 23, 48, 52 or any number of cards exactly. This will let you determine when your section or sections will come in to play.
Good cover play: Decks are about to be shuffled, get up leave the table, come back just as the shuffle ends, cut to your section, win - win - win - Leave casino rich?
Sounds easy enough - if you work at it. This is just a cliff notes version.
It takes skill.
JWP

 

[gehrig]

"koko ita"...

in a mostly tongue in cheek booklet, listed a variety of common items a player might use to "keep the count".