RFID Poker Table Solution | GTI – Giochi tecnologici

Maybe slightly off-topic, but I can't seem to find it anywhere on the internet.
I heard that some casinos outsource it to Asia but can't seem to find a company's name 😦

Hi all,
I have a question i am completely new with RFID and i am planning to make a poker chip automatic counter. I want to this with Poker chips that contain a RFID chip
My question is which items do i need to buy to get started with it? because i need to read multiple poker fiches and so on.

I am thinking about the feasibility of a project, but don't know enough about RFID technology to see if it's possible.
Basically, my idea would be to have a poker table with automated chip count. Every player would have a pad in front of them on which they have to place their chips, and that pad counts how many chip value is on there. (This is the basic functionality. They could then be equipped with WiFi and send the data to a central computer, etc, etc but that doesn't change the feasibility at all.)
There are commercially available RFID poker chips on Alibaba, however I don't know how easy it is to W them without proprietary software or anything, so I would consider just buying a ton of thin RFID tags and sticking them on regular chips.
To me, the main question seems to be the proximity and quantity aspect. Such a pad would have 5-7 stacks of chips, 5-10 cm high, and in total up to 100 chips per player. I imagine the pad the size of 20x10 cm. On one table you would have up to 6-8 players.
What do you think, can the current RFID reading systems for Arduino read up to 100 tags in sequence, without taking excessively long (doesn't have to be instant), and all that without interfering with the neighbor's chips?
(The neighbor chip problem could be amended at least partly when having a central chip "inventory" on a "server", so that only one player can have a chip at any particular time...)
I mean, there is certainly technology that can do this, but is there anything accessible to Average Joe and reasonably affordable?

After consuming a lot of media about this, including Postle's interview, I have concluded that if this stooge, who cheated so stupidly and obviously, can get away with it for more than a year, it must be extremely easy to cheat when there is a live stream of the game.
There are always people willing to compromise ethics for money when the opportunity is there. So there must be other cheaters who are smarter and will never get caught.

{2020-09-11 22:00 (UTC)}
Player count: 3-4
Duration: 4-6 hours
Communication: Discord, and Roll20 (IC)
Edition: SR5 + Hub House-rules + Table Rules
In Game Location: Everett, Seattle
Game theme: Wetwork
Threat Level: Dangerous
Prerequisites: Understand the rules relating to the mechanics of your character. If you are still learning how the rules work, please inform me when writing your application. To play on my table you are expected to be 18 years or older, and have read the core handbook. Must be willing to use voice chat.
IC Teaser:

Good evening Alex. If you’re reading this it’s because I made it out. Let me be clear, after all the lies you’ve told me, I don't owe you an explanation, and that’s not what this is. This message is purely for my own gratification. An opportunity to say to you everything I have so desired to say to you over the last eight years.
You’re sham and fake, now that's forgivable in a business of shams and fakes. But in your case it’s particularly egregious as I have so long ago discovered in that your facade conceals nothing underneath. You are an uninteresting illusion of a man constructed to conceal a mundane exercise in wasted resources. You have no potential to waste, you are nothing, you have nothing, save enough money and a willingness to waste your own time creating the illusion of power and mystique. Frag you. I’ve better offers than the one I’ve just left you in the past, but I grew tired of you waiting for you to do something interesting enough to give me a reason to betray you. * Elena

A handful of runnerhub fixers reach out through the network, delivering a sealed black celinder to select runners on the runnerhub. Contained within the package is a poker chip from the Shangri-la casino coated with a chemical reagent that turns blue on contact with oxygen.
Upon closer examination an near microscopic stealth-tag RFID can be found concealed on the surface of the data chip. It contains a low-rating data-bombed file with the filename WatergateSkygazing61
After entering any version of “September 5th” or “Halley's Comet”, defusing it yourself, or tracking down a geek, the contents become readable. They contain a brief invitation promising a lucrative wet-work contract, informing prospective runners to cash the chip downstairs at a specific cash-out counter in the Garden Of Eden Casino.
Response Information:
IC Response:

• You do not have to actually do any rolls to solve the puzzle above, or actually know the answer OOC for that matter to apply. It’s just a little IC gimmick, The spoiler tags are just for people who want to try and guess the password themselves.
  
• An IC Reply And/Or a short IC “slice of life” narration
  
• It's OK if the above is minimalist
  
• An included hyperlink to your sheet/google drive
  

OOC Response:

• Characters Role
  
• Familiarity with said role ranked 1/10
  
• If you have a hard cap, and if so what it is.
  
• Your Discord handle if I don't have it already
  

DO NOT INCLUDE:

• Number Of Runs
  
• Last Run Date
  
• A list of factions attitudes
  
• Rambling cheeky OOC information dumps
  
• Dice roller bots in this thread
  

Please note that “Dangerous” is my way of obfuscating run threat level. This is done as a measure to improve game immersion.
Thank you for reading through this and I appreciate your interest in my run. I know my requested criteria for application can come across as persnickety.
Disclaimer: My runs often include violent or disturbing content as well as adult themes. As such I ask that those under the age of 18 refrain from applying.
If you have any questions about this run or my post, please contact me via discord @Clara#8787

