In science. It's not uncommon for an experiment to be flawed. This why we have peer review. I think the last guy's attitude was spot on, no crying like a baby, he just gave good honest feedback on the experiment, meaning that if someone else wanted to improve on it, they can use that criticism to make the environment more realistic.
Yeah that last guy Paul was absolutely brilliant. Made a really good show of himself and fair input. Second guy has a really good point and obviously it might have reflected poorly on him professionally, so that's fine.
@@stevenbridges you spent so much time making it as periodically correct as possible but the pit boss is literally telling you at a normal casino he would be circling the table... you cant say this would work or not if youre limiting the areas the pitboss would stand...
@@derekpaddon9553 Add several more tables and the distraction happening on the opposite side of the pit. We limited where he could stand because we didn't have the same resources. Third guy was not limited at all. 🙂
Piggybacking on this, it's also not uncommon in a field with little to no research to run an experiment that you know from the getgo is flawed. The idea being that it gives some kind of an idea as to outcomes, validity and reliability of testing methods etc. A proof of concept essentially. Usually these would be qualitative rather than quantitative, which is kind of how this video went.
I think the issue with #2 and #3 (to an extent) is they viewed this as a test on THEM, whereas Steven set it up as a test for HIM (and his buddies). The experiment was absolutely setup unfairly to the pit bosses, but again that's because it wasn't meant for them. It was for Steven, his buddies, and us the audience. It HAD to be setup against the pit bosses to give Steven a chance. Therefore, any "mistake" they made is obviously excusable, since that's the whole point. They took it as a joke on them, rather than Steven and co just trying to see if they could pull something off. The focus is what changes things.
@@stevenbridges Well...jeez. Not only do I comment from the legend himself, but it's a compliment? Day = made. I appreciate you Steven! Can't wait for the next card counting series ;)
I don't think this would have helped #2's mindset much. Regardless of who it was a test on, it was a matter of pride and skill. You don't become a good pit boss by just catching all the easy ones. You be a good pit boss by catching ALL of them, or as many as you can. #2 will likely only ever see that as a failure on himself for not having caught it regardless of how bad the circumstances were up against him. You could objectively and scientifically proven that it would be impossible for ANYONE to catch it in his situation, and his pride as a pit boss would likely still stand in the way as "I still should have caught that."
@@stevenbridges😭 honestly tho like I get it it’s not fair it’s not like they’re the only one watching, there’s usually at least 6 eyes on every table game they just shouldn’t have taken it personally
Gotta give some love to the first pit boss, guy took it like a champ and seemed to understand that this is more for a youtube video rather than his professional reputation ❤
I loved 1 and 3. They were both so chill and I feel like 3 especially was just so helpful in helping you properly deal and I think this was a great finale to a series
@@prysrek8858 The content of 2nd's reaction was fine, but the attitude he took towards it was insane. Firstly, threatening legal action for a video he signed an agreement to be a part in is ridiculous. Second, if it really is such a fake environment, why would he have a problem with being in it (unless he is just an egomaniac, which judging from his further reactions in the call he 100% is) even if he didn't catch the cheat. It isn't his job to do that anymore, its surveillance's. He would not be facing any problems at his job because of it nor would he be facing any amount of flaming online, we understand the point is to see if Steven can cheat, not if the PB sees it.
@@robot3759_"why would he have a problem with being in it"_ He's still in the industry. I wouldn't want it known that I allowed such a simple cheat on my watch, either.
Was a pleasure to work on set for these videos! Keeping Paul distracted from inspecting everything anymore while you dealt with the previous pitboss outside the studio was one of most challenging hurdles of my life.
Loved how much effort and energy Paul put into critiquing your dealing and really trying to explain how and why things worked the way he did, with plenty of examples- even though he knew it was all fictional. Seems like a great boss.
That third guy was absolutely amazing! Really wanted to help out and was totally fastidious. Amazing he didn't catch it, but it's very hard to get by a guy like that. You did well to make the switch.
Paul was awesome. Very very diligent, very knowledgeable, and super professional. I like how he saw it as what it was, an experiment. Even though he feels, justifiably, an unrealistic scenario.
Ehhh to be fair to the second guy, if he doesn’t know you well, he has no idea of how you intend to edit the video. There are plenty of RUclipsrs who would edit it in a way to make the guy look like an idiot. Sounds like he overreacted though. And like you said, it is pretty unrealistic simply because of the inability to simulate an entire casino with 80’s tech.
@@stevenbridges especially when he directly brought up the 80s my jaw dropped like he had probably been in a similar situation before and had the intuition to stop the shoe when there was too much variance for his liking
"So was this cheat a success or was it just too far removed from reality to prove anything?" I think both statements are true. The setup was always unquestionably removed from reality, as stated by Steven many times throughout the videos. It was a controlled environment not designed to test the pit bosses in their actual job (at real cassinos), but to test Steven's ability. Given this objective, the cheat was a success.
Great series! I think you've done fantastically Steven. There seems to be a running commentary from the pit bosses and surveillance throughout the series that you've been a bad dealer, cheater, actor, etc. But I don't think they quite understand how extraordinary all the things you've done are. Learning all these things in such a short time period, and then performing them with all the variables involved amazes me.
