How to tell if the tournament operator is legit

I will be joining a new group this weekend for a small tournament that is expected to have 30 players. What is the best way to determine if the game is legit or if there is cheating going on without being blatant or accusatory.

If I do see extra chips in play when is the proper time to say something ?

I have been a part of a few groups like this and can say i have never seen anything going on like cheating. When i go for the 1st time i just watch the game as it plays. The person who is dealing is the one to watch as if there is anyone cheating it most likely would be them and at that point in the game. I would also casually count your chips every so often but always just before a break. That way if you are missing chips you know there is an issue. If you do see something you may want to tell the operator of the game as they would want to know. The problem is if they are good friends they may take there word they were not cheating over yours. To be honest, if I went to new game and was concerned by what i was seeing i would not want to go back to that game.

Good luck. I hope it goes well and you win.

Everything went well and we chopped when there was two of us left !

Glad to hear it all went well and even better you chopped. Well played sir.

It's harder for casinos to cheat poker now, too much competition for them and it's not even worth it for them financially.
Only ways are when individuals get their hands on some way to cheat, but it's usually against the casinos interests.