That reminds me of a story.
After that last one, I thought you might all enjoy a short follow up.
After Al, Chuck, Leo, returned to their other lives back in the world, they kept getting requests from various Agencies and Bureaus for more mine closure data, mostly focusing upon lines of documentation. The various Bureaus desired monographs, road guides, technical reports, and most importantly, detailed step-by-step “How To” manuals.
My guys, now my fully credentialed doctored colleagues, were predictably reticent to write up “How To” manuals for something that was obviously not of their authorship nor inception.
“Fuckin’-A, Rock,” Leo tells me in a phone call, “They want me to fuckin’ basically claim-jump you writing up mine closing procedures. What’s with these goatfuckers? They figured they paid you enough and are now trying to run a goddamned end around? Collective shitheels. No fucking way I’d even think of crossing, even accidently, the Motherfuckin’ Pro from Dover.”
I replied that I had no idea, as after the initial contacts after the field season, I had heard precisely dick from any of the bureaus. Which is fine, as I’m busier than a one-armed paperhanger in a windstorm getting ready to shift the family some 12,700 kilometers east.
I thanked Leo for the intel and told him not to worry, it’s just bureaucracy misfiring at its finest.
“Fuckin’-A, Bubba,” replies Leo as he hangs up.
It suddenly goes all dusty in my office. “I’ve trained that boy well,” I sniff and chuckle heartily.
A short while later, Al wrote me that he’s been contacted by the Bureau/Agency and they are desirous that he lead a field trip with a gaggle of professors from various universities. They are also not all geologists, but Environmental Scientists, Hydrologists, something called an “Environmental Engineer,” and other forms of societal detritus.
He tells me that they wanted him to lead a group of these characters out into the desert for a couple of weeks and show them the mine closure procedures which he developed.
He was most adamant in assuring me that they contacted him, and that the terminology was also theirs. He was already otherwise engaged, so he naturally had to decline. However, he made it abundantly clear that he would never even entertain such a notion like the one they had posited.
I wrote him back, as he was down in Patagonia doing something more or less interesting and/or exciting, thanking him for the information and wishing him well on his expedition. Since he was in the field, I also included a couple of the recipes we enjoyed back in the Nevada desert.
He later tells me that the Gauchos he was working with down there have never heard of Pineapple Upside Down Cake and they absolutely were delighted by it. Come to find out, they also like potato juice and citrus drinks as well.
“Good ol’ Dr. Good-deed. Aide to all men.” I pondered.
I talked with Esme about all this and she was of the opinion that either they knew I was headed east or they wanted me to have some time off. I had been doing a lot of ad hoc work for both Agencies and Bureaus over the last few years.
“Of course,” I replied, “Never ascribe to malice what can best be defined by governmental bureaucracy and officiousness.”
So, time puttered on.
We were holding weekly ‘GROJ (Get Rid Of Junk) sales’ on our weekends. Since everything electrical we possessed was 120 VAC, and the rest of the world, it seems, is 220 VAC, I had to part with all my antiquated electronics. My Fisher Studio-Standard stereo system, Akai reel-to-reel 16-track tape machines, EMI TG12345 MK IV recording console, and Harmon-Kardon turntables and amplifiers.
It was painful. However, I rationalized, if I were to stick them in storage for a decade or two, I’d have re-paid for them via rental fees a couple or three times over. Plus, and all that sitting unused in a storage locker certainly wouldn’t be good for these vintage electronical gizmos.
Still, it was a painful time to pack them into the back of someone else’s vehicle.
I had to take all my firearms to my Brother-in-Law for safekeeping. Since he’s in Kentucky, he was both happy to accept and vowed to give them regular workouts. Even though he’s some form or another of mechanical engineer, I guess I could trust him.
One day, the home phone rings. It’s Chuck and he’s livid.
“Rock!” he hollers, “You know what those chapped bastards at the Bureau want from me? They want me to step in on your turf, and take a clan of idiot pseudo-geologists out in the field for a couple of weeks and train them in mine closing. Can you fucking believe that?”
“Chuck,,” I say, “Whoa. Cool down. Leo and Al report the same, so it just looks like you were next on the list. So, going to take them up on their offer?”
“Don’t make me laugh, Doc!” Chuck asks, “First: I’m busy. Second: I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea how to handle logistics, camping, explosives, and all that other bureaucratic horseshit you somehow put up with. Third: I really don’t want a midnight visit from you and your bag of tricks because I’ve pissed you off by taking credit for what’s rightfully yours.”
“What is the fucking deal?” I ask Chuck, “I’m not like that at all. Everyone thinks I’m going go out and frag them because the Bureau asks them to do a job I did previously. Damn, I’m the most laid-back, gregarious, and even-tempered person on the planet; and I’ll mutilate the miserable manky motherfucker that says I’m not.”
Chuck laughs nervously.
“Hyperbole aside,” I continue, “It’s just that they know I’m headed out to the Middle East and don’t want to bother me right now; I suppose.”
“Umm, Rock,” Chuck clears his thought, and gulps, “That’s not the reason they told me.”
“Is that a fact?” I ask, “What did they give as a reason?”
“Now, Rock, don’t take this wrong. This is Bureau-speak, not me,” Chuck wants to make the point vodka-clear, “But they felt you were the wrong person to lead this group of ‘scholars’. They were concerned with your…”
Hesitation.
“Spill it, Chuck,” I say.
“Demeanor,” Chuck says, “Your conduct, your deportment, your behavior…”
“I see someone got a Thesaurus for Christmas,” I said.
“Rock, that’s them, not me,” Chuck continues, “They said you are too ‘wild and wooly’ to conduct this field expedition of ‘noted scholars’.”
“Is that a fact?” I ask, rhetorically.
“Just reporting to you what they told me, Bossman.” Chuck offers.
“I appreciate it, Chuck. Thanks.” I reply, “Don’t sweat it. I’ll take it from here.”
You could hear an audible expression of relief when we broke connection.
After a couple of cocktails, I had simmered down a bit. Esme says that I need to call my Agency buddies and get the lowdown on the situation, as they’ll know what’s going on.
For once, Esme is also very, very pissed off about the whole situation. Mama Bear’s claws were getting sharpened.
“You are gone for months,” Es exclaims, “Train a bunch of greenhorns, exceed project requirements by over 200%, supply crucial scientific data on forensic activities, and take out a disaster they didn’t even know existed in that mine with the locker full of explosives!”
“Yeah,” I reply, “Does seem a wee bit unappreciative.”
“And then they pull this kind of shit!,” Es yells further, “Those ungrateful bastards. Fuck ‘em. Let them stew in their own futility. They call and you tell them to get stuffed. After all you did for them…”
“Now, now, Dearest,” say, “Let me call Rack and Ruin. If anyone has the skinny on all this, they’ll have all the latest dope.”
“Bastards!,” Es cries, “You damn near get killed several times over and this is their thanks?”
“Yeah, I know, Darling,” I say, “Does seems a bit ungrateful and duplicitous.”
Esme hands me the phone.
“Phone. Call. Now.” She orders.
Looks like I just got my marchin’ orders.
“Yes, my love,” I reply. Even I know when I’m out-matched.
RING RING RING
Agent Rack answers and we go through the usual pleasantries…
“What the flying fuck you mean ‘I’m too dangerous’?” I question Agent Rack.
“Well, Doctor,” Rack tries to explain, “Your ‘cavalier’ attitude towards explosives. More of your ‘relationship’ with them. Not showing the proper deference…”
“WHAT?,” I roar, “Ask anyone that has worked with me in the field! ‘Safety first, last, and foremost’. Just that I don’t fret and quail around explosives like a bunch of phonophobic, jumped-up, wet-pantied shuddering schoolgirls, when I have to demolish something, doesn’t mean I’m anything other than a goddamned consummate professional.”
“Plus, Doctor, ” Rack continues, “It’s not the 1880’s any longer. A Stetson? A sidearm? A .454 Casull Magnum at that…”
“You have got to be yanking my crank here, Rack.” I angrily reply, as I really hate it when someone calls me Doctor like that, “The hat keeps the sun off my head so I don’t get addled like those fuckers you’re talking with at the Bureau. The sidearm is for safety. Oh, yes; there’s that word again. It’s a fucking tool, just like my Estwing hammers or my galvanometer.”
“Can’t kill anyone with a galvanometer,” Rack replies.
“But I could with a hammer, myriad ways” I reply, “And give me five minutes, I’d figure out a way to ‘extract’ someone with a galvanometer...”
“Doctor, do let me let you talk with Agent Ruin; I’m needed elsewhere,,” he tells me.
Agent Ruin takes the phone. It’s the old Agency Two-Step.
“Doctor is distraught,” he observes.
“No, ‘Doctor’ is just plain damned mad.” I reply, “They contract me for a job that has never been attempted before and I complete it beyond their wildest expectations! This is my recompense?”
“Well, Doctor,” Ruin continues, “I’m sure it’s strictly a business decision. It’s obviously nothing personal.”
“It sure as fuck sounds personal,” I gripe back, as now I’ve gone from annoyed to genuinely pissed off, “I’m surprised they didn’t say something derogatory about my Hawaiian shirts.”
“Oh, they did,” Agent Ruin lets slip.
“Oh? OK, Fine. That’s is then,” I reply, “The joyfulness of this whole experience has left the building. Tell them to strike me from their fucking list. I’m done with them. I wash my hands of them. I’m off east anyways. Fuck that bunch of paper-pushing, deskbound, pencil-necked dickheads. Fuck them. Fuck them solid. Fuck them ‘till they bleed.”
“Strong message to follow,” I add.
“Doctor,” Agent Ruin reminds me, “Do I need to remind you that all our conversations are recorded?”
“Oh, fuck no. I know that. So fucking what?” I growl, “Like I’m going to get tossed in Guantanamo for expressing a personal opinion? I can still do that in this fine country. Or has the First Amendment been repealed in my absence?”
“Doctor, you’re obviously agitated,’ Ruin adds, “Perhaps we’ll talk again later when you’ve calmed down before you head to the Middle East.”
“Yeah, about that,” I reply, “You shady characters can cross me off your fucking list as well. You’ve done nothing for me on this latest concern. Nothing! You couldn’t even give me the courtesy of a motherfucking heads-up. Guess that tells me all I need to know about the future of our relationship. Goodbye, Agent Ruin. Give Agent Rack my ‘Da Svidonya. I won’t be answering your calls any longer.
“Doctor, I, um, wait…”Agent Ruin sputters.
I continue: “And as long as I’m at it, tell that other Bureau to go hang as well. They want more data or shit from me, tell them to go find it elsewhere. And also tell them good luck with that. The three experts that exist in the world apart from me already told them to get bent. At least they possess loyalty and a dollop of comradeship. I’ll be shipping your phone and other items back via parcel post. Hasta la vista, Herr Ruin. Have a day.”
CLICK-KER -FUCKING-SMASH! I hang up in the rudest way possible.
“Clapped-out assholes,” I muse. “All those years of working together. All those years of building relationships around the world. It’s all kyboshed over a fucking Hawaiian shirt. I guess it was inevitable. Either I became too specialized or evolved myself out of being useful to them. Ah, well, their loss. Can’t be helped…”
I take a healthy swig right from the prime vodka bottle. OK, several.
“FUCKERS!” I scream at the wood-paneled ceiling, shaking my fist in vehement rage at the clouds coolly cruising by outside my window.
Esme doesn’t come running. She doesn’t have to. She knows the score.
I ship the Agency’s toys back to them with a terse note: “Thanks for all the nothing. Here’s your shit back. Dr. Rocknocker. PS: Get stuffed.”
Not my best effort, I’ll agree. However, I was really pissed at that point.
Now I have the time to devote solely to relocating my family and I overseas. Gad, there’s so much crap one must go through. What to sell, what goes in storage, what to trash, what to give away…the lists are endless.
First to go are all my power tools. Fuckbuckets. It took me decades to amass that collection. I got a good price, sure, but now I’m more or less without a hobby. We decide to put all Esme’s lapidary equipment in storage. It’s too specialized to generate much interest, much less a decent price. Besides, they won’t rot in our absence.
I can ship my fishing gear and golf clubs overseas. They’re American, but at least not 120 VAC.
Our house goes on the market and we have to get it spiffed to within an inch of its life. Got to have that ‘curb appeal’. Good, let someone else do it, I’m busy. More unexpected expense.
I give our house contractors out in New Mexico their marching orders. It’s going slow and will be a seasonal thing, but they guarantee me the house will be ready by next summer if they can source the slabs of Baraboo Quartzite I want. Splendid, that’s something I don’t have to follow up on every day.
Then there’s our aquarium. 250 gallons of treated Houston water, loaded with native Texan fish and a couple of cranky Jack Dempseys. All the gear, filters, pumps, water polishers, heaters, treaters, all of it. Has to go.
My ex-Utah Mormon drinking buddy down the road expresses interest. I basically let him have it gratis on the one condition he takes everything, fish included. He has to keep the fish alive and happy their entire lives. I’ve raised some from minnows and have grown attached to a couple of the gaspergou and a certain smallmouth bass with those big brown eyes…
Digger, my stalwart mechanic, is going to purchase my truck. It’s a bittersweet parting, but at least I know it’ll have a great home. Digger is going to use it as both his personal truck and his company’s hot-shot vehicle for pick-up and delivery of everything from batteries to full drivetrains. I know the vehicle will be in good hands.
Our Land Rover is up for grabs. Few are interested, though; buyer’s market. It’s a couple of years old and has lots of miles, due to Houston being so stupid-big. I order an extra-large bottle of AstroGlide as I know I’m going to be taking it up the ass on this one…
Finally, our pets.
Reluctantly, I’ve agreed to take the cat. It’s a stupid little feline that I figure we can just toss in a suitcase and drag it with us overseas. No, I guess we’ll get a cat-carrier and figure it out with the airlines.
Then there’s Lady. 135 kilos of dopey puppy. She’s getting up in years, as well, especially for a giant breed. Luckily, overseas we’ll be living on a Western compound. So if we go through all the rigmarole of quarantine, getting her a ‘pet passport’, and shipping via a specialist service, Lady can bark at the tenets of pre-Islam (dogs really aren’t haram), and actually join us in our new home.
This is going to cost a fortune, but I don’t care. She’s an integral part of the family, she is going to join us.
I find a Pet Relocation Service and begin the masses of insane paperwork. It’s an ‘all-in’ service, basically door-to-door. But do not be deluded, they charge every micrometer of the way.
Vaccinations, chipping (she already was fitted with an RFID chip), booking, boarding, securing vet services, obtaining health certificates, securing import permits, dealing with all issues related to customs clearance, interacting with foreign agents, supplying IATA approved crates, and obtaining Municipality tags registration for new arrivals.
Gonna cost me a couple-three-four kilobucks. Worth every penny.
Esme, the kids and I are working on beginning packing, tossing this, wrapping that, sentimentalizing over the other thing when we get a ring at the door.
It’s a bonded courier. He has a package for me.
It’s of the size that would contain about 6-months’ worth of Playboy magazines, and has no external address. I sign for the thing and walk back to the kitchen.
“What you got there, Rock?” Es asks.
“Not sure,” I reply, “But it came via bonded courier.”
“Well, open it,” Es smiles. She loves surprises.
I do so and it’s a series of articles, re-prints, and other information regarding Nevada, mine closures, and the Mine Closure Act. There’s also a number of newspaper and magazine clippings that had been photo-copied into a dozen-page document. All of them, write-ups and reviews from different newspapers, house organs, and journals citing my work with the guys out in the field.
I open it further and there’s a personal note from Dr. Sam Muleshoe, and a certified check, made out in my name.
Seems I was correct. After exhausting their leads with Al, Leo, and Chuck, they have spent near a month trying to find someone to take over the project. “To fill my shoes,” as Dr. Sam Muleshoe notes.
They came up totally empty.
“Told ya’ so.” I gloated. Esme smiles a wide schadenfreude-fueled smile.
I look at the check. It’s plenty healthy, but not superhero strength.
I show Es and she laughs out loud.
