Player Denied Bonus After M Resort Card Counting Dispute

A blackjack player who claimed he was singled out and denied winnings at M Resort in Henderson lost his appeal with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Rahne Pistor believed he should have received $1,050 from a suited-blackjack promotion held in August 2024, but the Board ruled in favor of the casino, saying they acted properly.

Bait and Switch Accusations

The dispute began during a $15,000 promotional campaign that ran from August 1–24, offering players club members one-entry tickets for every suited blackjack they hit. 

Those tickets also qualified for a raffle drawing and allowed players to redeem up to 10 bonus payouts, paying 3-to-1, during games on August 30.

On the day of the drawing, Pistor bought into a blackjack table for $1,000 and played several hands, redeeming three of his vouchers after hitting suited blackjacks. 

However, shortly after collecting his third bonus, a floor supervisor asked him to leave the table and told him he could no longer play blackjack at the property.

At a hearing in March, Pistor claimed the casino wrongly denied him value he’d already earned. 

“They stole something of value that I earned prior to being disinvited to play blackjack,” he said, estimating each bonus voucher was worth about $150. 

He argued that earning those vouchers took “considerable risk, time, and money,” and accused the casino of a “bait and switch.”

“By allowing me to earn valuable bonus tickets, they entered into a contract with me,” he told the Board, adding that the respective tickets should be allowed to be redeemed for their value, “no matter whether they were earned by good players or lousy players.” 

He also accused the casino of “libelous hearsay” and “deceptive gaming practices.”

Card Counting Questions 

Casino officials testified that Pistor’s play raised suspicions of card counting. A table games supervisor described his betting patterns as “inconsistent and didn’t fit the norm.” 

Surveillance and compliance staff concluded Pistor was likely an advantage player. “We noticed he was counting cards, not just flat betting,” said the compliance director, adding that the casino has the right to discourage advantage players.

A marketing executive testified that Pistor still had to play hundreds more hands to redeem his remaining vouchers. The vice president of finance added that the unused tickets had no monetary value.While Pistor did win $500 in the raffle drawing, he wasn’t present to claim it, and the prize was forfeited. A Board agent noted that while card counting isn’t illegal, casinos may bar players they believe have an edge.