Casino personnel who sit at the tables and play among the customers will be the subject here.
As a legitimate countertactic against expert play, these people have only one function: to dilute the deck of cards so that favorable situations do not last long.
Some casinos will not allow you to have a head-on game with the dealer. If you sit down at an empty table, or all the other players leave while you are playing, a shill will invariably appear to join you.
There is no compelling reason to be disturbed by this practice. Some casinos use it, and some do not. If it annoys you too much, play elsewhere. But some very good casinos use it.
All casinos are pleased to provide the players with free drinks. Smokers are given cigarettes of their choice and often fine cigars--- ordinarily offered before they ask. Women are sometimes given a deck of used cards.
This discussion come sin the section on casino countertactics mostly because of the free cocktails. Too much alcohol will ruin judgment, and the casinos are only too pleased to serve all you want.
This would not presume to advise you on how much to drink while playing. That is your decision.
But a warning, though: if you drink enough to interfere with card counting; to influence the size of your bets; to make you uncertain of the correct ways to play your hands; to make you sleepy, inattentive, or frivolous; to lead you to guess and gamble when otherwise you would know proper play--- you will certainly come away from a session cursing your impulse to play when drunk. Good play requires sobriety.
The case-down player must expect the red carpet of solicitude to be pulled back occasionally when the casino realizes that it is not fawning to another sucker but contesting an efficient opponent. The cigars may not be forthcoming.
The cigarette smoker may be pointedly ignored when he asks for another pack. Various subtle discourtesies are possible. Ordinarily, a player who needs more chips during the play of a hand to split a pair of double down will be given a 'marker' to be settled after the deal.
With a case-down player, a surly pit boss may require the money in advance. The whole thing matters little, but it is suggested that the prospective case-down player develop a 'thick skin' and expect a few discourtesies--- at least in certain casinos.
If you can, look upon them as gestures of respect.
Some casinos may even see that the cocktail waitress ignores you. One cannot understand such stupidity; if they can get you drunk, they can probably beat you.
Maybe they know that you know the same thing? It is doubtful, that this depth of conniving; the simple fact is that a lack of routine courtesies may induce you to take your business elsewhere.