“So,” Es whoops, “They think they can get back in your good graces by buying you off? Hah! Fat chance,” she says and regards the check, “Hell. They’re not even close.”
I agree with Esme passionately.
I write a quick, hand-scribbled note to Dr. Muleshoe, thanking him for the information. I give several options, some admittedly anatomically impossible, regarding what he can do with the check and the Bureau’s offer.
I wrap it back up with duct-tape, call the courier service, and return it to Reno, COD.
A couple of days later, I receive a phone call. Surprise, surprise, it’s from Reno.
“Rock, it’s Reno!,” Es tells me.
I shake my head “no!” slicing my hand through the air in the head-chop mime.
“Tell him I’ve gone bush in darkest Outer Albania and you have no idea when I’ll be back,” I say.
Esme looks a bit sheepish, as we can hear the phone remark: “I can hear you, you know.”
“Fuckbuckets,” I think, “OK, hand me the rap-rod.”
“Yeah?” I growl, very grizzly-like into the infernal communication device.
“Hello, Rock. This is Sam Muleshoe,” the phone reports.
“Damn,” I exclaim, “I guess you characters can’t take ‘no’ for an answer. Which word fucking confused you?”
“Rock, what’s the god damned deal?,” Sam asks innocently, “Why all the bloody hostility?”
“Oh, double-fuck me!” I say metaphorically, “Don’t act like you don’t know. Try and snake the latest field mine closing job out from under me and try to snag my guys. Then, when that fails, give some sort of bullshit report to Rack and Ruin. You think I’m ‘too cavalier’, too “wild and wooly’, and think I’m some goddamned 19th-century throwback that loves horrible Hawaiian shirts…”
“Doc?,” Sam asks, “Are you currently fucking drunk? What the actual fuck are you rabbeting on about?”
“Sam, I’m stone-cold fucking sober,” I reply, “Yeah. I know, that’s a first. But listen here Scooter. You must have balls of brass trying to sweet-talk me into running another field course after all you did…”
“Rock,” Sam pleads, “Please, believe me, I have no idea what you’re on about. Can we talk and maybe figure this thing out?”
“No!,” I holler, “I’m done talking with the likes of your Bureau. Nothing you can do or say to rebuild the bridges they’ve burned with me.”
“OK,” he says, “Doct…, err, Rock, buddy. Calm your tits. Give me the Reader’s Digest version. I’ll look into it, because I have absolutely no idea what this is all about. This really sounds serious, with fuck-up overtones. Trust me, I’m serious as the last cold can of beer on a field trip.”
“Marvelous.” I say, “I guess I owe you that much. Professional courtesy. At least one of us has the grit to employ some.”
So, I run through the tale of the travails of Al, Chuck, and Leo. Then my little difference of opinion with Agents Rack, Ruin, and the Agency. Plus my severing of ties with both that Agency out on the east coast and the Bureaus in the great American Southwest.
“Doctor,” Sam says intently, “I know it’s going to be difficult, but I swear on a box of your finest cigars with a vodka chaser that I didn’t know anything about all this nor did it come from this office. Por favor señor, let me do some digging. I’ll be back in touch.”
“Sam,” I say, thinking over the situation, “Yeah…I must apologize for my previous outbursts. I should have known you’re not behind this idiocy. Yeah, go do some fossicking. Let me know what you dig up. Again, sorry. I was a bit…animated.”
“Rock,” Sam chuckles, “Do you think that I’d dare anger someone like you? You must think I’ve got a serious case of cranial lithification to cheese-off the Motherfucking Pro from Dover!”
At this point, I knew that Sam was also only collateral damage; he too was caught in the crossfire. Ground zero for the original attacks lie elsewhere within the Bureau.
Esme and I go back to preparing for our trip coming up in 2 months. But Jesus Q. Christwagons, there’s so much to do. Everything you own; it gets packed, stored, or trashed.
It’s the decisions that get so tiring. Keep. Toss. Sell. Burn. Leave on someone’s doorstep.
I propose to Es that we just do the basic necessities. Then we hire some firm to finish up for us. It’d be worth the cost since just think what we’d be saving on aspirin and Ace Bandages.
Esme readily backs the idea that we should turn the job over to someone else. Plus in the interim, we can take a trip back home to Baja Canada so the kids could visit their grandparents, we visit our family, and all of us could cool out a bit before the big trip east.
I need to drop by Big Ray’s Tap for a few hours/days anyways.
Old commitments.
We’d go the beginning of our last month here in the States, spend a couple of weeks visiting family at home, leave the kids with the grandparents to get spoiled rotten. Es and I would return to Houston to finalize everything.
Then Es and I would fly from Houston to that damn sprawling annoyance of an airport on the big lake in Illinoise. The family would meet us there, handover the kids, and we’d all haul ass eastwards to the Middle East.
I readily agreed. Anything has to be better than dealing with this crapola.
Lady and the stupid cat would go to the pet schleppers a little early. Sure, it’d cost a few more dinars, but that’s one big headache sorted.
So, late one afternoon, I’m sitting in my office, trying to figure out exactly what reference works I couldn’t live without.
Compton’s? Save. Field Guide to Fungus? Toss. No, wait a minute. Could prove useful.
That’s why this is taking forever.
The phone rings.
It’s Sam.
“Hello, Sam,” I say, “What news?”
“Goddamn it all to fucking hell and back,” Sam roars.
“That’s a unique greeting,” I reply.
“I finally drilled down to the bottom of all this horseshit.,” Sam replies, “And it’s a real bowl of fuck all the way south.”
“I’m listening,” I say, “Actually, Sam, hold on. I need a drink. Moment.”
I give Es the high sign, note it’s Sam on the phone, and that I’ll be in my office if she hears any screaming.
I amp up my drink and return to my office, closing the door behind me.
Lady is here, waiting to keep my feet warm.
“OK Sam, your nickel,” I say, “What’s the scoop?”
“Would you believe?,” he begins, “That all batshittery this came from accounting and bookkeeping?”
“Well,” I reply, “I’ll have to admit that I’m not overly surprised.”
“Yeah,” Sam continues, “I was off on holiday. My first two weeks off after 5 years. My very temporary replacement received a memo from the head of the Bureau that there was great interest in you leading a shortened version of your last trip to demonstrate to a bunch of different university PhDs in the care and feeding of abandoned mines. Seems the Bureau Chief was very impressed with what you and your team accomplished.”
“OK,” I reply, “With you so far. So, where did things get wrapped around a tractor’s nuts?”
“Right,” he replies, “Here’s where things first went off the rails. Whoever vetted the list of potential attendees sorted the list alphabetically, not by field of expertise. Of course, the obvious first choice would be for geologists; especially those with mining, field, and blasting experience.”
“Ah,” I replied, “No wonder it was such a miscellaneous bunch of baloney-loaf whole-grain enviro-types that Al had mentioned.”
“Yep,” Sam agreed, “But before anyone with any brains got sight of that list, some fucknuts in the Bureau’s University Liaison department sent out invitations.”
“Invitations?” I asked, “To what?”
“That’s just the thing,” Sam continued, “They sent out invites to a program that didn’t yet exist, run by someone who had yet to be contacted, much less secured.”
“Oh, hey! That’s some good work you guys do down there.” I snort.
“Indeed,” Sam agrees, “So once that hit the mail, we started getting back replies and acceptances.”
“And there was no project, no leader, no logistics…?” I asked.
“No shit,” Sam scoffs. “So, what did these idiots here do? Contact the attendees and explain the problem. Take a little flack, but get it sorted out then try again?”
“Let me guess,” I said, “No?”
“Nope,” Sam sighs, “By that time, it was in the works and in the hands of accountants.”
“Oh, fuck,” I commiserated. “I feel your pain.”
“Yeah,” Sam continues, “They see that you’re the hookin’ bull on the last one and they dig into your contract. They figure, ‘Whoa, he’s way too expensive, just look at these expense accounts’, so they do an end-around and contact your colleagues.”
“Al, Chuck, and Leo. They’re damn good guys,” I said, “Fine field scientists, all. But I don’t think any of them have the moxie or experience yet to run a whole field course.”
“These accounting shitheads never bothered to find out,” Sam groans, “It was all ‘bottom line’, so you got caught in the squeeze.”
“OK,” I reply, “I see how that happened, but what about all the shit about me being a 19th-century throwback, that I’m unsafe, wear horrible Hawaiian shirts, and all that shit?”
“Comedy of bloody errors,” Sam says, “Actually, the Bureau Chief likes your fashion sense; you should see some of his shirts. But your slime campaign was based on unreliable evidence, tall tales, folklore, and outright fabrications. It was easy to pimp someone with a personality like yours, it’s been said. Someone was trying desperately to cover his ass. However, we have identified the perpetrator.”
“Next time I’m in Reno,” I said, “I’ll pay him a friendly little visit and arrange his transport to Neptune. One way. Y’know, it’d be easy for someone with a ‘personality like mine’.”
“Ah, yeah. He won’t be here,” Sam says, “In fact, we don’t know where the hell he went. He was immediately sacked, as were a couple of the more boneheaded accountants.”
“That’s redundant,” I smirk, “They really don’t want to talk with or see me anytime soon.”
“Right, then Rock,” Sam says, “We green again?”
“Yeah, Sam,” I reply, “Sure. Green as a New Saigon. But you’ve got to call Rack and Ruin for me. You have to let them know how this whole clusterfuck came to be. We had some words a while back.”
“Oh, yeah,” Sam remembers, “I talked with them the other day. They said they’ll be in Houston in a couple of days.”
“Cor! Just what I fucking need right now,” I lament. “Ah, it is what it is.”
“OK, Rock. Now, back to reality. You interested?” Sam asks.
“Send me a JD (job description) and the project particulars. The price of poker’s really going up this time, Sam. Stratospheric. Sorry, it’s all just business.” I relate.
“Yeah…,” Sam sighs, “I figure we’ll really owe you if you can drag our ass out of the campfire on this one.”
“You have no idea,” I chuckle. We exchange farewells and ring off.
Now I have some talking to do with my significant other.
Since we were all set to go back to Baja Canada, I could use those two weeks to go to Nevada, if necessary. I can be back in Houston with Es for the last two weeks before we’re slated to travel, and we can sort out the house.
“This won’t be an easy sell,” I muse, before chatting with my darling, brilliant, and ever-so-forgiving partner.
“I’ll need a drink first”, I declare.
Esme notes that it would be nice to have a little spare cash with us when we move overseas.
You could have dropped me with a Claymore. Es never fails to flummox me.
So, provisional OK from the powers that be. Now all I have to do is wait on Sam’s prospectus.
The next day, the doorbell rings. It’s Agents Rack and Ruin.
One is holding a box of very expensive cigars, and one is holding a bottle of very expensive bourbon.
I turn to Es and remark, “Look here, darlin’. Geeks bearing gifts.”
“Hello, Doctor,” Rack says, bristling, “We need to talk. “
“Why?” I ask, “I do seem to recall that I’m no longer associated with you people any longer.”
“Doctor,” Agent Ruin cocks his head contritely, bowing ever so slightly, “May we please have a moment of your time?”
I look to Es. She shrugs her shoulders. Luckily I’m partial to Es’ opinion. I am also partial to good bourbon and cigars, especially when someone else is paying for them. So I shrug my shoulders as well and tell them to make entry.
“My office, “ I say, “You know the way. Mind the boxes.”
Once in my office, the Agents stack their offerings and go on in great detail, basically collaborating Sam’s story. I remain steadfast and stony as the Harney Peak Granite of Mr. Rushmore fame. I’m not giving anything away any longer.
“Well, Doctor,” Agent Ruin finalizes, “That’s the story, warts and all.”
“Yep, it is pretty warty,” I agree, “So?”
“We would like to rekindle our relationship,” Agent Rack reports, “These are for starters.”
He hands me the cigars and booze; plus another box.
“Thanks,” I say, “But just because I accept your peace offerings, that doesn’t mean we’re going to turn back the clock.”
“What are you suggesting?” Agent Ruin asks.
“No more consulting,” I reply, “I want in. The ‘Full Monty’, as it were. If I’m going overseas and work for some twitchy Middle Eastern sandpit’s national oil company, I want perks, tabs, and my ass duly covered.”
“Work two full-time jobs simultaneously?” Agent Rack asks.
“However you want to structure it,” I say, “No more consulting. From here on out, you want me, you’re making me a full-fledged full-timer.”
Agents Rack and Ruin look at each other, enquiringly.
“Doctor,” Agent Rack replies, “We are prepared to offer you an ad hoc Agency appointment. You will be fully attached but you will be also doing your full-time job in the other country.”
“I’m listening. Tell me more,” I ask, “What exactly are you offering?”
“Full access to all pertinent information,” Agent Ruin continues, “Full entrée to appropriate facilities and, um, assets. Security for you and your family in case of, well, shall; we say, ‘difficulties’. Monthly minimum payment of [$$$] to any non-US bank of your choice. Extra duties would be duly compensated. Top clearances. An enhanced potential payment package, bonus possibilities, and full benefits for you.”
“Full benefits for me and my family,” I say, “Or there’s the door. Non-negotiable” I point out.
“Very well. That had been anticipated.” Agent Rack replies.
“Gentlemen,” I say, “Let us shake on what I hope turns out to be a beautiful relationship.”
We shake hands and I sign my life away. I’m really in it now, up to my neck. I have to learn to shut up more and just listen.
“Now, gents,” I say, “In order to seal the deal, let us break out the drinking stuff you’ve brought along. We will also smoke together so that we will know there will be no lies or deceit between us.”
“Also anticipated, Doctor,” both agents agree.
My ‘new’ old colleagues prepare to leave a while later, after a cigar, and far too much of what was a full bottle of expensive gift booze. They always get you in the end.
Contained within the other small box were my new Agency credentials, updated version satellite phone, secure codes, and a nifty new Swiss Army Knife, with a built-in cigar cutter.
With renewed dedication and expectations all ‘round, Agents Rack and Ruin take their leave.
They hope to be able to meet me and the family, remember, they are Uncles Rack and Ruin, overseas one day in the not too distant future. My information, further updated cards, registration, and all that official business guff will come to the specific Middle Eastern country’s US Embassy for me once we arrive and get settled.
“Marvelous,” I muse.
I receive an Email from Dr. Muleshoe explaining what we talked about and his hopes for my stickhandling a ‘quick’ 2-week field excursion for the approximately 15 Ph.D. types from around North America. Seems there’s a couple of Canadians and one Mexican professor that expressed desires to join. They had actually forwarded funds to be included in our number.
Sam suggests I drive out in my truck and proceed as per the last trip. Get the trailer, fill it with noisemakers, and the Bureau would sort out transportation and lodging for the attendees. Seems some want to camp, like real geologists, and some want to lodge in hotels, like real non-geologists.
I write Sam back:
First item: this is a 2-week sojourn into the desert. It’s a field meeting, emphasis on the field, not a tour of Nevada’s many fine hotels, resorts, and casinos.
Item two: I no longer possess my truck. The Bureau will provide me with the appropriate vehicular equivalent. No passengers, this will be the Camp Chief truck from the onset. Besides, I am the only one licensed to drive the vehicle when coupled to an explosives-laden trailer.
Item three: I will be flown to and from Reno from Houston. No buses, trains, or automobiles. It’s business class or zilch.
Item the fourth: the Bureau will source the necessary support logisticians to provide food, drink, and toilet paper for the 16 professionals while we are in the field. They will also need to provide cooks, dishwashers, camp tidiers, and the like as I don’t have time to deal with 15 potentially field-fresh, whiny waterhead PhDs.
Item the fifth: The Bureau will provide for all pre- and post-trip handling of participants. They can handle hotel rooms for the early arrivers or late-stayers. They can manage arrivals, registration, signing of necessary documents, and assuring vaccination records are up to snuff, waivers are signed, etc. They will also handle the transportation of participants to/from and during the field project, when and where necessary.
Item the sixth: I include a new version of my contract. Force Majeure, ‘Take or Pay’ clause. Door to door coverage. Plus my, ahem, augmented day rate. Absolutely non-negotiable.
Item seven: I have final say over what is done in the field. I am in command, the boss, the head cheese, the head honcho, and I require absolute discipline, especially where explosives are concerned. “My way or the highway” will be the theme of the trip. Gain, non-negotiable.
To be continued.

