Blackjack Dealers Clap Hands to Prove Innocence

Dear Mark, Why, when dealers leave the blackjack table, do they always clap their hands? Chris A.
Casino mythology holds that there is a touch of larceny in all dealers. We clap (clear) our hands to prove we are not pilfering chips.
Even now, years after my dealing gig, I am still haunted by the suspicion of theft. Every time I pick up an item in a store and put it back, I still "clear" my hands to show I am not shoplifting.
The same holds true for those idiotic aprons management makes the dealers wear. Casino operators do not give one iota about us wearing out our pants, no; they just want to make it tougher for us to steal a £1 chip off the game.
The bottom line, Chris, is that I believe 99% of casino employees are honest, hardworking individuals, and I'm sticking to that story.