14:30 I think what came into play as well: He felt he was in charge and that's the point where you can social engineer most of them. Thinking they are in charge. It is easier said then done, but you "innocence" helped here :)
I definitely understand why the 2nd PB got mad, but I don't think it was justified. I think most of us default to being defensive when we realize we made a mistake or missed something important. I'm guessing he took it personally that he let his guard down and didn't see the switch, but tbf how could we expect him to? I understand why he defaulted to defensiveness, but he vastly overreacted imo. In any case this is meant as a fun experiment for youtube, so 100% accuracy isn't to be expected, especially not without a huge budget. Either way loved the video and I really enjoyed this series ^^
Yeah it’s a shame because I actually thought he came across really well in the video. But he wanted to be removed and I didn’t like the idea of forcing him to be in the video
I think the point is that is being overlooked is that it is his job (being a pit boss). We on RUclips probably aren't expecting him to take it personally and honestly are probably rooting that they don't get catch the cheating, but it doesn't look good on him to people who may be trying to higher him especially if he has been under criticism before. Part of the experiment was to try and set up a realistic casino setting using EXPERIENCED pit bosses. I understand humility is a part of being human, but sometimes that humility is harder to swallow, especially if it is what he has done for over 30 years... Either way, I'm not fighting for one side over the other. I'm just saying my piece that I feel like I can understand his stance on wanting to be removed from the video.
I worked with a guy with a similar type of personality. Not too bad of a guy outside of work and to work with most of the time. BUT any time anything happened that threatened his job or might hurt him personally, he would blow up like the 2nd pit boss did. Different industry entirely for the record. Still, some people feel they need a perfect reputation as anything less may effect their income.
What a fascinating series. I can understand why you didn’t foresee that pit boss getting upset. It’s just an angle you hadn’t considered because you don’t have any of that perspective. Can’t wait for the next! (I hope for more live casino counting!!!)
Final episode? Nooooo! As someone whose always been interested in card counting and the mechanisms used to cheat at cards this series was especially awesome! It actually inspired me to get back into preforming sleight of hand magic. Also Stephen, what headphones have you been using in the series while you practice? They seem nice and I want to get a better pair for myself.
Haha glad you enjoyed them! Sony WH-1000XM5 - they are great except they're not super comfortable. The band at the top is too thin so can push down on the head. Other than that annoyance they're excellent.
@@stevenbridgesBose Quietcomforts are my recommendation for comfort. The sound quality is fractionally worse but you can wear them for hours with zero discomfort
I think the second pitboss had a wrong idea of what this video is. This is just "This is a very bold way of cheating that was used a long time ago, we want to try it without going to jail and see what happens". Not "are the pitbosses good enough to catch us????"
Mind the perspective: note that he has not seen the final video at the time. Steven Might have added this context about 80s casinos later when working on the youtube video when the part with pit bosses was taped already. Cinema magic.
@@jakubzbrodaNo. He has made it clear throught the videos, whether it be with security people or pit bosses that this is set in the 80s. Even Paul in their conversation after the swap said that "a lot worse" than jail would have happened to Steven if he tried it in a real casino I'm the 80s. It's been that way from the jump.
It's also tough because no casino in the world will let you come in and try to cheat "as an experiment" in a real world scenario. Excellent series once again. What's crazy now is some of the hacing info that came out of defcon about the shuffling machines in some casinos. Proving that even in the modern age, it's still possible to cheat.
@@rossbennett-kennett9764 Doing it on their own in their own casino, maybe, but some outsider asking to do it amongst their real customers? That's a much harder ask.
I tnknk Paul gave fair feedback. It was not realistic to true life, and because of that, they didn't operate in the exact same way that they would inside a casino, nor did they benefit from the various safeguards already in place within the casino. But regardless, it was extremely interesting to warch, and it's quite possible to imagine that back in the 80s, something like this coild really work.
Awesome video Steven! I appreciate the intellectual and editorial honesty in this video so much. Definitely a somewhat rare thing to find on RUclips and makes the video so much more interesting in my opinion
Was it a legit environment? No. Was it interesting in a view of an ‘if we controlled the environment, would we be caught doing the switch itself’ - absolutely. Super insightful from the 3rd guy with his feeling to shuffle.
I understand the second guys feelings 100% - you did pull one over him and this never would fly in his casino. And I also don't think it's any issue that he's been censored from the video, the video works just as well. The video demonstrates an old technique that might have worked in a poorly run casino back in the day and it shows the principle and the reasons why it wouldn't work today very clearly.
Paul needs to come back and do a few more videos with you. He definitely seemed to want make it as authentic as possible, explain everything he was doing and how to make it more real, and had an entertaining way of doing it.
Hey Steven, long time listener first time caller. I just wanted to appreciate the interviews in this video; I would love to see more. The questions and editing provided great ad hoc responses, very interesting. Also, the last boss holding the big ol' vape was a plot twist I wasn't expecting.
I've caught up on the last few month's videos and binged them all at once. I've loved this mini series - it's awesome to see you use your skills as a magician with the knowledge of blackjack. It's the ultimate crossover! Thank you for taking the time to learn such cool skills and make a some fantastic videos!
I was nervous for the first one. But then felt much better as at least one had gone well. Then I was nervous for Paul after the conversation I'd had with the second guy 😂
Lol. I think casinos have seen every sort of cheat possible by now that could've been pulled off back in the 80's, hence why they were so well trained, but this was still a fun watch. I imagine if you'd warned them ahead of time that you might try some shenanigans like what could happen IRL, they might have fought the urge and not looked away. Loved the videos! Will return to catch your next series, whatever it may be and whenever you release them. Your videos always brighten my day.🙂
I agree with the pit bosses. It is a completely artificial environment so it doesn’t have much bearing on reality. Still really interesting to see how it would have been done.
Amazing as always, you turned me singlehanded to a blackjack enjoyer! I hope your blackjack journey is not over, hitting the casinos with a team and more and better disguises I mean shot you could make a documentary or a movie out of your series
That was educational. I totally understand how cheated they felt. You told them you are filming a video for showing how BJ looked like in the 80s, telling them to treat it as actual game would be better. Even though they'd probably kick you out after a few hands lol :D I can't be mad at them being mad. You tested them, not your skills. That's not fair to them.
