Unusual Setup
 

Huh.

So, someone called for a setup at Commerce 20/40 a few nights ago.

The brush brings over the new decks.

The dealer fans out half of the blue deck and reveals:

A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]A[img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

Someone in the backroom has a good sense of humor (and hopefully is not unemployed right now).

Re: Unusual Setup
 

i use to do alot of semi-pro card counting. (didnt known the joy of poker at the time.) the dealers where always given new decks with the seals unbroken.

i would not be comfortable playing where they recycle the cards. a deck is not expensive when you buy truck loads at a time. on occasion when a card becomes damaged, the dealer would ask the pit for a replacement and this was a recyled card which i think is fine.

Re: Unusual Setup
 

Poker always recycles cards as they are made of plastic and cost about $10 a deck.

Re: Unusual Setup
 

[ QUOTE ]
Poker always recycles cards as they are made of plastic and cost about $10 a deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm. i didnt realize the plastic cards were so expensive. the BJ tables uses the paper cards usually "BEE" brand or something similiar. why doesnt the poker rooms use the paper cards and throw them out after use? wouldnt this be cheaper?

Re: Unusual Setup
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Poker always recycles cards as they are made of plastic and cost about $10 a deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm. i didnt realize the plastic cards were so expensive. the BJ tables uses the paper cards usually "BEE" brand or something similiar. why doesnt the poker rooms use the paper cards and throw them out after use? wouldnt this be cheaper?

[/ QUOTE ]

No the plastic cards last an amazingly long time. Well I don't know what paper cards cost, but I know of one low budget casino that uses plastic in the pit to save money.

Re: Unusual Setup
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Poker always recycles cards as they are made of plastic and cost about $10 a deck.

[/ QUOTE ]

hmm. i didnt realize the plastic cards were so expensive. the BJ tables uses the paper cards usually "BEE" brand or something similiar. why doesnt the poker rooms use the paper cards and throw them out after use? wouldnt this be cheaper?

[/ QUOTE ]

My guess is because in poker the players touch the cards, but in BJ they do not

Re: Unusual Setup
 

In poker before it was spread in casinos there were considerable problems with cheating- bending corners of cards, marking them, etc. The plastic cards prevent this to a large degree b/c they are completely bendable and snap back into flat position. You can lift a corner and it will be perfectly smooth afterward. Paper cards, even plastic coated can't be bent the same way without damage.

Re: Unusual Setup
 

[ QUOTE ]
i use to do alot of semi-pro card counting. (didnt known the joy of poker at the time.) the dealers where always given new decks with the seals unbroken.

i would not be comfortable playing where they recycle the cards. a deck is not expensive when you buy truck loads at a time. on occasion when a card becomes damaged, the dealer would ask the pit for a replacement and this was a recyled card which i think is fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

but the casino has nothing to gain really by setting up a deck with certain cards, at least in poker.

Re: Unusual Setup
 

It can certainly happen.

A friend of mine who supplies the cards for all the big bridge tournaments in the Northwest orders plastic decks from Taiwan, 5,000 decks at a time.

Last year he got an order with all of the aces of spades misprinted (a spade symbol in the middle but nothing in the corners.) He complained and got the order reprinted, but had 5,000 extra decks on his hands.

He is cheap. So he placed another order. For 5,000 aces of spades. Last time I bought a dozen decks of cards from him he handed me a separate envelope with twelve aces of spades sealed inside, along with the defective decks.


Anyway, moral of the story is, even if the casino isn't doing anything fancy, it certainly does happen that defective decks can come straight from the factory.