With the new regulations for Vegas being released I’ve been thinking of other ways for Live poker to go back to “normal.” One thing a friend of mine suggested was that they implement small screens at each seat at the table, or an app, that allow you to bet/raise/call/fold that would be cleaned by the floo dealer every time a player cycled thru. Real cards would be dealt, however no chips would be used. You could peel your cards on the screen via rfid. At the end, when you decided to get up, they would print you out a voucher (like a slot machine) that you would cash out at the window.
I’m not sure I’d be fully on board with this. I think it takes away a dynamic of live poker that I personally love. My idea was to come up with a “Chip Sanitizer” that could be installed at every table. That, along with gloves/ hand sanitizer every so often, wouldn’t take away the feeling off pushing in mounds of your chips or raking in mounds of chips.
Obviously the details would have to be worked out either way. I’m curious to see what you guys think. Let me know!
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Poker is a popular card game across the world with the excitement of gambling and potential for huge payoffs. Almost integral to the poker game are the poker chips, and indeed poker does not feel like poker without poker chip sets.
The chips are small discs of various colors representing different denominations, meant as substitutes for real money, which is instead stored in a more secure place. The use of money substitutes, or token money, can be traced back through the 13th to 17th centuries in Europe. Today poker chips are often made according to themes and formats that unite a particular set of chips. This is useful in avoiding counterfeiters, even for games at home or in private.
Casino chips use many different anti-counterfeiting measures, with the most basic being chip coloration and embossed or molded patterning. Holographic inlays, distinctive colored markings on the edges and ultraviolet markings on the inlays further deter potential counterfeiters. Lastly, Radio Frequency Identification or RFID tags are used by some establishments. The latter method can be quite costly, but the establishments that use them feel the cost is justified. Given the difficulty in counterfeiting chips, poker chip frauds in casinos are rare.
If you plan to play in private though, you should be careful of frauds, especially if you are using mass-produced chips. Another reason for these security measures is to identify which casinos they came from. This is usually not a problem, since casinos usually honor only their own chips and it is more of a matter of branding. In Nevada however, casinos are permitted to honor chips from other casinos, and these identifiers make returning chips to the casinos they belong to easier.
Poker Chip Sets - Composition and Coloration
Authentic casino poker chips are made of clay, though not pure clay which is too soft. Special composite mixtures have been made, using trade-secret techniques, the confidential nature of which is yet another speed bump on the counterfeiter's path. Sometimes, special edition poker chip sets may be bought from casinos, though generally poker chips stay in the casinos. Poker chips made for home use on the other hand may or may not be of the same quality as their casino counterparts.
For home use poker chips, ceramic and ABS plastic are the most common materials. When ceramic is used, special compositions allow them to approximate the feel of real clay while maintaining a lower price profile. Ceramic chips are also used in some casinos. ABS plastic chips on the other hand may be molded with a metal disk or slug inside, to give them some heft. For those in Europe, poker chips may come in mother of pearl, which gives them an incomparable sheen and luster. Coloration is standard for different denominations in one set, but may differ across sets. For example, in some places there are standard coloration schemes for chips, while in others there are none. Of note is the US State of Nevada, where casinos are given free rein on their chip designs and colors.
Poker Chip Sets - Sets and Themes
Since poker games often involve large amounts of money, a large number of chips are needed. Standard sets have 300 pieces, while others can have 500 pieces, and yet others reaching a stunning 1000 pieces. Some casinos sell poker chips similar to those used on the floor but with a few differences for identification purposes. This is great for those who want to emulate the feel of their favorite places of gambling at home games. Limited edition sets can be highly collectible, and there is a thriving community of poker chip collectors.
Many of the poker chips are traded via eBay, and the most special ones can go for thousands of US dollars, regardless of face value. Whole sets of these special poker chips can cost even more than the individual pieces. What really ties the members of all poker chip sets together is the design of the chips. Poker chips in one set are often of identical sizes, of consistent coloration, and having similar inlays. Colors and inlays vary according to denomination, but the idea is that chips from one set are identifiably from the very same set.
The edges and rims may also be embossed with characteristic patterns and even have colored sections made via special multi stage molding techniques. The designs may be simple and straight forward, just simple chips with numbers. They could just as well be whimsical, like having humorous or otherwise interesting prints on the inlays. A set of poker chips will often be packaged in a poker chip case or some such container such as an acrylic poker chip carrier or humidor style wooden poker chip case, in the tradition followed in casinos worldwide. One would suppose that if you are going for the authentic feel, then there's no point skimping on the little details.
Poker Chip Sets - Elements of Authenticity
Poker chips are essential to playing poker. One can "play" poker without them, but it will not feel like poker without the chips would it? It is the feel of these poker chips that gives a tactile sense of authenticity. The clink of these poker chips as they hit the table and trade hands adds to the ambiance. The nature of these poker chips ensures that no one can weasel out of the bet that they placed, so it ensures a fair game as far as bets are concerned. Speaking of amounts, the printed or inlaid values may vary depending on where you buy your poker chip sets.