My opinion on why #2 and #3 weren't entirely thrilled with the experiment is because they believe (probably rightly so, I have no idea) that it's impossible to pull this cheat NOW, so therefore the video has no point. The problem with thinking like that is that this wasn't a video testing if you could pull this cheat off in modern casinos in a more realistic environment, it was a demonstration of how a cheat COULD have worked in the 80s with the added flavor of "can youtuber and crew pull it off at all, even with ideal circumstances?"
Jaw dropped when Paul instantly called for a shuffle after the mega-split hand. Wonder what happens if you take that hand out and it's just a succession of winning hands? I reckon he still calls shuffle at some stage, but you get away with a few more wins and it maybe ends up all being equal.
yeah it's probably very suspicious if every hand just wins in a row, you'd likely wanna force a high count mid shoe where a lot of hands win but not all
Yeah, ideal situation is you have one high roller come to the table and they're the one that wins more than they lose. You'd be more subtle than every hand a winner in real life. But totally agree, his instincts were so sharp!
I can see where pit boss number two is coming from, though I wish he provided his side of the story as it would have been really interesting to hear. Hoping he was respectful with you all (though maybe he wasn't if he threatened you with legal action 😅)
That guy was a complete idiot of course, steven is positive about him because of the fear of legal actions, that guy probably threatened with more than just that too...
This series was so cool! I also love how you cut out the guy that wanted to be cut out and also let his perspective be known. I'd guess you'd be fine legally since people are kept in documentaries even though they feel misrepresented all the time, but you did what they wanted because you have moral integrity.
Yeah it was a tough call to be honest. I battled back and forth with the principle vs the harm caused. But ultimately I thought I could still tell the story but not have him feel shit, so that felt like the best option.
fun episode and grateful for all 3 pit bosses for showing up too bad we never got boss 2's reaction, even voice altered and blocked out would have been neat. grateful for boss 1- would have been neat to hear more of his comments but I get he didn't want to share too much on a channel hosted by an advantage player. boss 3 was also great and it'd be neat to have him as a dealer coach
Can't wait to hear about the trip 👀 Also thoroughly enjoyed the debriefing/interviews, really good content to add in! Your narration in these videos are absolutely perfect, but I would love in future videos if you can fit in a couple more of those interviews. Cheers!
This is cool! Id actually really love to see more videos like this with more preparation, perhaps you colab with some top tier sleight of hand artists, etc.
Almost didn't watch this as I had the same thoughts as the 2nd pit boss, bit was a bit of fun and I was almost there with you on the 3rd attempt, nail bitting 😂 good one.
Judging a modern pit boss by their ability to figure out a cheat that isn't possible to use anymore is like judging a modern train engineer for not being able to operate a steam engine.
Dang, good thing boss #1 was first, he understood that the activity was just for fun lol. I expect more people to be like #2, since he basically felt he was being criticized and rarely do I ever meet people who take that well.
It was a fun experiment that you made clear over and over is unrealistic today. That 2nd guy was way too serious about it. I understand why he'd want to remain anonymous, heck I'd probably want to be in this field, but don't have a hissy fit about it.
2 and 3 are professionals with the sole objective of not missing things. You successfully made them miss something, and they weren’t happy with it so they made excuses. It’s an ego thing, but at least number 3 gave some reasonable and useful feedback. Yes, it wasn’t a perfect simulation, but that’s the point. Any perfect simulation would’ve put you in jail, so I think you simulated it as well as you possibly could’ve. The experiment was no doubt a success ✅
I think it’s just no one likes the idea that they have been deceived. You can see where the last 2 are coming from when they have spent their life in an industry which is based around thoroughness, they would feel like they been cheated by this experiment. However, super interesting to watch and well done on such an ambitious project.
I like Paul quite a bit. Good man, really like that you let him wander around and have control, because I was absolutely on the side of the second boss with the critique's you echoed from them. But then you removed it all* for Paul and still managed it.
These videos are great, the techniques and experiments and whatnot. But what’s really jumping out at me is the narrative and storytelling. How and when he chooses to tell which part of the story, the order that the information is presented, top notch stuff. Makes the video much more interesting to watch than if everything were just laid out all at once.
Awe I love Paul! I agree with the pit-bosses. This was more like a magic trick than cheating to me. Too much was controlled and not applicable to real life. Now, getting permission from a casino to actually test out their security and try something in real life, that would be cool! I like the card counting videos better. Just meant as constructive feedback, you've got my subscription.
Two big real world obstacles: Overhead Cameras would eventually provide evidence to convict you as a dealer and shoes are usually chained to the table. Just have the anonymous 3rd base player add a slug of 12 extra 10 value cards to the discard pile and you can play with a +2 shoe all night on a 6 deck shoe.
Jesus that second pit boss seems like he's got a bit of an easily bruised ego. Obviously the conditions aren't perfectly realistic and no reasonable person would take any of this as a reflection on the ability of the pit bosses. I can't believe he'd agree to be in a video and then threaten to sue like that.
Just for context, he didn't know it was a cheating video. But he was told that there was a 'reveal' and we couldn't tell him fully about what the video was about.
hey man, somehow missed the previous episode (which ill be jumping to right after this comment) but i gotta say that this series was brilliant. discovered you recently and im happy that i did. this video ended up providing us with a look into actual pit bosses minds in a way that made it deeper than could ever have been expected. excited where you take this channel next, ill be sticking around for sure!
I saw people doing the switch during tests in the university. someone did something, professor got up and run to check and people switch the tests around.
