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We tipped away at least a thousand each to the dealers, floor, and waitresses.

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That's probably more than they make in tips in a year. (CR does not cultivate the high-roller crowd, nor, with 6:5 on blackjack, the smart crowd.)

Non-drunk (well, me anyway, I can't vouch for the employees) CR story: before they went to 6:5, I was wandering through and for some reason decided to play some BJ there (maybe Barbary Coast was too crowded, I don't remember). Anyhow, the dealer was not only crappy (they're non-union, so good dealers quickly leave for better pay elsewhere), but she dealt like she was practicing for a grudge match with Chris Ferguson. Tossed them clean off the table several times in the short time I was there.

Anyway, I'm sitting at first base, next to a woman happily pursuing her Martingale strategy despite a table limit capped at $100. Dealer speed-tosses the cards, flinging Martingale lady's second card off the table. "Card down," table buzzes, etc. Things get back to normal, so Martingale lady hits, next player stands...hey, what about me? I'm clearing my throat loudly, saying "hey, excuse me!" but dealer has a quota to fill. She finishes up and deals out her cards: a 19. She then looks at my cards, still face down, and I flip them, revealing two aces, and say, "yeah, you forgot something."

So she calls the pit boss, who comes up and instead of simply telling her "let him play his hand," looks at me as if it's my fault and grunts, "hit 'em or split em?" I push one ace to the side and place a bet in front of it, but pit boss apparently needs a verbal declaration, because she asks again, louder, "HIT 'EM OR SPLIT 'EM??" I say, "what does it look like?" and again I hear, "HIT 'EM OR SPLIT 'EM?????" I mean, are they hiring the mentally challenged as pit bosses? Finally I lose it and say, "SPLIT THEM, YOU [censored] ASS!"

Soooo, long story short, my split results in a 12 and an 18, and a helpful sad-sack of a security guy comes to escort me out of the casino, answering the question, "what does it take to actually get kicked out of Casino Royale?"