Tried to set up wallet at a bitcoin ATM. When I was presented with a long list of words, I had to find a pen and paper and was timed out by the time I wrote it all down. So tried again with getting a printout and a rfid chip card from the ATM. When I go to BTC.com I can see my account, but when I try to spend on the poker site I want to fund I need a wallet that will read their QR code. Can I just create any wallet, and link it to my keys? Will that incur fees?
As an alternative, what if I had a wallet on my Android phone and my phone was destroyed or dropped in the lake. Could I just get a new phone and install a new wallet? Would it have to be the same wallet?
tia

I’m writing a story and it involves poker chips, well they’re a very small part of the story but I need an understanding of how they and the technology works. How they’re manufactured and such. I can’t find a whole lot online other then a bit of information about RFID which I still don’t understand. Questions include, what can be discovered about a single poker chip through its serial number? Like can you find it’s manufacturing information or do the serial numbers have to do with something else. And are fake chips an issue?
Sorry for the long post but any help is welcomed. I know it’s a bit hard to understand what I’m asking, I tried to explain my best though

I implemented an RFID inventory system for a manufacturing company I used to work for. Poker cards use standard 13.56 mhz RFID chips. With standard antennas the 13.56 chips can only be read a few feet away, the tables are probably designed to only read them inches away, but with a proper antenna, such as one that can be concealed in a phone case, and a bit of programming knowledge one could conceivably write a program to interpret the data and hide an RFID antenna in a phone case and read every card at the table.
Since the RFID chips are only read when interference occurs, you could simply filter multiple reads at once (which would eliminate reading the deck as it is moved) and your software could eliminate cards as they are moved for a second time (when hands are mucked). This would give you a pretty good idea, and with practice almost certainty, of what cards were out on the table. The software could even report the signal strength and you could infer who has which cards.
It would take a bit of trial and error to build a database and identify the code the cards were sending out, but I understand he went for six sessions before he started winning. He may have been perfecting his system and then, during the poker hand that will live in infamy, checked his crotch and the rest is history.
If this is the case, the manufactures need to develop some form of encryption that can prevent data from being read, though I don't know how that would be possible, even if you are only sending encrypted data it would be different for every card and could be easily inferred. Everyone is talking about accomplices but he didn't need any.

Hi there. It's my first time posting here because I was hesitant to give my mom the 'narcissist' label. That being said, I don't really have a better term to describe her behavior and a ton of people pointed me to this subreddit after I posted on /relationships about my mom.
To summarize, my mom and dad lied to me and told me I had allergies (chocolate and milk). I believed them for years until I met my estranged Aunt and she spilled the beans and revealed the web of lies created by my mother. I decided to go No Contact with my parents and my mom snapped and enrolled at my university and was basically stalking me and enrolling in the same classes I need for next semester. I contacted the student affairs department and they arranged a meeting between myself and my mom regarding the stalking.
At the meeting, the administrator heard both sides of our stories and pretty much caught my mom in another lie. My mom had her best poker face on and tried to claim that she hadn't contacted me in months. She denied that she had called me repeatedly, denied that she ever tried to get tutoring from me, denied everything she did. She tried to act like she was the victim and that I was just a mean and disrespectful daughter who hated her mom.
And that's when I produced my iPhone and showed the administrator the call log from when my mom called me over 1000 times in a row (this is not an exaggeration, the call log hit quadruple digits). My mom then tried to deny that the number was her cell number, but the administrator looked it up in the student database and it proved she was lying.
My mom tried to backtrack, but the damage was done. The administrator made us both sign contracts that said that we each must not contact each other for the remainder of the school year, otherwise we would be suspended from classes. My mom was forced to change her schedule so that she would not be in the same classes as I was in. The administrator made it clear that if she tried to circumvent the contract (even if by accident), that she could have her student ID banned from entering the student center or other buildings if I was inside (they are controlled by RFID chips and we have to swipe them to enter certain buildings).
After the meeting ended, I was so happy and I felt free for the first time in weeks. A few nights later, my dad called me and left a voicemail informing me that my mom tried to commit suicide with sleeping pills and that she was going to the hospital. I thought it was fake at first, so I called the hospital and they put me through to my dad who was in the waiting room. My dad laid into me pretty hard and called me names and stuff about the whole situation and then told me that if I didn't want my mom to die, I shouldn't have made her life miserable.
So that's my Thanksgiving vacation and I don't really know what to think or do right now. I'm going to go bake a pumpkin pie and try to forget about it all, but food tastes like ash in my mouth.

It would seem to me, that using RFID technology (very accurate), would eliminate the BIAS or "human error" of bad camera angles or missed calls. If a football field had RF sensors, and the ball had a few sensors in it, it would eliminate any guesswork as to where that ball is at any given time. Say, as in under a 10 man dogpile, you don't know where that ball is, as with RF, if it moves, it will be seen. It would eliminate the need for the guys walking out with chains on the field, you would just know. As for volleyball, tennis, or anything with boundary's, there would be no guess work if it its out of bounds. What would be the drawbacks?

Not strikes but poker chips. It seems like it would be a win win for them. $100 chips made of silver, heck even $50 and I think a lot of people would keep them or just pay for them outright. Good advertising, some media would bounce around from it and they probably couldn't keep them in stock. Maybe I'm dreaming but I really think it would be a money maker for them. What do you guys think?

I am working on a small electronics project where I want to read multiple RFID tags at once. I've had a look online and seen that most cheap RFID readers seem to only be able to read one tag at a time. What's the cheapest way that I can manage this? I am pretty new to RF stuff so in simplest terms is this feasible?

I’m familiar with the online casino mission of FUN, but are there any plans to move into physical casinos as well? I consider FUN a casino chip 2.0 and find their position more defensible as an improvement on the classic casino chip.
//
In an online casino, FUN is a specialized application of Ethereum that’s biggest benefit is that the design and development is focused on a singular use case. Once FUN validates this use case (which, as an investor, I’m hoping they do) what’s to stop more widely accepted projects with greater network effects from coming in and taking FUN’s lunch? We all know consumers have a preference towards liquidity and Ethereum is more liquid than its ERC20 counterparts (at least for the foreseeable future).
//
However, I think FUN has an amazing opportunity to tokenize wagers at physical casinos and become chip 2.0. Based on a little research, casinos use chips instead of dollars for a few reasons: gambler psychology, security, convenience, and data.
//
Psychology. Casinos use chips because it’s less painful from a psychological standpoint to lose some brightly colored representation of money than cold hard cash. Chips provide just enough abstraction from greenbacks that we perceive them differently and are thus willing to part with them more readily. I’m not a big gambler but have observed similar behavior in the way I use Venmo and even my credit card. I know it’s completely irrational, but I feel less pain completing a $100 venmo charge than I do forking over a wad of cash. This is not an uncommon psychological phenomenon as a long-known budgeting exercise is to pay for everything with cash over the course of a week to closely observe your cash flow and “feel” the cost of your expenses.
//
I think FUN is superior to chips psychologically because it represents an even further abstraction of fiat. If big crypto (ethereum in this case) is a riskiemore volatile/[educated] gambler’s version of fiat and FUN is an abstraction of ethereum (as all ERC20 tokens are) then there are a couple of conversion steps for the user to get back to dollars. I believe the added conversion friction will play to FUN’s advantage when people are deciding whether or not to put it all on black.
//
Security. From https://www.gamblingsites.net/casino/articles/casinos-use-chips-instead-cash/: “Chips provide casinos with an extra layer of security. Casinos control those chips and have a number of tricks they can use to discourage or foil those with criminal intent. A few years back, a man parked his motorcycle in the Bellagio’s valet area, ran inside with a gun and robbed a craps table for $1.5 million worth of chips.
//
The Bellagio noticed that a good portion of the thief’s ill-gotten gains consisted of $25,000 denomination chips. A few days later, the Bellagio announced to the world that it would soon discontinue all of its current $25,000 chips. Those chips would all become worthless after the deadline set by the casino.
//
This put the thief in the awkward position of having to cash in a lot of valuable chips in a short amount of time. He was later caught trying to sell his chips via the TwoPlusTwo.com poker forums. The “buyer” reported the attempted sale to police and the bandit was later caught.
//
Some casinos also add RFID (radio frequency ID) chips to their chips. This allows them to keep track of their high denomination chips and easily detect frauds. If someone comes in with a bunch of clever counterfeits, those chips won’t authenticate and the casino won’t mistakenly cash out a bunch of fake chips.”
//
So this is where FUN and blockchain tech destroys even the super-security-conscious RFID-enabled chips :). It’s as if immutable ledger technology was invented to solve this very problem. The security baked into the blockchain make chip theft and counterfeiting a thing of the past.
//
Convenience. It’s more convenient to gamble chips than handling and counting a bunch of dollars, especially when gambling large sums. This is another area where fun is a step function improvement over chips. With FUN, everyone has their “chips” conveniently stored in a wallet and can choose precise increments they wish to wager.
//
Data. “RFID chips allow casinos to catch dealer mistakes, to catch players who attempt to sneak in extra chips to the table after betting has closed, to track how chips move around the casino and more. Casinos can use this information to streamline profits, track trends and avoid losing money to crooks.” The transparency and availability of blockchain transactions is a dream for performing analysis of this nature. Casinos would easily be able to identify high rollers and perform analysis on gambling habits. This data can then be used for marketing and promotional purposes, designing new games or optimizing the floor layout, and comping players (hopefully in FUN).
//
If casinos wanted to further idiot-proof the system and add a little friction to cashing out, they could issue proprietary hardware wallets on the floor. These wallets would be used to store FUN and feature a simple interface that would streamline betting.