While it may be unrealistic, the fact that the pitbosses was so sure it was unrealistic means it's probably possible with some ingenuity. Get a detirmined dealer and a smart magician on it and they'd find a way imo.
I went to Atlantic City for my 21st during covid. There were masks and plastic screens. The dealer was wearing a mask too. I couldn’t hear her. I now know why. I walked into the Tropicana with 180 dollars. The only two 5$ tables were taken. My only option was to sit at the 50$ table. The dealer looked bored. A true 1v1. I sat down and she shuffled. I cut the deck and placed my bet of 50$. I won against the dealer. I was winning so much the pit boss came over to the dealers right ear and said “shuffle” after watching us play. She watched the shuffle. I tried to place two bets and the boss said “No. You need a player’s card to place two separate bets. She asked for my ID. I gave it to her like an idiot. I wasn’t counting cards. It was a 1v1.
I've got to imagine a half-decent pit boss in a real casino would order a shuffle shortly after a distraction just on instinct, even if they somehow missed the switch.
You statement boggles my brain on so many levels. It would be absolutely ridiculous to order a reshuffle for such freakishly minor things such as a short distraction. Like imagine someone tapping the pit boss on the shoulder to have a word and the boss afterwards goes "HEY RESHUFFLE THAT TABLE, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE FOR A SECOND AND COULDN'T STARE AT YOUR TABLE!" Not to even mention that a pit boss have never a single table to check on, else they'd be no need for a pit boss. Their job is not to know everything that happens at every table simultaneously, it's actually impossible. Also any time spent shuffling is time not spent on betting, it's literarily costing them money in addition to it being ridiculous on it's own.
I feel the pit bosses had a point, it’s not a environment where they where looking or expecting to be cheated as you did explain. A better way to repeat the experiment would be to set up some sort of fake tournament for them to oversee as they weren’t doing their job as a pit boss but where there as teachers/instructors about the fundamental of the game.
If the scenario involved an expert lifeguard, who was used to keeping watch at a community pool, observing three swimmers in hot tub, in a bedroom with cameras, I think we'd all laugh. And, if during a distraction, one of the three swimmers slipped underwater, the lifeguard would immediately notice unless the situation was extremely manipulated. So, as far as this experiement goes, it was very unrealistic and not worth the time. But, as entertainment, I watched the whole thing and got a kick out if it. Keep up the good work:-)
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
In science. It's not uncommon for an experiment to be flawed. This why we have peer review. I think the last guy's attitude was spot on, no crying like a baby, he just gave good honest feedback on the experiment, meaning that if someone else wanted to improve on it, they can use that criticism to make the environment more realistic.
For sure! I really like Paul. No-nonsense. Wasn't shy with his opinions and they were well thought through.
Yeah that last guy Paul was absolutely brilliant. Made a really good show of himself and fair input.
Second guy has a really good point and obviously it might have reflected poorly on him professionally, so that's fine.
@@stevenbridges you spent so much time making it as periodically correct as possible but the pit boss is literally telling you at a normal casino he would be circling the table... you cant say this would work or not if youre limiting the areas the pitboss would stand...
@@derekpaddon9553 Add several more tables and the distraction happening on the opposite side of the pit. We limited where he could stand because we didn't have the same resources. Third guy was not limited at all. 🙂
Piggybacking on this, it's also not uncommon in a field with little to no research to run an experiment that you know from the getgo is flawed. The idea being that it gives some kind of an idea as to outcomes, validity and reliability of testing methods etc. A proof of concept essentially. Usually these would be qualitative rather than quantitative, which is kind of how this video went.
I think the issue with #2 and #3 (to an extent) is they viewed this as a test on THEM, whereas Steven set it up as a test for HIM (and his buddies). The experiment was absolutely setup unfairly to the pit bosses, but again that's because it wasn't meant for them. It was for Steven, his buddies, and us the audience. It HAD to be setup against the pit bosses to give Steven a chance. Therefore, any "mistake" they made is obviously excusable, since that's the whole point. They took it as a joke on them, rather than Steven and co just trying to see if they could pull something off. The focus is what changes things.
Dude where were you on the shoot day with this perfectly put comment I could have just read to them???!
@@stevenbridges Well...jeez. Not only do I comment from the legend himself, but it's a compliment? Day = made. I appreciate you Steven! Can't wait for the next card counting series ;)
I don't think this would have helped #2's mindset much. Regardless of who it was a test on, it was a matter of pride and skill. You don't become a good pit boss by just catching all the easy ones. You be a good pit boss by catching ALL of them, or as many as you can. #2 will likely only ever see that as a failure on himself for not having caught it regardless of how bad the circumstances were up against him. You could objectively and scientifically proven that it would be impossible for ANYONE to catch it in his situation, and his pride as a pit boss would likely still stand in the way as "I still should have caught that."
@@stevenbridges😭 honestly tho like I get it it’s not fair it’s not like they’re the only one watching, there’s usually at least 6 eyes on every table game they just shouldn’t have taken it personally
i think this is what u called optics lol
Gotta give some love to the first pit boss, guy took it like a champ and seemed to understand that this is more for a youtube video rather than his professional reputation ❤
I mayyyyyy have just got back from a Card Counting Trip.... ;)
Don't look at me like that
And maaaay have tried some of these cheating techniques ;)
Cant wait for the vid 👀👀
@@LboyW 😂 Absolutely not
I'm sure the casinos in the southern US would just love you coming back 🤣
I loved 1 and 3. They were both so chill and I feel like 3 especially was just so helpful in helping you properly deal and I think this was a great finale to a series
But 2nds reaction was more than understandable
@@prysrek8858 The content of 2nd's reaction was fine, but the attitude he took towards it was insane. Firstly, threatening legal action for a video he signed an agreement to be a part in is ridiculous. Second, if it really is such a fake environment, why would he have a problem with being in it (unless he is just an egomaniac, which judging from his further reactions in the call he 100% is) even if he didn't catch the cheat. It isn't his job to do that anymore, its surveillance's. He would not be facing any problems at his job because of it nor would he be facing any amount of flaming online, we understand the point is to see if Steven can cheat, not if the PB sees it.
