zengrifter
Banned
Spare the Rod, Spoil the Card Counter
By Arnold Snyder
(c) 2003 Blackjack Forum
(From Blackjack Forum, Vol. XXIII #2, Summer 2003)
In the two-plus decades that we've been publishing this mag, we've covered many stories about professional players suffering physical abuse at the hands of casino personnel. Back in June of 1986 ("Why I'm Suing in Nevada"), Ken Uston wrote about a former teammate of his "...100 pounds soaking wet..." who had been dragged across the floor of the Flamingo Hilton and was back-roomed and bruised about the arms and legs by "...two huge uniformed Neanderthals." Uston also wrote about his own 1978 beating at the Mapes Casino in Reno, a beating that broke five bones in his face and left him without feeling in the left side of his mouth. In March of 1988 ("The Horseshoe Trial"), Anthony Curtis updated us on the case of two card counters and hole card players who were beaten and hospitalized by Binion's Horseshoe security guards. In the Spring 2001 issue ("A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the Forum"), James Grosjean tells the story of his back-rooming, handcuffing, and arrest on false cheating charges at Caesars Palace, charges that were dropped after he had spent three days in jail and thousands in attorneys' fees. In the Spring 2003 issue ("Blackjack Wizards," by Richard W. Munchkin), interviewee "R.C." discusses his being handcuffed, back-roomed and beaten up by half a dozen security guards at the Eldorado in Reno a few years ago, and having more recently been tackled and handcuffed by security guards at the El Cortez in Las Vegas.
In the past couple of years, it seems these types of incidents have been increasing, both in frequency and severity. On our website, there has recently been a lengthy discussion about a card counter who was "tortured" (thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and kneeled on) by Mandalay Bay security guards.
But, according to one industry spokesperson, players who express shock and outrage at this type of treatment are overreacting.
"We hardly ever beat a player badly enough that he requires hospitalization," he insists. "I'm not saying it doesn't happen-but that's not the norm. And you should also keep in mind that when a player does require hospitalization as a result of a casino beating, the player actually gets to go to the hospital. The days when we just left them out in the desert are history. Players today can pretty much rest assured that if they beat us at the tables, they will not be killed. A relatively mild beating, with perhaps one broken bone-maybe a cracked rib or two-that's it. This is a kinder, gentler casino culture today."
... continued here - http://blackjackforumonline.com/content/SpareRod.htm
By Arnold Snyder
(c) 2003 Blackjack Forum
(From Blackjack Forum, Vol. XXIII #2, Summer 2003)
In the two-plus decades that we've been publishing this mag, we've covered many stories about professional players suffering physical abuse at the hands of casino personnel. Back in June of 1986 ("Why I'm Suing in Nevada"), Ken Uston wrote about a former teammate of his "...100 pounds soaking wet..." who had been dragged across the floor of the Flamingo Hilton and was back-roomed and bruised about the arms and legs by "...two huge uniformed Neanderthals." Uston also wrote about his own 1978 beating at the Mapes Casino in Reno, a beating that broke five bones in his face and left him without feeling in the left side of his mouth. In March of 1988 ("The Horseshoe Trial"), Anthony Curtis updated us on the case of two card counters and hole card players who were beaten and hospitalized by Binion's Horseshoe security guards. In the Spring 2001 issue ("A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the Forum"), James Grosjean tells the story of his back-rooming, handcuffing, and arrest on false cheating charges at Caesars Palace, charges that were dropped after he had spent three days in jail and thousands in attorneys' fees. In the Spring 2003 issue ("Blackjack Wizards," by Richard W. Munchkin), interviewee "R.C." discusses his being handcuffed, back-roomed and beaten up by half a dozen security guards at the Eldorado in Reno a few years ago, and having more recently been tackled and handcuffed by security guards at the El Cortez in Las Vegas.
In the past couple of years, it seems these types of incidents have been increasing, both in frequency and severity. On our website, there has recently been a lengthy discussion about a card counter who was "tortured" (thrown to the ground, handcuffed, and kneeled on) by Mandalay Bay security guards.
But, according to one industry spokesperson, players who express shock and outrage at this type of treatment are overreacting.
"We hardly ever beat a player badly enough that he requires hospitalization," he insists. "I'm not saying it doesn't happen-but that's not the norm. And you should also keep in mind that when a player does require hospitalization as a result of a casino beating, the player actually gets to go to the hospital. The days when we just left them out in the desert are history. Players today can pretty much rest assured that if they beat us at the tables, they will not be killed. A relatively mild beating, with perhaps one broken bone-maybe a cracked rib or two-that's it. This is a kinder, gentler casino culture today."
... continued here - http://blackjackforumonline.com/content/SpareRod.htm