Was in a conversation with another user, and I got distracted when asked what my thoughts on constitutional carry were. Still, I thought this would make for an interesting discussion.
I don't believe that a person should have a permit to carry concealed. In fact, I'd far rather more people carry concealed than open. The open carry vs. concealed carry laws are a carry-over from the 1800's. In 1813, everyone open carried. That was just normal. So carrying a weapon hidden on your person was an act of a criminal. Oddly enough, Kentucky (the state with the absolute highest gun ownership today) was the first to pass a concealed carry law, basically as a way to further prosecute the assholes that would pop out a derringer at a poker game, for example.
Today, open carry scares people. I personally find this bizarre. A person who is open carrying is the absolute least likely person to do something stupid with it. But them's the times. With this change, I think people would be MORE comfortable with concealed carry than open, which is really all it's about.
Thus, I believe that concealed carry should be open to all citizens who can legally own a weapon.
So this brings up the question of how to determine who should be "legally" allowed to own a weapon?
It gets very hairy when you look at the constitutional right to carry, and "Shall Not Be Infringed" doesn't leave any wiggle room. Taxes/Fees are infringement, no matter how you look at it. This is precisely why churches are tax free entities, because taxing a church would ultimately be taxing the people, and you can't tax people for their religion. Yet, we do precisely that when it comes to arms.
However while the right to vote is clearly at the core of being an American, you lose this right if convicted of a felony (called Felony Disenfranchisement) so there's certainly situations where I think all law abiding citizens can come to an agreement that some rights be stripped.
This said, how do you do this? The FBI background check is the current method, and it's deeply flawed. A background check will only check if you have previously broken the law in any of the ways that would make you ineligible. What's more, it's accessible only to FFLs, and is in general, a royal pain in the ass. There's a way we could easily fix all of these problems.
Every person has a driver's license. ID is required to do pretty much anything. Institute a federal program where each driver's license is either embedded with an RFID chip, or a 3D barcode identifier for the sole purpose of federal data "tracking" (don't get scared of the word "tracking" here).
When your license is issued, the issuing state registers the ID to your SSN with the federal government, who keeps a database for the sole purpose of such checks.
Now, there's a simple, PUBLIC API that allows a person to input the ID (either via photo scan of the barcode, or manual input) and this will return nothing but the person's name (possibly a picture?), and a boolean value. Is this a valid number? And if so, can this person own a weapon, yes, or no? This could be further secured by requiring a 4 digit pin be entered by the person with the ID to authorize the check.
If you commit a violent felony (what's the sense in removing people's carry rights for low-grade embezzlement? Or marijuana sales?) then a flag is put into the database that states the following: 1.) What is the "justification" for the revocation. 2.) Who placed the record in the system. 3.) When was it placed. 4.) Who can be contacted in case of dispute. 5.) If there's an expiration, when is it?
This information would be accessible only by the owner of the ID - for appeals purposes. When a user submits an appeal to a restrictive record, the "governing body" that placed that record would have X amount of time to respond with why the record should stand (to a governing body) or it would automatically be removed. (Similar to how credit report appeals should work.)
Finally, only specific entities would have the capability of adding records to the system. First and most obvious would be law enforcement. Second would be medical/psychiatric facilities. And finally, permanent records could be added by the courts. In my world, the medical community and local law enforcement would only be able to create records that have an expiration date. Only the courts would be able to create permanent records (and in the case of appeals, expire them).
Now as for open/concealed carry, if you can carry, you can carry. Period.
Which brings us to, what about training?
Schools. Every school should have some basic classes on how the mechanics of guns work, basic safety requirements, the risks and penalties of failing to follow those requirements, etc. And I'm sure there are plenty of people who would volunteer to teach some optional extracurricular "labs". Education about weapons would go exceptionally far in reducing the feastigma about them, as well as reducing accidents. Passing such a class would give you your first barcode ID, as well as the first "limitation" in the database, set to expire on your 18th birthday.
Other advantages to this system: If your right to own a weapon has been revoked after you purchased a weapon and you're found with one on your person then officers could instantly, and easily determine if you're breaking the law. This would give the police probable cause to a.) Secure your weapon, and b.) Run a warrant check on you, and finally c.) Arrest you if it's been determined that you were fully aware that you were no longer allowed (eg: you are a felon).
Joe Blow average now has a method that can be used when they want to sell their own weapons. Currently, we would have to take the weapon to an FFL (not required in most states) and have THEM do the transaction. (For a fee?) It's often just far too much hassle. But if I can pop out my cell phone, scan your ID, and get a green "thumbs up" in a matter of seconds, you think every law abiding citizen selling a gun wouldn't love to have this ability?
Finally, this system could very easily later be expanded for all sorts of uses. Is the person diabetic? An organ donor? Etc. What if you want to be able to do a quick check to see if someone has a warrant before renting an apartment to them?
Technical note about security: Even though this sort of system wouldn't hold particularly sensitive data, securing it would be exceptionally easy. With a 20 character alpha-numeric ID (eg; 2n5f6s4g1n2y85ien3s0) this would give us so many IDs that if all 7 billion men, women, and children on the planet had a unique ID, and then you were to try and pick an ID at random, you would have a 1 in 1,909,642,076,977,676,000,000 of finding an ID at random. In other words, if you could spam the API at 1 BILLION IDs per second (which the system certainly wouldn't allow) it would still take you 60,554 just to find a random person's ID. So once your account is set up, you'd go to the DMV to set/change your original login/password (and to reset if you lose it). The system would actually be far more secure than your credit card, even though the data is far less sensitive.
Takeaways:
1.) The primary advantage would be the removal of the NICS system. There would be no need for an invasive background check that also creates a record allowing any person with a freedom of information act call to compile a list of all gun owners.
2.) Education: Education is key to fighting the stigma that the media has created against guns. (Anecdotally, I once dated a hardcore liberal and anti-gunner. After taking her to the range and teaching her about the weapon, and letting her shoot, she eventually started taking her own liberal parents to the range and purchased herself a gun. Fear of the unknown and what the media has "taught" - eg; guns just go off for no reason - is our primary battle).
3.) NO records of gun sales. By allowing joe-blow user to do a simple "can they own a gun" check on someone they wish to sell to, this eliminates the need for FFL's all together. Without records, then no entity will be able to generate a "gun registration list" in the future.
4.) Transparency. With the current system, it takes an ACT OF GOD to get your rights to purchase firearms back if someone in the government makes a mistake. With this system, it would err on the side of the citizen's rights. If a government body tries to sit on an appeals request, the appeal would be automatically granted by an automated system. Plus you would be able to see precisely why, and who has said you do not have the right to carry.
5.) Historical records would be available (due to the Freedom of Information Act) that show how often a particular county, state, or even individual doctor's office adds records. Gun grabbers abusing the system would very quickly and easily be spotted by civilian watch dog groups.

This started as a question on how I feel about "constitutional carry". It's a touchy subject, and this is long, so I ask that you read through it before "downvoting" out of a knee-jerk "NO CHECKS!" response. The design of this system is intended to restore our rights, not restrict them.
I don't believe that a person should have a permit to carry concealed. In fact, I'd far rather more people carry concealed than open. The open carry vs. concealed carry laws are a carry-over from the 1800's. In 1813, everyone open carried. That was just normal. So carrying a weapon hidden on your person was an act of a criminal. Oddly enough, Kentucky (the state with the absolute highest gun ownership today) was the first to pass a concealed carry law, basically as a way to further prosecute the assholes that would pop out a derringer at a poker game, for example.
Today, open carry scares people. I personally find this bizarre. A person who is open carrying is the absolute least likely person to do something stupid with it. But them's the times. With this change, I think people would be MORE comfortable with concealed carry than open, which is really all it's about.
Thus, I believe that concealed carry should be open to all citizens who can legally own a weapon.
So this brings up the question of how to determine who should be "legally" allowed to own a weapon?
It gets very hairy when you look at the constitutional right to carry, and "Shall Not Be Infringed" doesn't leave any wiggle room. Taxes/Fees are infringement, no matter how you look at it. This is precisely why churches are tax free entities, because taxing a church would ultimately be taxing the people, and you can't tax people for their religion. Yet, we do precisely that when it comes to arms.
However while the right to vote is clearly at the core of being an American, you lose this right if convicted of a felony (called Felony Disenfranchisement) so there's certainly situations where I think all law abiding citizens can come to an agreement that some rights be stripped.
This said, how do you do this? The FBI background check is the current method, and it's deeply flawed. A background check will only check if you have previously broken the law in any of the ways that would make you ineligible. What's more, it's accessible only to FFLs, and is in general, a royal pain in the ass. There's a way we could easily fix all of these problems.
Every person has a driver's license. ID is required to do pretty much anything. Institute a federal program where each driver's license is either embedded with an RFID chip, or a 3D barcode identifier for the sole purpose of federal data "tracking" (don't get scared of the word "tracking" here).
When your license is issued, the issuing state registers the ID to your SSN with the federal government, who keeps a database for the sole purpose of such checks.
Now, there's a simple, PUBLIC API that allows a person to input the ID (either via photo scan of the barcode, or manual input) and this will return nothing but the person's name (possibly a picture?), and a boolean value. Is this a valid number? And if so, can this person own a weapon, yes, or no? This could be further secured by requiring a 4 digit pin be entered by the person with the ID to authorize the check.
If you commit a violent felony (what's the sense in removing people's carry rights for low-grade embezzlement? Or marijuana sales?) then a flag is put into the database that states the following: 1.) What is the "justification" for the revocation. 2.) Who placed the record in the system. 3.) When was it placed. 4.) Who can be contacted in case of dispute. 5.) If there's an expiration, when is it?
This information would be accessible only by the owner of the ID - for appeals purposes. When a user submits an appeal to a restrictive record, the "governing body" that placed that record would have X amount of time to respond with why the record should stand (to a governing body) or it would automatically be removed. (Similar to how credit report appeals should work.)
Finally, only specific entities would have the capability of adding records to the system. First and most obvious would be law enforcement. Second would be medical/psychiatric facilities. And finally, permanent records could be added by the courts. In my world, the medical community and local law enforcement would only be able to create records that have an expiration date. Only the courts would be able to create permanent records (and in the case of appeals, expire them).
Now as for open/concealed carry, if you can carry, you can carry. Period.
Which brings us to, what about training?
Schools. Every school should have some basic classes on how the mechanics of guns work, basic safety requirements, the risks and penalties of failing to follow those requirements, etc. And I'm sure there are plenty of people who would volunteer to teach some optional extracurricular "labs". Education about weapons would go exceptionally far in reducing the feastigma about them, as well as reducing accidents. Passing such a class would give you your first barcode ID, as well as the first "limitation" in the database, set to expire on your 18th birthday.
Other advantages to this system: If your right to own a weapon has been revoked after you purchased a weapon and you're found with one on your person then officers could instantly, and easily determine if you're breaking the law. This would give the police probable cause to a.) Secure your weapon, and b.) Run a warrant check on you, and finally c.) Arrest you if it's been determined that you were fully aware that you were no longer allowed (eg: you are a felon).
Joe Blow average now has a method that can be used when they want to sell their own weapons. Currently, we would have to take the weapon to an FFL (not required in most states) and have THEM do the transaction. (For a fee?) It's often just far too much hassle. But if I can pop out my cell phone, scan your ID, and get a green "thumbs up" in a matter of seconds, you think every law abiding citizen selling a gun wouldn't love to have this ability?
Finally, this system could very easily later be expanded for all sorts of uses. Is the person diabetic? An organ donor? Etc. You could add these "tags" to your ID yourself from within the online application. Want to further secure your ID? Put a pin on it to secure specific information so only you can "authorize" people to see it. Upload a photograph of yourself so people can compare it should anyone get a copy and try to impersonate you. What if you want to be able to do a quick check to see if someone has a warrant before renting an apartment to them? (Some data, such as this, that is already part of public record would be easily accessible. Again, not a list of warrants, just a simple yes/no.) There's a great deal the system could be used to do.
Technical note about security: Even though this sort of system wouldn't hold particularly sensitive data, securing it would be exceptionally easy. With a 20 character alpha-numeric ID (eg; 2n5f6s4g1n2y85ien3s0) this would give us so many IDs that if all 7 billion men, women, and children on the planet had a unique ID, and then you were to try and pick an ID at random, you would have a 1 in 1,909,642,076,977,676,000,000 chance of finding an ID at random. In other words, if you could spam the API at 1 BILLION IDs per second (which the system certainly wouldn't allow) it would still take you 60,554 years just to find a random person's ID. So once your account is set up, you'd go to the DMV to set/change your original login/password (and to reset if you lose it). The system would actually be far more secure than your credit card, even though the data is far less sensitive.
Takeaways:
1.) The primary advantage would be the removal of the NICS system. There would be no need for an invasive background check that also creates a record allowing any person with a freedom of information act call to compile a list of all gun owners.
2.) Education: Education is key to fighting the stigma that the media has created against guns. (Anecdotally, I once dated a hardcore liberal and anti-gunner. After taking her to the range and teaching her about the weapon, and letting her shoot, she eventually started taking her own liberal parents to the range and purchased herself a gun. Fear of the unknown and what the media has "taught" - eg; guns just go off for no reason - is our primary battle).
3.) NO records of gun sales. By allowing joe-blow user to do a simple "can they own a gun" check on someone they wish to sell to, this eliminates the need for FFL's all together. Without records, then no entity will be able to generate a "gun registration list" in the future.
4.) Transparency. With the current system, it takes an ACT OF GOD to get your rights to purchase firearms back if someone in the government makes a mistake. With this system, it would err on the side of the citizen's rights. If a government body tries to sit on an appeals request, the appeal would be automatically granted by an automated system. Plus you would be able to see precisely why, and who has said you do not have the right to carry.
5.) Historical records would be available (due to the Freedom of Information Act) that show how often a particular county, state, or even individual doctor's office adds records. Gun grabbers abusing the system would very quickly and easily be spotted by civilian watch dog groups.
We need to play the same game the gun grabbers are. They aren't trying to take our rights away all at once. They're trying to take them away a little bit at a time. First it's background checks on guns. Then it's a waiting period. Then a longer waiting period. Then a check on bullets, etc. etc. etc.
We will only get our rights back if we play by the same rules. First we start with gun education. This will remove the vast majority of their momentum. As long as they can keep the populace scared and ignorant, they can get backing. Start with education.
Then, present this as a no-nonsense, transparent way that MORE "background checks" can be done. Focus on how this would now allow checks to be done between private sales as well. The now educated people will vote for it.
Then, using their same tactics, continue one little step at a time:

• With this new system, do we really need to use taxpayer dollars for NICS? Disband it.
• Do we really need taxpayer dollars for FFLs without the NICS? Get rid of them.
• If someone can legally own anyway, and open carry is a constitutional right, but it makes people nervous, why not just let everyone conceal carry?