@@robot3759_"why would he have a problem with being in it"_
He's still in the industry. I wouldn't want it known that I allowed such a simple cheat on my watch, either.
@@robot3759 its because hes a us citizen much more prompt to sue ya know
In Paul's defense, that rack was a nightmare lmao
Was a pleasure to work on set for these videos! Keeping Paul distracted from inspecting everything anymore while you dealt with the previous pitboss outside the studio was one of most challenging hurdles of my life.
Not exactly what you signed up for though 😂
Thanks for the name , lol fk his privacy
@@GrimKiLLzGaming What is your point? Ray Roberts ain't pit boss #2.
Loved how much effort and energy Paul put into critiquing your dealing and really trying to explain how and why things worked the way he did, with plenty of examples- even though he knew it was all fictional. Seems like a great boss.
Totally agree. It's great when somebody with knowledge and experience is excited to teach
I love Paul, he's really cool about it all and he was very polite in helping you out! Definitely seems like the best kind of pit boss to have around.
He was perfect!
I like his box mod
Not only that, but even after he missed it, he still caught on a bit later. The 2nd guy was just an ass.
@@kalhardesty4089same.
@@kalhardesty4089 big same
"...like a magician!"
That tickled me, as did the smirk that appears on Steven's face 😂
That third guy was absolutely amazing! Really wanted to help out and was totally fastidious.
Amazing he didn't catch it, but it's very hard to get by a guy like that. You did well to make the switch.
Paul was awesome. Very very diligent, very knowledgeable, and super professional. I like how he saw it as what it was, an experiment. Even though he feels, justifiably, an unrealistic scenario.
Ehhh to be fair to the second guy, if he doesn’t know you well, he has no idea of how you intend to edit the video. There are plenty of RUclipsrs who would edit it in a way to make the guy look like an idiot. Sounds like he overreacted though. And like you said, it is pretty unrealistic simply because of the inability to simulate an entire casino with 80’s tech.
Wow. Real professionalism from the last pit boss. Definitely experienced!
Oh yeah he definitely knows his stuff!
@@stevenbridges especially when he directly brought up the 80s my jaw dropped like he had probably been in a similar situation before and had the intuition to stop the shoe when there was too much variance for his liking
"So was this cheat a success or was it just too far removed from reality to prove anything?" I think both statements are true. The setup was always unquestionably removed from reality, as stated by Steven many times throughout the videos. It was a controlled environment not designed to test the pit bosses in their actual job (at real cassinos), but to test Steven's ability. Given this objective, the cheat was a success.
Sigh. Final episode? Noooo. Always want more!! Thanks for the top notch content. Always a banger! ❤️
Thanks! Glad you liked them!
Great series! I think you've done fantastically Steven. There seems to be a running commentary from the pit bosses and surveillance throughout the series that you've been a bad dealer, cheater, actor, etc. But I don't think they quite understand how extraordinary all the things you've done are. Learning all these things in such a short time period, and then performing them with all the variables involved amazes me.
14:30 I think what came into play as well: He felt he was in charge and that's the point where you can social engineer most of them. Thinking they are in charge. It is easier said then done, but you "innocence" helped here :)
I definitely understand why the 2nd PB got mad, but I don't think it was justified. I think most of us default to being defensive when we realize we made a mistake or missed something important. I'm guessing he took it personally that he let his guard down and didn't see the switch, but tbf how could we expect him to? I understand why he defaulted to defensiveness, but he vastly overreacted imo. In any case this is meant as a fun experiment for youtube, so 100% accuracy isn't to be expected, especially not without a huge budget. Either way loved the video and I really enjoyed this series ^^
Nah, I get his point. This video is pointless.
Yeah it’s a shame because I actually thought he came across really well in the video. But he wanted to be removed and I didn’t like the idea of forcing him to be in the video
I think the point is that is being overlooked is that it is his job (being a pit boss). We on RUclips probably aren't expecting him to take it personally and honestly are probably rooting that they don't get catch the cheating, but it doesn't look good on him to people who may be trying to higher him especially if he has been under criticism before. Part of the experiment was to try and set up a realistic casino setting using EXPERIENCED pit bosses. I understand humility is a part of being human, but sometimes that humility is harder to swallow, especially if it is what he has done for over 30 years...
Either way, I'm not fighting for one side over the other. I'm just saying my piece that I feel like I can understand his stance on wanting to be removed from the video.
Yeah. I guess at the end of the day he felt the risks of being in the video weren't worth the benefits. Makes sense.
I worked with a guy with a similar type of personality. Not too bad of a guy outside of work and to work with most of the time. BUT any time anything happened that threatened his job or might hurt him personally, he would blow up like the 2nd pit boss did. Different industry entirely for the record. Still, some people feel they need a perfect reputation as anything less may effect their income.
What a fascinating series.
I can understand why you didn’t foresee that pit boss getting upset. It’s just an angle you hadn’t considered because you don’t have any of that perspective.
Can’t wait for the next!
(I hope for more live casino counting!!!)
Final episode? Nooooo! As someone whose always been interested in card counting and the mechanisms used to cheat at cards this series was especially awesome! It actually inspired me to get back into preforming sleight of hand magic.
