7. Body Type: You put a fat man and a thin man at the same table, and the lanky guy will draw the heat first.
Now I'm aware of the fact that there are many exceptions to all of these prejudices. I know that fat counters, and female counters, and non-white counters have all been discovered and barred at one time or another. And I'm sure there are some pit bosses and surveillance personnel who will state emphatically that they only watch for playing styles to determine which players pose a real threat to their tables. But all of these prejudices do exist. I've heard so many stories from so many players who have found that one or more of these factors have helped keep them at the tables (or gotten them booted) that I believe these biases to be real—and many, as a matter of fact, aren't unwarranted.
Looking at these biases, we can now draw a picture of the player most likely to be suspected of card counting, as well as the player least likely to be marked.
Most likely card counter: A young, white, American male, who is thin, stylishly dressed, and playing quietly by himself.
Least likely card counter: A heavy set, gray-haired, nonwhite woman, who speaks with a foreign accent, is loud and talkative, and dressed unusually, even badly.
The more a player looks like the "most likely card counter," the more he will have to use costly misplay camouflage. The more a player fits the image of the "least likely card counter," the more freedom he/she will have to play accurately, and with a wide betting spread according to the count. Just walk in looking like a seventy-year-old grandmother, wearing a sari or a babushka, ranting loudly in some strange language, and you can really take the casinos for a ride!
Obviously, there is only so much you can do to disguise yourself. There are stories of young pros who have colored their hair gray and shaved themselves receding hairlines in order to appear older. I know one very famous counter who attempted to pass himself off as female with a wig and a dress. (He didn't fool anyone.)
I know another counter who dyed his skin in order to pass for black. Whether you think you could get away with such radical disguises will depend on a combination of what you look like, how far you're willing to go, and your acting talents. It is always wise to keep these prejudices in mind, however, when you are getting ready to head out to play blackjack.
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