One baby step at a time, the same way they took those rights from us in the first place.

13 April 2017 0831 (EST) The offices of Wythe Cosmos Studies Wythe County, Virginia
Pedro Ventura stood in the ground floor lobby. He'd gathered the group leaders from the bomb squad, haz mat, and IT teams. The first order of business was the update on the progress of the IT agents.
“Good idea to have us do that search,” the IT leader, Henley, said.
“You found cameras?” Ventura asked.
“Not yet, but we found something else interesting upstairs.”
The agent went on to explain the findings. He said that while searching the door ways for cameras, they found wireless RFID scanners. Every top floor office had one.
“We didn't know what the hell to make of them,” he said. “Until we took a look at the front door.”
The tech agent filled Ventura in about the front door. He said his team found a highly sophisticated degausser. He went on to explain that the most likely purpose for the device in this context was to wipe the hard drive of a computer leaving the office.
“So, another security precaution?” Ventura asked.
“That's what we believe, sir.”
The theory the technicians had was that the RFID scanners communicated with the degausser. They assumed that each computer had a chip in them. Removing a computer from an office would remotely arm the degausser.
“What do you need to prove this theory?” Ventura asked.
“We'll need to take apart one of the RFID scanners, a computer, and probably get a better look at the degausser itself.”
“Just put them back together afterwards.”
“You got it, Agent Ventura.”
“Anything else?”
“We'll continue looking for hidden cameras. We're also going to check all the doors on the ground floor for RFID scanners.”
“Good work. Keep me posted.”
“Yes, sir,” Henley departed for the top floor.
Ventura next turned to the agent in charge of the haz mat team. He reported that they still hadn't come across any suspicious items, and were ready to give the all clear for the full search of the lab to begin. He added that the haz mat team would handle the transport of the empty cylinders in the vault to Knoxville.
He finished and departed. That left only the bomb squad commander, Agent Mullins, with Ventura.
“We are moving down to the sub level,” Mullins said. “So far, we've found nothing of interest.”
“Okay,” Ventura replied.
Mullins went on to explain that their next order of business was to completely clear the clinic's floors. They would move on to the walls next. Ventura nodded his approval to this course of action. He knew that Kelso wanted that carpet ripped up as soon as possible.
“Is Agent Kelso okay?” Mullins asked.
“I'm not sure I follow,” Ventura replied. “I haven't seen him yet today.”
“He showed up to let us in, looked he was hungover all to shit, and that he lost a bar fight last night.”
Ventura didn't know what to make of that. The boss was the last person he'd ever expect to get involved in a bar fight. Or even go into a bar, for that matter. He'd never seen Kelso touch any kind of alcohol, let alone get drunk.
“I don't know about last night, Agent Mullins, but I can guarantee you that he's having a far worse morning than we are.”
*
13 April 2017 0837 (EST) La Quinta Inn Wytheville, Virginia
“You look shit, Irwin.”
“Good morning to you too, Vicky.”
This was the last thing Kelso wanted to be doing this morning. He'd spent several hours at the ER the night before, claiming he'd been bitten by a possum while dumpster diving for evidence. Originally, he'd planned to tell the ER personnel that he'd fallen onto broken glass, but decided that sounded incredibly stupid. He also wanted to make sure he got tested for rabies.
He had a fun time trying to pass his story off at the ER. Kelso had made a career out of bluffing terrorists, arms dealers, and other assorted bad guys. He didn't know if he was good at it, but he was still alive. That had to mean he was doing something right.
The ER nurses proved very difficult to bullshit. By the time the ER doctor came in to stitch him up, Kelso came as close to leveling with him as he would anyone. He told him he was in the midst of investigating a case with national security implications, this visit was to be kept strictly off the books, and he needed those blood tests run immediately. Kelso's badge, along with his increasingly agitated tone, got results.
Overall, he just was grateful he didn't smell of booze.
“What happened to you last night?” Vicky persisted.
“It's not important,” Kelso replied.
“Are you sure? You like you got your ass kicked.”
Kelso chuckled. “That didn't happen.”
“I can see you getting your ass kicked, Irwin,” he rolled his eyes at that, “Seriously, it isn't that hard to imagine.”
“Anyway, Vicky, why are we are here?”
“Easy, Irwin. You know, most men would gladly give up one of their nuts to get me into their hotel room.”
“Most men don't know you the way I do.”
“Your words wound me,” she had a tone of mock sadness in her voice.
“Why are we here?” the patience was escaping his voice with that question.
“I need an update.”
“You got a written one already,” he replied. “Nothing to add, yesterday was an absolute loss.”
“And what are you doing to fix the situation?”
Kelso rubbed his eyes and shook his head. He only agreed to meet with her as courtesy. It was the FBI's case, and they had no obligation to even report to her organization. Kelso had an ace up his sleeve when dealing with Vicky. He wondered when he would have to play that card.
“We are working several strategies to try and recover information,” Kelso responded in as cordial a tone as he could. “You will be informed of the outcome.”
“That's not good enough.”
Kelso had a good poker face, but not that good. He knew that Vicky could see the anger in his eyes. He did not need this. Time to play his trump card.
“Vicky, might I remind you that you're only involved in this case because the Bureau is allowing it. Your people have no jurisdiction here. Keep pushing it, and we will put an end to this.”
“We'll keep working it. You know we don't answer to you.”
“And I will fucking arrest you on the spot. If you don't think I can get away with that, I dare you to try me.”
“Maybe we'll have to rethink sharing information with you,” she replied.
“Not a smart decision, Vicky.”
She shook her head and pushed back from the table. Vicky made no effort to hide her irritation. Standing over Kelso, she glared at him. Using her height was a tactic Kelso knew she used to intimidate people. He had been in far more dangerous situations, with far worse people trying to intimidate him.
“I had hoped this morning would have gone so much more,” she flashed a nasty smile at him, “pleasurably.”
“Have a good day, Vicky.”
Without another word, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Kelso allowed himself a malicious smile.
The morning had gone poorly for Vicky. Other than meeting with her, it had gone just the way Kelso wanted it to. He pulled out his cellphone and called his boss.
“Yes, ma'am, it's me,” he said. “First shot has been fired. I'll keep you posted.”
*
0929
Kelso arrived at the building. In the lobby, he was greeted by Ventura. Kelso immediately noticed the surprised look on the younger man's face, and braced himself for more questions.
“Boss, you okay?” Ventura asked.
“Yep,” he replied.
“Where are the scratches from?”
“We'll discuss it later, Pedro.”
Ventura, unlike Vicky, got the message. “Okay, how did it go with Vicky?”
Kelso flashed a smile. “Moving in a good direction. Let's go talk about our situation here.”
They went into Phyllis Smith's office and sat on her couch. Ventura talked Kelso through the information he received from the team leaders this morning. The degausser particularly interested Kelso.
“So, even if they hadn't hit that kill switch, we still probably wouldn't have gotten that information. Hell of a security protocol, give them credit for that.”
Fifteen minutes later, Henley arrived to confirm those suspicions. He explained that the computer they took apart had an RFID chip inserted into it. This confirmed the IT team's suspicions that if someone tried to remove a computer from an office, it would trigger the door embedded RFID scanners. From taking apart the degausser, the team found hardware inside it for wireless connectivity. Henley's team believed that once the RFID scanners were tripped, the degausser would become active.
Kelso ordered them to take out the degausser and all the RFID scanners. Once removed, they would be taken back for further examination in Knoxville.
After they performed those removals, he told them to take the computers back to Knoxville as well. While not optimistic about the chances for any recovery from those units, Kelso wasn't going to give up on them. He also told Henley to transport the computers in a different vehicle than the other devices. Kelso didn't want to take any chances.
After Henley left, Kelso closed the door.
“Okay,” Kelso said when he sat back down, “this part stays between the two of us.”
Ventura nodded. “I follow.”
“I know you have an interest in things that are a bit,” Kelso paused, looking for the appropriate word. “Unorthodox, I think is the best way to put it.”
“How did you know that?” Ventura was surprised. He thought he did a better job of keeping that to himself.
“It's my job to know stuff like that, Pedro,” Kelso replied with a grin. “I know that you've got a vehicle to talk to people in that field, people who might have some credibility.”
Ventura smirked at the way Kelso phrased that. He knew how much his boss loathed the topic. Looking back on things, he could see how Kelso would know about his interest in fringe topics. While the subject had only come up one time, when they were on the hunt for a prolific serial killer in the wilderness of Montana. Ventura had casually mentioned some theories about it actually being the work of Bigfoot.
Forty minutes later, Kelso's tirade ended. By then, it had gone beyond Bigfoot, and included aliens, skinwalkers, chupacabras, and a whole host of things that alternative researches studied. Despite his emphatic rebuke of those creatures and their existence, Ventura was impressed by Kelso's depth of knowledge regarding the topic.
But he repeatedly made it clear that he did not believe them. This just made Kelso broaching the subject with Ventura all the more intriguing.
“What do you want me to do?” Ventura asked.
“See if you can find any reports of strange creatures in this region,” Ventura decided not to let Kelso know he'd already started that process the night before.
“How much about the location do you want me to obscure?”
“As much as you can, but I need that information. If you need cover for it, let me know. I'm sure we can come up with someone missing or something.”
“Okay,” Ventura didn't want to go down that road. If it got compromised he'd be kicked off that board. He'd have to find another way.
“I trust your discretion, Pedro, do what you gotta do.”
“And this stays completely between the two of us?”
“I'll brief Erica and Craig, but that's as far as it goes for now.”
“I understand, boss.”
Kelso checked his phone for the time. “Our coroner should be arriving from Knoxville soon. I need to make sure he knows that those bones aren't some elaborate prank we're playing on him for winning the NCAA Tournament pool.”
*
1420 (EST)
The coroner needed more than one person to tell him the skeleton was not a prank before he believed it. With the help of members from Mullins' team, they removed the body intact, and sent it back to Knoxville.
“Think he believes us?” Ventura asked.
“Probably not,” Kelso replied. “But he'll believe us after he gets a better look at those bones.”
“So you believe now?”
“Just tell me what your research finds, Pedro.”
As the afternoon wore on, more information came in from the team working in the sub basement. After Mullins gave them the all clear, they began to remove the carpeting in the clinic. They soon discovered tile floors beneath the carpets in the examination rooms. Kelso instructed them to begin removing the tiles, hoping they'd unearth Reiser's insurance policy.
Things got real interesting about an hour later, when Mullins himself came up to the lobby. He told them there had been a discovery in the examination rooms, and they'd want to see it. On the way down, he started explaining.
“Before we started removing the tiles, we wanted to check and make sure there wasn't something funny running up into the walls, like if someone had painted over them to hide a detonation cord or something.”
“Okay,” Kelso replied.
“We were running the radar on them, and that's when we noticed the anomaly.”
Kelso and Ventura both perked up.
“What's the anomaly?” Ventura asked.
“We know what was painted over,” Mullins replied. “Doors.”
“Doors?” Kelso asked.
“Yes, sir, each of those four exam rooms has one. We've started stripping the paint.”
“Good, I'll be curious to see where they go.” Kelso replied, as he felt his first surge of real optimism for this search.
“And one more thing, very subtle, but going into the back room, one of the members of my team was positive that there was a slight slope between it and the main hallway. We got a leveler out there, and sure enough, that back room is a half inch higher than the rest of that area.”
“Really?” that brought a smile to Kelso's face, because he knew where it was going.
“Yes, sir, and that concrete looks new. We're gonna check it with the GPR,” ground penetrating radar, “ “we haven't used it back there yet. Once it clears, we'll get a jackhammer in there.”
Kelso could not contain the smile that piece of information gave him. Ever since Vicky had told him about that room, he had been certain there was something to it. It sounded to him like it had been used to perform surgery, and Kelso thought it was their best chance to find some solid evidence. The fact that they went through all that trouble only raised his suspicions.
When they got into the clinic area, Kelso and Ventura followed Mullins to the first exam room on the left. In that room, they found the stripped away pant to reveal a sliding door. It was similar to the one in the vault. Both agents immediately noticed how easy it would be to conceal its presence with paint.
“I'm glad they didn't decide to paint over the walls in the vault,” Ventura said. “We wouldn't have found this floor for days.”
“No shit,” Kelso muttered.
After the paint was removed, they slid the door open.
*
1551 (EST)
Upon opening the door, a long, brick lined corridor, with dirt floors, was revealed. Kelso instructed Mullins to send his bomb detecting drone down the corridor. When it came back with no obvious signs of explosives, Kelso turned to Ventura.
“Got your Maglite?” Kelso asked.
“Where's yours?” was the response he got.
“Don't ask.”
Ventura turned on his light, and they walked down the passageway. Kelso had him shine his lights on the walls. There were no obvious signs of wires, nor was there anything else. Like everything else, they looked very clean. Kelso was beginning to get a bad feeling that this had also been completely sanitized.
Halfway down the passageway, that began to change. The brick started to look older. Kelso noticed several dusty, glass, coke bottles lying on the ground.
Ventura squatted over them. “You don't see these too often any more.”
“Unless I seriously miss my guess,” Kelso shook his head, confused at the situation, “those are from a time when they were much more common.”
Kelso glanced around the passageway some more. Something caught his eye on the wall opposite them. He had Ventura swing his light in that direction.
The Maglite illuminated an etching in the brick. It stretched from inches above the floor to approximately the same distance from the ceiling. Kelso guessed it must have been nine feet in height.
“Is that a circle?” Kelso asked.
“I don't think so, boss, it looks kind of imperfect.”
Kelso looked again, he could see slight imperfections in the circle. Looking at it longer, it became obvious that they were not mistakes. Instead, it was an equilateral, twelve sided object.
“It's a dodecagon,” Ventura commented.
“That's the name for a twelve sided object?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You paid better attention in geometry than I did.”
“It was also more recent for me.”
Kelso smirked at that remark, then looked around again. “What the fuck have we gotten into down here?”
Ventura had no response. After a moment, they started walking again. The hall ended in an alcove. Concrete with a couple of rugs replaced the dirt as the floor. The two agents stepped into the room, and peered around. It took both of them a few minutes to fully process what they were seeing. They shot each other confused stares as they looked around.
“Am I seeing this, boss?”
“If you're hallucinating,” Kelso replied, “then so am I.”
To their right was a rocking chair. Three cribs were on their left side. The agents could tell from the amount of dust in the room that it had not been in use for a very long time.
“Baby cribs,” Ventura shook his head. “Why?”
“Here's another question for you, Pedro,” Keslo said. “Why go through the trouble of painting over the door, but not remove the cribs? It's not like they're being used.”
“Why the fuck are they even here?”
Kelso had no answer for Ventura's query. Something else was starting to work on his mind. A sinking feeling entered his stomach.
“Pedro, this place had to been here before this building. Hell, it doesn't even look like this place has been in use since this building has been here.”
“I agree.”
The senior agent paced around a little more. Ventura didn't know what he was thinking, but he could tell the wheels were spinning in Kelso's head.
“We're on the north side of the building here, right?” Kelso asked.
“Yes, sir, I believe so,” Ventura replied.
“And we're already two stories underground, so there's less sloping to consider. How far do you think we've walked?”
“At least a quarter of a mile,” Ventura stopped, picking up on Kelso's thought. “Oh shit.”
Kelso nodded. “Yeah, we need to get out of here.”
Kelso left the rest unsaid, but he didn't need to say any more. Ventura had already figured it out. They were no longer on the property of Wythe Cosmos Studies. They did not have a warrant to be here.
Ventura turned to lead the way out of the alcove. Before he did, his flashlight caught a glimpse of a mural on the wall. It was covered by dust and looked to have been partially obscured, but he could make out a lot of blue paint. He stopped to look, but Kelso urged him on, telling him they'd look at it when they were legally allowed to be in the room.
While they walked down the passageway, Kelso's radio crackled. He told Mullins he'd speak to him when they got back to the main clinic. He then told Ventura to pick up the pace. The tone in Mullins' voice had sounded urgent.
When they got back into the clinic, they found Mullins waiting for them. He had a grave look on his face.
“What happened?” Kelso asked.
“We need to evacuate right away,” Mullins responded.
“Why?”
“That slab of concrete in the back,” Mullins motioned towards the back room, “it has enough C4 under it to blow this entire damn building sky high.”
[Thanks for reading. I'll be back Tuesday with Part 3 of Episode X. Episode 4 will post on Wednesday, as Kelso & Ventura search for answers about the corridor.]