Also Stephen, what headphones have you been using in the series while you practice? They seem nice and I want to get a better pair for myself.
Haha glad you enjoyed them! Sony WH-1000XM5 - they are great except they're not super comfortable. The band at the top is too thin so can push down on the head.
Other than that annoyance they're excellent.
@@stevenbridgesBose Quietcomforts are my recommendation for comfort. The sound quality is fractionally worse but you can wear them for hours with zero discomfort
I think the second pitboss had a wrong idea of what this video is. This is just "This is a very bold way of cheating that was used a long time ago, we want to try it without going to jail and see what happens". Not "are the pitbosses good enough to catch us????"
Mind the perspective: note that he has not seen the final video at the time. Steven Might have added this context about 80s casinos later when working on the youtube video when the part with pit bosses was taped already. Cinema magic.
@@jakubzbrodaNo. He has made it clear throught the videos, whether it be with security people or pit bosses that this is set in the 80s. Even Paul in their conversation after the swap said that "a lot worse" than jail would have happened to Steven if he tried it in a real casino I'm the 80s. It's been that way from the jump.
@@PieMan4848 very well observed, thank you
Yeah, for sure. But you can't exactly make it clear to them before filming - and I can see why they might've felt uncomfortable afterwards.
@@Cowtymsmiesznego I mean, you're wrong, but ok.
It's also tough because no casino in the world will let you come in and try to cheat "as an experiment" in a real world scenario. Excellent series once again. What's crazy now is some of the hacing info that came out of defcon about the shuffling machines in some casinos. Proving that even in the modern age, it's still possible to cheat.
Yeah that shuffle machine stuff is WILD!
Really? You dont think casinos audit their staff with a dummy cheater?
Was it a new defcon talk?
@@rossbennett-kennett9764 Doing it on their own in their own casino, maybe, but some outsider asking to do it amongst their real customers? That's a much harder ask.
link to the shuffling defcon video ?
I tnknk Paul gave fair feedback.
It was not realistic to true life, and because of that, they didn't operate in the exact same way that they would inside a casino, nor did they benefit from the various safeguards already in place within the casino.
But regardless, it was extremely interesting to warch, and it's quite possible to imagine that back in the 80s, something like this coild really work.
At 15:55, when asked "How come?" [to shuffle], Paul laughed like Stephen knew why... Paul caught him but played it cool.
Awesome video Steven! I appreciate the intellectual and editorial honesty in this video so much. Definitely a somewhat rare thing to find on RUclips and makes the video so much more interesting in my opinion
Sounds like that second pit boss was wound a little tight.
Was it a legit environment? No. Was it interesting in a view of an ‘if we controlled the environment, would we be caught doing the switch itself’ - absolutely. Super insightful from the 3rd guy with his feeling to shuffle.
Yeah I thought that was such an incredible instinct from him!
I understand the second guys feelings 100% - you did pull one over him and this never would fly in his casino. And I also don't think it's any issue that he's been censored from the video, the video works just as well. The video demonstrates an old technique that might have worked in a poorly run casino back in the day and it shows the principle and the reasons why it wouldn't work today very clearly.
"I would end up in prison"
"Oh no no no, not prison, a lot worse than prison"
Lol... wonder how many bones was broken back in the days.
As an ex-croupier, seeing that pitboss hovering over you brought back some memories! Love your work
This video is absolutely top notch entertainment, and it's free. TY, Steven!
You know a pit boss is serious when he's wearing two pairs of glasses.
Paul needs to come back and do a few more videos with you. He definitely seemed to want make it as authentic as possible, explain everything he was doing and how to make it more real, and had an entertaining way of doing it.
I didn't expect to see boss #3 with the mega vape ripper 3000, but here we are. Great vid.
Hey Steven, long time listener first time caller. I just wanted to appreciate the interviews in this video; I would love to see more. The questions and editing provided great ad hoc responses, very interesting. Also, the last boss holding the big ol' vape was a plot twist I wasn't expecting.
hahaha yeah Paul was such a character.
I've caught up on the last few month's videos and binged them all at once. I've loved this mini series - it's awesome to see you use your skills as a magician with the knowledge of blackjack. It's the ultimate crossover! Thank you for taking the time to learn such cool skills and make a some fantastic videos!
Literally just finished the previous video in the series. Can’t get much luckier than this
I was waiting for you
That #3 deckswitch is timed absolutely perfect Steven, goosebumps🤩
I wish it were skill but definitely luck. 😂
Really love these new types of vids, really bloody entertaining and educational! Cant wait for the ”next beat the odds”
Thank you! Just got back from a trip so hyped to post more. 🙂
I feel so nervous watching you pull that off so i cant imagine how you must have felt under all that pressure. Great work!
I was nervous for the first one. But then felt much better as at least one had gone well. Then I was nervous for Paul after the conversation I'd had with the second guy 😂
07:48 - HIS FACE!!
That's a perfect "I've been had" face! 😂
Gutted. I genuinely laughed out loid.
Lol. I think casinos have seen every sort of cheat possible by now that could've been pulled off back in the 80's, hence why they were so well trained, but this was still a fun watch. I imagine if you'd warned them ahead of time that you might try some shenanigans like what could happen IRL, they might have fought the urge and not looked away. Loved the videos! Will return to catch your next series, whatever it may be and whenever you release them. Your videos always brighten my day.🙂
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed this change. Totally agree. Casinos are very good at defence now
After number 2, the third boss was really good about it! Very positive convo!
I agree with the pit bosses. It is a completely artificial environment so it doesn’t have much bearing on reality.
Still really interesting to see how it would have been done.
1:36 I thought the cheating technique was called "Dakulah" but it turns out he was actually saying "the cooler"😂😂
😂
Amazing as always, you turned me singlehanded to a blackjack enjoyer! I hope your blackjack journey is not over, hitting the casinos with a team and more and better disguises I mean shot you could make a documentary or a movie out of your series
Dw I've just got back from a trip 🙂
@@stevenbridgesOOOOO Yeeeessss!! I hope your trip was great and can’t wait to see what comes next!!
That was educational. I totally understand how cheated they felt. You told them you are filming a video for showing how BJ looked like in the 80s, telling them to treat it as actual game would be better. Even though they'd probably kick you out after a few hands lol :D I can't be mad at them being mad. You tested them, not your skills. That's not fair to them.
This is the third round I’ve done of watching all his card counting vids. Just bloody amazing!
My opinion on why #2 and #3 weren't entirely thrilled with the experiment is because they believe (probably rightly so, I have no idea) that it's impossible to pull this cheat NOW, so therefore the video has no point. The problem with thinking like that is that this wasn't a video testing if you could pull this cheat off in modern casinos in a more realistic environment, it was a demonstration of how a cheat COULD have worked in the 80s with the added flavor of "can youtuber and crew pull it off at all, even with ideal circumstances?"
Jaw dropped when Paul instantly called for a shuffle after the mega-split hand. Wonder what happens if you take that hand out and it's just a succession of winning hands? I reckon he still calls shuffle at some stage, but you get away with a few more wins and it maybe ends up all being equal.
yeah it's probably very suspicious if every hand just wins in a row, you'd likely wanna force a high count mid shoe where a lot of hands win but not all
Yeah, ideal situation is you have one high roller come to the table and they're the one that wins more than they lose. You'd be more subtle than every hand a winner in real life. But totally agree, his instincts were so sharp!
I can see where pit boss number two is coming from, though I wish he provided his side of the story as it would have been really interesting to hear. Hoping he was respectful with you all (though maybe he wasn't if he threatened you with legal action 😅)
He was very polite but gradually scaled up his assertiveness.
That guy was a complete idiot of course, steven is positive about him because of the fear of legal actions, that guy probably threatened with more than just that too...
Had fun watching this series! 😊
Glad ya liked it!
13:30 it felt like my boss first day on the job.. lol... i could feel that hit so hard.
hahahaha 😂
This series was so cool! I also love how you cut out the guy that wanted to be cut out and also let his perspective be known. I'd guess you'd be fine legally since people are kept in documentaries even though they feel misrepresented all the time, but you did what they wanted because you have moral integrity.
Yeah it was a tough call to be honest. I battled back and forth with the principle vs the harm caused. But ultimately I thought I could still tell the story but not have him feel shit, so that felt like the best option.
@@stevenbridges I think you made the right call in the end. I think it actually added to the story you were telling
Like a magician and you're face Steven🤣🤣🤣 loving the series
fun episode and grateful for all 3 pit bosses for showing up too bad we never got boss 2's reaction, even voice altered and blocked out would have been neat. grateful for boss 1- would have been neat to hear more of his comments but I get he didn't want to share too much on a channel hosted by an advantage player. boss 3 was also great and it'd be neat to have him as a dealer coach
Fantastic as always man
Thank you mate 🙂
Third boss seemed so down to earth with his knowledge, great guy
Can't wait to hear about the trip 👀
Also thoroughly enjoyed the debriefing/interviews, really good content to add in!
Your narration in these videos are absolutely perfect, but I would love in future videos if you can fit in a couple more of those interviews.
Cheers!
This is cool! Id actually really love to see more videos like this with more preparation, perhaps you colab with some top tier sleight of hand artists, etc.
Check out the first episode of this mini series
Paul is one cool dude. Sheer class.
Almost didn't watch this as I had the same thoughts as the 2nd pit boss, bit was a bit of fun and I was almost there with you on the 3rd attempt, nail bitting 😂 good one.
Just how you distracted those pit bosses with the chip fall, you distracted me with that ad read, well done steve.
Your into to CoPilot was the funniest thing in the entire video, had me laugh out loud!
Judging a modern pit boss by their ability to figure out a cheat that isn't possible to use anymore is like judging a modern train engineer for not being able to operate a steam engine.
This series has been awesome
Thank you! Glad you liked it 🙂
This was very cool. Honestly my favorite series of your videos. Well done, super interesting.
Dang, good thing boss #1 was first, he understood that the activity was just for fun lol. I expect more people to be like #2, since he basically felt he was being criticized and rarely do I ever meet people who take that well.
Great series Steven. I've enjoyed watching your sojourn across the states.
Loved this series, a totally different aspect of the game from years ago. Looking forward to more series along side your trips.
I may have just got back from a card counting trip - Steven bridges ❤😂
I love these videos Steven! Thankyou for creating and sharing them.
It was a fun experiment that you made clear over and over is unrealistic today. That 2nd guy was way too serious about it. I understand why he'd want to remain anonymous, heck I'd probably want to be in this field, but don't have a hissy fit about it.
2 and 3 are professionals with the sole objective of not missing things. You successfully made them miss something, and they weren’t happy with it so they made excuses. It’s an ego thing, but at least number 3 gave some reasonable and useful feedback. Yes, it wasn’t a perfect simulation, but that’s the point. Any perfect simulation would’ve put you in jail, so I think you simulated it as well as you possibly could’ve. The experiment was no doubt a success ✅
Yeah i think three's comments were really solid. The next day with the call I think he just wanted to make sure he hadn't missed something.