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Date: 2014-04-08
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Questions	Answers
Have you ever seen anyone win or lose a life-changing amount of money? If so, how did it go down?	I saw a guy lose $1,000,000 once, I actually was dealing when he lost about $200,000 of that in about 15 minutes. It made me sick, but he didn't seem to mind much. Later he attempted to sue the casino because "clearly his drinks were spiked," but he later recanted that.
Also, what's the best way to score some comps?	How to get comps: Play for a long time and/or have a strong average bet. Buying in for large amounts and then not playing won't get you comps. Alternatively, be a fun person and the supervisor will probably hook you up because we appreciate the fun (not drunk) people.
What if you are fun and drunk??	Those two words likely don't go together. Trust me, we deal with SO many people every night that if you're drunk we are probably throwing you in with the others no matter what.
I've always wondered about counting cards. People get thrown out for doing it, but it's something that happens entirely in an individual's mind. Surely this is not cheating, and although the casino stands to lose out, they have no right to throw somebody out for doing this. So my question is: Has anyone been caught counting cards at your casino? Were they thrown out? Were they allowed back? What were they told?	Counting cards is not cheating at all. You're not doing anything but keeping a running total in your head and basing your play off of that. That being said, casinos are private businesses and can refuse service to anyone for any reason. Yes, people have been caught counting cards. The majority of them aren't that good at it, to be honest, and so we let them think they're getting one over on us (and still lose.) If someone wins "too much" or does too well, they will be approached by senior management and told that they can still play but can no longer play blackjack.
Are there any common tells that you look for when you suspect someone of card counting?	Generally I'm looking to see if they deviate from a reasonable basic strategy and have an abnormal success rate on hands where they make questionable plays. At that point I'll run a count as they play and see if they are changing their strategy and/or betting patterns when the count is in their favor.
Are they aloud to keep their winnings?	Yes, they get to keep what they've won. They just can't play anymore after that.
What does a player have to play for you to approach them an offer comps? Does that even happen anymore? I usually don't bet that much, is there any chance of me getting some freebies from the pit boss?	Honestly these days it's all computerized. Your play (on your players card) determines the comps you get. If it's your first time or your birthday (or you've played and/or lost a lot) you'll get more than you "should."
How can the computer determine your average bet etc.? Like, the computer will know how much you initially put down, but how would it know if you're actually playing each hand?	Some casinos (ours included) don't use the electronic betting recognition sofware. If you don't see the dealer pressing a little button before each hand, here's my advice - bet big right at the beginning. A lot of supervisors will put in your average bet when you first sit down and they swipe your players card and then won't adjust your average bet unless you made big changes throughout playing.
Who's your favorite person in the entire world?	My favorite person in the world is my lovely girlfriend, who asked me to do this and also supports me in literally every aspect of my life. She's an incredible person, I'll tell you that much!
Is Faee your girlfriend? I smell some colluding going on here.	Collusion indeed! It's so true.
No posts in /gonewild I'll save you guys the time.	Dear lord.
Have you ever had to permanently ban someone from your casino? What's the craziest way you've seen somebody get banned?	We've permanently evicted people for threatening physical violence on other players and/or employees, getting into fights, things like that. A man peed under a blackjack table once; he was evicted and arrested!
I was playing blackjack once and this other got got really mad at my friend for the bet he made, he stood on a soft 16 or something. He immediately knew it was dumb and apologized to the table and the game went on. But this guy kept ranting and I said hey man, chill out. It's over now. He got in my face and wanted to fight, saying lets take this outside. I sat looking at the dealer like sooo are you gonna do something or am I gonna have to hit this guy? In the end the guy backed down but no security or anything came over. We're there people perched in wait or was this casino really shitty and security? It was Wild West in AC.	Sounds like a shitty casino. I personally would have told the guy that he either stopped or he was leaving.
What are the chances of me being busted for switching my pass line to the dont pass line, after a point is established? What would typically happen if caught? Police or just booted?	Good lord, don't do this. Best-case scenario you get away with it, worst-case scenario you're arrested. You could also get thrown out if they don't want to deal with the cops or it wasn't that large of an amount. But seriously, just bet the don't from the start. You make your money off of the odds anyway.
How often do you find people cheating? What are some of the dumbest/clever ways you have caught someone doing so?	Cheating is less common than you may think these days. The technology we employ is really advanced, as most places have upgraded their surveillance tech. We can see a lot now. The best ways that people cheat now aren't by physically manipulating things, but by "taking shots." Little things, things like making a hand signal that could be interpreted as a hit or a stand and then raising a fuss if it doesn't go your way. Most casinos will just give you the money if it's not too much instead of fully investigate it.
The chips have always seemed susceptible to counterfeiting to me. What are the countermeasures that are not apparent. RFID?	Some casinos use RFID (they'll have a more plastic feel to them.) Honestly, even high-value casinos' chips are subject to counterfeiting. I've seen stickers replaced, I've even seen people paint lower-denomination chips to look like higher-denomination chips.
Stickers? I have only been to casinos in Australia (Criwn, Star City) , but none of those could have their denomination changed by simply changing the sticker (didn't actually notice any stickers actually) because the whole chip is multicoloured plastic.	Ours have stickers on them that could be taken off. They're different colors, though, so you'd have to do something else on top of that.
Does craps have the best odds in the casino if you understand the game well? Been gambling for a few years now and I have found that I typically only win when playing craps.	The best odds of all the table games is betting the Don't Pass with max odds behind it. Second-best is the Pass Line with max odds behind it. Those odds are true odds, the casino has ZERO house edge.
Also to add: while the pass/don't pass are great bets, craps also has some of the worst bets in the house. Stay away from the centre action!	Very good advice, prop bets are there to mess around with but don't play them if you're playing "smart."
Do the auto-shufflers for blackjack favor the house in any way? I always wonder if it uses a certain algorithm to determine how to shuffle the decks.	I HATE auto-shufflers. No, they have no way of knowing how many people are playing at the table or which cards go to the dealer. It's legitimately random, moreso than some dealers who have specific shuffles.
Should I turn around and run away now while I'm still ahead?	Don't play to win. Play to enjoy yourself and have a good time. Wins happen, losses happen.
Have you noticed that players who place bets for the dealers do better? A long-time Craps player gave me that advice. He said that getting the dealers involved in the game increases his luck.	The dealers appreciate the bets, but it doesn't help your odds. It's an illusion of luck. But by all means, tip the dealers!
How closely are you (or other pit bosses) looking for card counters? If I'm counting and you notice, what's a good way for me to know that you spotted me? Thanks!	Honestly, I'm probably not looking unless you're winning a large amount or you're making really large swings in your bets. I won't let you know if I suspect you, I'll have already called surveillance and they'll be running down (counting along) on the next shoe to see what you're doing. If you see security or people in suits near your table, just color up and leave. They won't do anything to you, but they're preparing to talk to you about what they've found and might back you off.
Ever have to lay down a beating on some unruly folk?	I wish! That's old-school, before my time. If we beat up someone who was unruly the state would shut us down, guaranteed.
Why is it than when I double-down at Blackjack table, sometimes the dealer will let me have the card down while others insist its shown. Is there an industry standard? I see no disadvantage to a casino to let me have it down, it adds a bit of excitement for me.	Different casinos have different rules. Ours used to mandate it face-up, but now we let you have it face-down.
How bad are the odds or win rates for slot machines? I feel like you are just throwing away money. Not saying that other casino games are better . What was your best perk being a pit boss?	Most states will publish the odds for slot machines. Honestly most machines at reputable places (as in not bars) will have a return rate of 95-98%. That's a lower house edge than carnival games or even roulette.
	The best perk? Honestly, that it pays well and I don't actually have to DO too much, haha.
Sooo, which casino game do you believe has the best odds for the player? Where do I have the best chance to win money?	I mentioned this elsewhere, but the don't with max odds on craps. Or the pass line with max odds. Or blackjack with perfect basic strategy.
I'm not a big table player, however I do enjoy standing back and watching friends. I've noticed in some games, especially blackjack, that there are "unwritten rules". i.e. what hands to hit/stay or split. Not everyone follows them and I've witnessed some players loudly get upset by another players style of play. What role does the casino have in these breaches of table etiquette?	I'm fine with people making "dumb" moves. Generally the dealer will say "Are you suuure?" if someone is about to split up their 20 or something like that. Other players do get mad when someone does something, but we protect our players. If someone wants to make a nonstandard or risky move, they have every right to. I personally wouldn't let a player berate another player, and it has nothing to do with the casino's interests.
I see anecdotal reports every once in a while about the facial recongition used by casinos, how good is it really? I'm also interested in what it is used for other than the obvious - tracking known card counters is an obvious one but in what ways is it used that aren't so easily guessed.	Facial recognition software has always been pretty strong going back for quite a while now. There aren't really too many ways it's used other than for people who have cheated or who have overall suspicious behavior. That's the only reason we'd want to run the software on someone.
I rarely tip at the craps table, but anytime the point is even I throw a two-way hardway, I realize that it is probably not ideal for the dealers and its not like I am forced to tip; but is that somewhat acceptable in the stickman world?	If you're putting the crew up on any bet they're happy, I promise. A large percentage of dice players don't tip. Any two-way bet is appreciated!
I'm going to Vegas for the first time in about 2 months. I really only know how to play black jack and texas hold em, but I really don't want to play poker for hours on end while I'm there. 1) Will dealers (or customers) get mad if i stand and watch a game for a few minutes before sitting down?	The only time players will get mad is if you're right on top of them. Stand back, see if you can get a pamphlet on the rules of the game you're watching, or just ask the dealers or supervisors! Honestly, they want you to play - not because they want to take your money, but because it's fun to teach and show someone. As for "easy" games, roulette is pretty easy to learn, dice is the most fun but can be overwhelming, carnival games (Three Card Poker, Mississippi Stud) are very easy since they're all poker-based.
How many people get thrown out in an average night?	I'd guess 2-3 people on a weekend night. The people that get "thrown out" are usually 12 or 24-hour evictions for intoxication.
Also, do you have any special training in counting cards?	Special training in counting cards? No, the casino didn't offer me training. I had to show that I could to become a Pit, though.
Have you ever stopped someone from playing who is obviously a gambling addict? Are you, or any other casino employee trained to spot the signs of gambling addiction?	We're not allowed to tell someone that we think they have a problem, but we can respond if they tell us they do. We have paperwork on it, we're trained to spot it (chasing losses, claiming to bet money they can't afford, etc) and we also have a hotline they can call. Additionally, players can fill out self-exclusion paperwork banning themselves from the casino if they feel they can't gamble responsibly. If they come back while banned, they can and will be arrested for trespassing.
What is your take on the advent of legalized on-line gambling in some states? Do you see this affecting you or your bottom line? Is this the "job stealer" the Pols are carping about, or is this just another throw away issue to fill warchests and line cheap-suit pockets in the year before an election?	I don't see online gambling ruining brick-and-mortar casinos at all. People like coming for the experience, it's not just the gambling.
Do you gamble at all, and if so, what's your favourite game? I like my roulette, there's nothing like the rush of adrenaline when you're on a losing streak and your strategy is to double down until you win.	I don't gamble, sorry! I used to play poker a ton, and I also really love Pai Gow even though it has an absurdly high push rate per hand.
When you say it pays very well, what do you mean? what's the starting salary like and how rapidly does it increment if you do a good job?	Table Games pays VERY well compared to other departments. Your housekeeping and security is probably making $10-$12/hr (more than they would at non-casino businesses, but still) and your slot techs are probably making $14 or so an hour. Dealers with the toke rate start above $20/hr, and as you go up (supervisors don't make tips where I work and at most places, although some places give supervisors a cut of it) you make more. Especially for the amount of work I do, I get paid well.
Would I get in trouble for ordering a 7&7 from the waitress? Do they kick people out for doing unlucky things?	You wouldn't get in trouble at all. Just turn away from the table. Although for comedy purposes, the waitress could come back and say "7&7?" as she brought the drink really loudly, then the table sevens out and blames her.
I was once playing Casino War (yeah I know) and a dealer actually peeked at my card BEFORE dealing it. She saw it was an ACE and told me to bet everything I had. Needless to say, I won the hand. Have you seen anything crazy like that in your travels?	Before I started working at my current place I heard a story that happened there where the dealer was using their back foot to stop the Big Six wheel (never play Big Six; happy it's gone) early which meant that the people playing knew where it would stop. He was physically handcuffed at the table and arrested. DON'T CHEAT.
For someone like me, who is underage at the moment but would like to visit Vegas in the future when I can actually get the full "Vegas experience", what do you suggest if I find myself in a casino? What is proper casino etiquette? I usually try to be courteous to anyone around me at events and such, but is there anything special I should know? Any "taboo" subjects I should stay away from in conversation at a table? Are there any specific games/areas you recommend staying away from? Either because that's where most of the unruly people flock to, or because the experience of playing is not worth the odds of losing?	You can just push a chip forward and say "For you." They'll thank you and drop it! -Not really, no. Play what you want! Stay away from unruly people in general, wherever they may be. Enjoy yourself!
How much money would be a decent amount to bring? Not in the sense that I'm hoping to win big, but in the sense that I'd like to experience as much of the casino as I can without going over-board.	Bring whatever you'd be willing to lose. Go to a casino with low limits, bring a couple hundred bucks. Do NOT bring an ATM card.
What's the saddest thing you've seen, working at a casino?	Years ago a guy was playing blackjack. He lost, left, and then came back with five crumpled up $1 bills so that he could make a $5 bet. He lost, was gone for another hour, and then came back and did it again.
	I'm okay with people who come every day, some people enjoy it. But I hate to see people play with money they shouldn't bet with.
I've heard of apps that are available on cell phones where you surreptitiously hit a button for a high card, a middle or low...the phone silently vibrates when the card count is high? Basically one keeps the phone in his jacket/sweatshirt and hit the appropriate buttons as the cards are dealt Encountered those?	There's a reason most places don't allow electronic devices at the table. If you were constantly looking at your phone I'd consider that a tell.
I recently turned 21, I have played a lot of card games, and tried to dip my feet in Blackjack and Poker. What is some general casino etiquette I should know? I've never been to one before. What kind of bankroll should I go there with? Craps sounds like a ton of fun but all the guides I've read are pretty confusing, and I have no idea how to play other than reading this thread/other places on the Internet. Like, I essentially imagine myself walking into this big place being totally lost and confused. What could you tell me that would make my first time going more enjoyable?	It's a lot less stressful than you're worried about. Go in, talk to people, enjoy yourself. It's seriously not that big of a deal, just enjoy your first time! Bring an amount you're okay with losing. Don't bring your ATM card in. Don't chase losses (I know I just lost my last bet but I know I can win the next one!)
Has a casino ever been robbed while you were working?	Not that I'm aware of!
One day i was walking around the strip after midnight on a tuesday, with 2 friends. we went to the bellagio, and ended up walking around the (mostly vacant) floor, buying some drinks, getting really drunk, and walking around the artsy stuff. the glass garden, the cirque du soleil sculptures in that museum. A security guard came by to the museum, when we were inside, and closed the door. the lights turned off and we got locked in. i started freaking out. ive never had anything happen like this before. The girl that was with me said its ok, theres a door to the back end right here- lets see if it opens. it opened. We ended up walking through the back end of the casino, past the dishwashing and laundry and various kitchens, and got lost trying to get back to the floor (theres not really any signs back there telling you where you are or where youre going to go) We were about to ask a room service guy for some help getting back to the floor, but before we got anywhere with that (he only spoke spanish? might have been just a dishwasher), we were in a weird situation. five or six of those men in blacks with earpieces, walking a money-box with a floor manager, from the floor to the vault (i presume, i dont know how this works). the MIBs asked us a bunch of questions, determined we werent there to intercept them, and one of them guided us back to the floor, and told us to have a good time and try to keep from getting locked in off-limits areas again. i thanked him a lot and then i decided, me and my tourist friends were just going to take a straight walk from where we were, to the nearest exit to the street. it took us past the high roller slots area first, and then past the dollar video poker area. as we passed these areas, they were opening the machines and unloading their cash, and loading up cash carts with the cash. at least 2 of the MIBs recognized us, and started doing their 'always around you, but appearing to just be crossing your path while doing their thing' act. i started getting scared, and we collectively decided to hurry the fuck up and get the fuck back out of this building, we probably just looked like some idiots trying to drunkenly do oceans 11. When we went to treasure island to get back to the parking garage and start our mission home, the MIBs in the vacant casino floor all kept crossing our paths, it was really fucking bizarre. To this day, 4 years later, i am still scared to go to bellagio, because i still notice the security/mibs/whatever crossing my path much more often than i ever noticed before walking up to a loaded cash cart in the backrom on accident while drunk at like 1 am on a tuesday. Should i be afraid? are the mibs really following me around, still? did i actually scare them by appearing to have some sort of their 'cash-loading' schedule? am i just being paranoid and none of this happened, and was just exacerbated by drunkenness and being somewhere i knew i was not supposed to be at a time that large sums of cash money were being moved around?	It's in your head. The day of, they probably kept tabs on you because you happened to be in an off-limits area with a money transfer. Now, they wouldn't remember or care.
How much, on average, does a casino make on slots? Also, how does all this money transaction work? Is there a big computer network the machines and tables are connected to?	It depends on the casino. Most places I've worked bring in 60-90% of their floor revenue from slots (10-40$ from tables.) Smaller places pull in six-figures per day easily, even on slower days.
Ever send someone off to look for a left-handed roulette ball?	"Hey, new guy, we need you to find the wheel grease. Go ask the shift manager." YES I HAVE.
My buddy was playing craps one night and had about 25-35 rolls i think( about 30-40 minutes worth of rolls I'd guess), the craps table officials or whatever you call them started to get pist off/angry and started yelling(not yelling, but loud pestering) at him to throw asap before people could even get their bets on the table/ their bets winnings, is this typical to throw off the guy because hes winning a bunch (went up like $800 and if he threw like 3 more times it would have been like 1.5k with a bunch of other people at the table winning as well)or were they just being dicks? Edit: Also the dealers got pist he didn't give them a tip after he finally lost because they were being assholes(he was pretty awesome about tipping the first 20 throws or so till the dealers became douches). Is this part of the dealers job since he was winning to get him flustered and lose?	It's not part of the dealers' jobs to berate someone that's winning. The only things that should bother a good dice dealer are when people are throwing in tons of late bets or are being rude. If you're winning, good for you! Keep winning! Sounds like they were just being jerks.
Do you remember any card counters in particular that you had to call the pit boss on? Any obvious large bet spreads that caught your attention at the blackjack table? Most interesting blackjack story? Thanks very interesting stuff.	It's me, I'm the pit boss. I've come across a couple. The most recent one is a lady that our surveillance ran a report on and concluded that she's definitely counting. She's not that good at it, though, so we let her go because even though she bets big she doesn't actually win. We have the camera on her every time she plays, though.
What is the most popular "carnival" table game your casino has? Also how many tables does your location have? Any new games that have come out which seem fun?	Mississippi Stud, by far. It used to be Three Card, but it's all about Mississippi Stud now. Total tables at our place is ~40 or so. We haven't had too many new games, lately it's just been adding bonus bets to existing games (three card bonus bets on pretty much all of our carnival games now.)
What's the craziest tip you've ever received as a dealer? Does the casino monitor these generosities?	Most casinos have a tip policy. I can't accept chips or money at all (dealers can accept chips, obviously.) We can't accept non-monetary gifts with a value of over $50 as well.
	As a dealer, I've been tipped in orange ($1,000) chips before by high-limit players.
How often do people try and cheat and has the amount of peolle trying to cheat declined since you first started working in a casino?	It's hard to say. The amount of people cheating with old methods (counting cards, etc) has declined. The amount of people taking shots (pretending they didn't want that hit, things like that) has increased, but it's harder to prove.
Other than the obvious of betting as much on every hand as possible or increasing my hands an hour... is there any other way to increase or maximize my comp rating?	There really aren't ways to maximize it. Increasing your hands per hour won't matter to the computer system, you'd honestly be better off betting more at a slower table because then it shows a higher average bet over a longer period of time.
What table game gives the most bang for the buck as far as comp pay back?	As for which table games are the best, avoid mini-bacc, pai gow, and any game where you have to add bets as the hand goes on (some carnival games.)
Would you ever gamble at a casino after your experience?	Would I? Yeah, knowing the odds wouldn't prevent me from doing it or anything. I just don't have a desire to do it.
Whats the best way about getting a job in a casino? I am interested in being a poker dealer, should I attend a school or will the casino offer my training?	You apply when a job is available and when a casino is starting/advertising a "dealer school." Some places will offer the training which is usually free, but you're not technically hired until after the class.
I hope you see this tomorrow and I didn't miss where it may have been answered- what kind of training, considering the free drink culture, do dealers get so they cut someone off if they are drunk? Not even obviously, but if the casino as a whole is giving free drinks, isn't every employee required to at least have a reasonable knowledge of who is incapacitated or not?	Great question! Everyone has to get a responsible alcohol server card, even people that don't serve drinks. It's a basic class that goes over how to spot intoxication, drinks per hour, things like that. People who can serve drinks also have to have a bar card. Where I work, dealers and supervisors can't cut people off. The Pit calls a Beverage Supervisor who makes that call.
Related question: do you think the days of free drinks in casinos are numbered? On a couple of Vegas podcasts I listen to, this has been discussed, especially in relation to the guy suing Downtown Grand over his losses on Super Bowl weekend. The thought is that one of the biggies (MGM, Caesars) might experiment with eliminating free drinks. And if one of them does it, the other biggie will follow suit, and then all the little guys would probably eventually follow along as well. Your thoughts?	It's an interesting question. Some places in the US don't serve free drinks. Everywhere is different. I don't foresee it actually taking, it's a pretty big part of "the experience."
What would be the best table game for a beginner? I love Mississippi Stud, but I would love to start branching out. My goal is to play live Texas Hold 'Em and win a hand, but I'd love to learn them all.	All carnival games are the same. Let It Ride is reverse Mississippi Stud, all the other games like Three Card and Flop are just variants of poker. Live poker is a little different, you can read and learn about it! There's always blackjack, which is simple and fun.
How many tables do you have per FM? At my casino it's moved from 4-16.	16 tables per supervisor? Different casinos have different terminology, ours has a floor per 4-6 tables and then a pit that oversees it all. 16 seems crazy to me.
Yeah well it used to be 2-4 but there's been a lot of staff cuts. We have 3 pits on the main floor, each containing 10-16 tables, and there's 1 FM per pit, 1-2 roamers and 2-3 pit managers floating around + doing the roster for dealers.	Interesting. We have about 40 tables total across multiple pits, but only one pit manager who oversees it all and runs the pencil/rosteroadmap. 1-3 floors per pit, depending on the size (4-6 tables per floor)
As a dealer, would you rather have someone tip you a $5 chip, or make a $5 bet for the dealer?	Personally, I'd like the tip instead of the bet. One of the places I worked at trained the dealers to always take it instead of betting it. Those bets have house odds; give me the money!
How high tech is the security? The show Las Vegas makes it look like over the top csi levels of technology.	TV shows are dumb. We have cameras everywhere that can zoom in pretty well (no ENHANCE! ENHANCE!) Huge places in Vegas probably do have very sophisticated technology, we're smaller and so we have tons of cameras, security, electronic locks and vaults, things like that.

Last updated: 2014-04-13 00:47 UTC
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