I think it’s just no one likes the idea that they have been deceived. You can see where the last 2 are coming from when they have spent their life in an industry which is based around thoroughness, they would feel like they been cheated by this experiment. However, super interesting to watch and well done on such an ambitious project.
Yeah good point! Thank you dude!
I like Paul quite a bit. Good man, really like that you let him wander around and have control, because I was absolutely on the side of the second boss with the critique's you echoed from them. But then you removed it all* for Paul and still managed it.
Much love ❤❤❤ I love watching smart people
These videos are great, the techniques and experiments and whatnot. But what’s really jumping out at me is the narrative and storytelling. How and when he chooses to tell which part of the story, the order that the information is presented, top notch stuff. Makes the video much more interesting to watch than if everything were just laid out all at once.
It's a shame I missed the shout out looking for players, as a former croupier and current player I would have enjoyed helping you with this
Awe I love Paul! I agree with the pit-bosses. This was more like a magic trick than cheating to me. Too much was controlled and not applicable to real life. Now, getting permission from a casino to actually test out their security and try something in real life, that would be cool! I like the card counting videos better. Just meant as constructive feedback, you've got my subscription.
Two big real world obstacles: Overhead Cameras would eventually provide evidence to convict you as a dealer and shoes are usually chained to the table. Just have the anonymous 3rd base player add a slug of 12 extra 10 value cards to the discard pile and you can play with a +2 shoe all night on a 6 deck shoe.
Jesus that second pit boss seems like he's got a bit of an easily bruised ego. Obviously the conditions aren't perfectly realistic and no reasonable person would take any of this as a reflection on the ability of the pit bosses. I can't believe he'd agree to be in a video and then threaten to sue like that.
Just for context, he didn't know it was a cheating video. But he was told that there was a 'reveal' and we couldn't tell him fully about what the video was about.
Had a few whiskeys so i didnt notice you uploaded but excited to watch a couple hours later
It's obvious the 2nd guy is mad he got beat.
The thing is he probably had totally valid justification that he was unfairly beat. The problem was that he was butthurt about it.
Amazing work as always, Steven! This series kept me on edge...
Glad you enjoyed it!
hey man, somehow missed the previous episode (which ill be jumping to right after this comment) but i gotta say that this series was brilliant. discovered you recently and im happy that i did. this video ended up providing us with a look into actual pit bosses minds in a way that made it deeper than could ever have been expected. excited where you take this channel next, ill be sticking around for sure!
Thank you! Really glad you've enjoyed this series - bit different to what I usually do
I saw people doing the switch during tests in the university. someone did something, professor got up and run to check and people switch the tests around.
While it may be unrealistic, the fact that the pitbosses was so sure it was unrealistic means it's probably possible with some ingenuity. Get a detirmined dealer and a smart magician on it and they'd find a way imo.
What a thoughtful and well balanced video from Steven. Amazing work.
“a lot worse than prison” 🤣
That American guy didn't want to get bad attention but then immediately made the bad attention 10x stronger 😂
typical american
Number 2 was so butt hurt 😂
I went to Atlantic City for my 21st during covid. There were masks and plastic screens. The dealer was wearing a mask too. I couldn’t hear her. I now know why. I walked into the Tropicana with 180 dollars. The only two 5$ tables were taken. My only option was to sit at the 50$ table. The dealer looked bored. A true 1v1. I sat down and she shuffled. I cut the deck and placed my bet of 50$. I won against the dealer. I was winning so much the pit boss came over to the dealers right ear and said “shuffle” after watching us play. She watched the shuffle. I tried to place two bets and the boss said “No. You need a player’s card to place two separate bets. She asked for my ID. I gave it to her like an idiot. I wasn’t counting cards. It was a 1v1.
Paul definitely knows his stuff, really great video!
I've got to imagine a half-decent pit boss in a real casino would order a shuffle shortly after a distraction just on instinct, even if they somehow missed the switch.
Good point
moreover security on surveilance would've caught the switchout instantly.
You statement boggles my brain on so many levels.
It would be absolutely ridiculous to order a reshuffle for such freakishly minor things such as a short distraction. Like imagine someone tapping the pit boss on the shoulder to have a word and the boss afterwards goes "HEY RESHUFFLE THAT TABLE, I WAS TALKING TO SOMEONE ELSE FOR A SECOND AND COULDN'T STARE AT YOUR TABLE!"
Not to even mention that a pit boss have never a single table to check on, else they'd be no need for a pit boss. Their job is not to know everything that happens at every table simultaneously, it's actually impossible.
Also any time spent shuffling is time not spent on betting, it's literarily costing them money in addition to it being ridiculous on it's own.
I feel the pit bosses had a point, it’s not a environment where they where looking or expecting to be cheated as you did explain. A better way to repeat the experiment would be to set up some sort of fake tournament for them to oversee as they weren’t doing their job as a pit boss but where there as teachers/instructors about the fundamental of the game.
Really enjoyed these videos. Hoping for more!
If the scenario involved an expert lifeguard, who was used to keeping watch at a community pool, observing three swimmers in hot tub, in a bedroom with cameras, I think we'd all laugh. And, if during a distraction, one of the three swimmers slipped underwater, the lifeguard would immediately notice unless the situation was extremely manipulated. So, as far as this experiement goes, it was very unrealistic and not worth the time. But, as entertainment, I watched the whole thing and got a kick out if it. Keep up the good work:-)
that's a terrible comparison. one saves lives and the other saves a greedy casino money.
The Mega splitt is defiantly awesome with 8bit explosions 😂(really wonder if this is an amazing editor or a funny Skript.)
Hahaha amazing editor for sure
Brilliant series. Just shows the smallest distraction can be massive. PB's were great and professional 👏