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Stick
05-10-2006, 02:47 AM
Like I've said before, I haven't really played blackjack in over 10 years, studied the charts, practiced counting, any of that. The system I use is all still in my head and so aside from taking a glance @ a BS chart to make sure I remembered everything I did no preparation for my trip to Vegas, figured I'd break even on the BJ tables and be happy.

Little did I know that they have games that are soooooooo easy. You have to understand though I'm there for the weekend, I couldn't give one fuck less if I get 'barred' from playing in one, two, three, thirty casinos. I haven't played in 10 years and don't really plan on playing again anytime soon so I thought to myself, why worry about camouflage? Make the money and run?

I pulled into the Stardust and found myself a nice 2 deck table, DAS, hit soft 17, 2-1 BJ, split anything up to 4x, normal rules. About a deck & 1/4 was dealt out, so decent penetration for a 2 deck game. I could also catch the 'cut card' (don't know what it's technically called) so my count would start before the first card was dealt, nice bonus!

I played on a table w/very few if any players, limits were $10 - $2000 (I think, high limit regardless). I had no bet spread, I bet from $10 - $300 jumping around like a Mexican bean. One hand I'd bet $10, then the TC would jump to +6 and I'd play two or three holes for $100. Obviously I'm bound to get 'caught' but I didn't get that tap on my shoulder until I had taken over $1100 off of them. "No more action for you" was what followed the tap on the shoulder. I got up, cashed out, and on to the next one I went.

Circus Circus was close by, same game, same rules, same shooting fish in a barrel. Same story except the jackasses wouldn't simply tell me to stop playing, they switched out dealers, watched my play closely, and the Pit Boss told her something to the effect of whenever my bets went over $X to reshuffle. One time he even jumped over and said "reshuffle" to her. I was almost on the verge of cracking up, I mean ... just tell my ass to leave? Anyway, after about 30 mins. of him/them watching intently, reshuffling anytime I increased my bet size, which by the way once I realized it was a nice way to get a new shuffle when the count was horrible rofl, I got up. I told the guy that if he didn't want me to play he could have just told me and he got pissssssssed. He starts going off about me "counting down his deck" and making it sound like I'd committed grand larceny. I knew they couldn't do anything, so I got up, cashed out, and off I went.

The next day I couldn't help myself, I returned to Circus Circus and it only took a mere 1/2 hr. for me to get the "We'd appreciate it if you didn't play here anymore". This guy was much nicer and I talked to him for a bit afterwards. I didn't care, like I said, there are more casinos in Vegas :P

So I arrived about 4 in the AM @ Flamingo downtown and find an even easier game than the two mentioned above. It was still two decks, normal rules, but there was NO heat whatsoever. I sat for hours with only one or two other people coming in and out of the table, bet spread was ridiculous, and nobody even watched me play a hand, I swear to god. All in all Vegas let me leave with a few grand at the blackjack tables, not bad for a weekend and not having played in over 10 years.

Stick

ihate17
05-10-2006, 02:57 AM
Congrats Stick
But the Flamingo is not downtown and believe it or not, there are better games than the ones you beat.

ihate17

Stick
05-10-2006, 01:57 PM
I'll believe there are better games out there, but I was happy finding 2 deckers with over a deck penetration where I got to play for hours on end w/that insane bet spread. I have no idea where anything is 'technically', just thought the cabbie said 'downtown' in there somewhere...oh well :P

If I go back in a few months you going to let me know where these 'easier' games are? checkmugged@yahoo.com <<

Stick

ihate17
05-10-2006, 09:58 PM
Stick:

At Stanford Wong's website, bj21.com they sell something called Current Blackjack News (CBJN), which gives you the all the information you are looking for on every blackjack game in the U.S. Some of the things are, number of tables, how many decks, basic rules S-17, H-17, double after split, resplit aces etc etc. They also give approx penetration, betting limits. Also there are remarks about how much heat the pit generates, if players are evaluated by the pit or a computer program in the eye and what kind of evaluation program perhaps.
You can subscribe to CBJN or just the current one for the month you are going to Vegas for $12.

Besides all that, it can save you a ton of time searching for good games and going to different casinos where you find nothing you want to play.

Then there are other things that sharing with others might cause the game or casino's weakness to disappear if too many people play it knowingly. These things I will not share without being given equal information.

ihate17

Stick
05-11-2006, 12:12 AM
Tx for reminding me about Wong's BJ news, I'd forgotten all about it, it has been sooooooo long, I would have spent the 12 bucks and still will next time.

I don't have any 'equal information' to share unless you play poker or better yet, backgammon. If you happen to, hit me up ;) Otherwise tx anyway. 12 years w/out playing BJ I wouldn't consider myself in the loop, in fact I'm gonna go look for my binoculars now to see if I can spot the loop!

Stick

learningtocount
05-15-2006, 01:36 AM
You can beat BJ on any given weekend or any given hand weather if you are betting $10 or a $1000 just because you hit or big bet of a $100 doesn't mean that you are a favorite to win you could of just got lucky. Circus circus is a horrible casino the Eldorado is much better. Make sure you pick the right games if you go to the Eldorado in Reno because theres regular BJ and 6-5 BJ as well.

ihate17
05-15-2006, 08:20 PM
You can beat BJ on any given weekend or any given hand weather if you are betting $10 or a $1000 just because you hit or big bet of a $100 doesn't mean that you are a favorite to win you could of just got lucky. Circus circus is a horrible casino the Eldorado is much better. Make sure you pick the right games if you go to the Eldorado in Reno because theres regular BJ and 6-5 BJ as well.


If you are familar with Mindplay21, a blackjack table system, you might be familar with a lawsuit brought originally against the Nevada Gaming Commission, Bally's Gaming, and the El Dorado by a California lawyer. The Gaming folks were excused by the courts and Bally's and El Dorado made a settlement with the help of the gaming folks.
Mindplay besides other things, gave the pit the exact count and exact order of the cards not yet dealt. What the El Dorado did with this information is to deal deep into the deck if the remaining cards favored the house or shuffle real early if the remaining cards favored the player. The result is every single player on the table was being cheated seriously. Card counters were not cheated because they knew what the house was doing and left, but the poor guy, who did not count but might have a blackjack coming his way on the next hand, just sat there and watched the dealer shuffle.
The result of the settlement was an 8 hand delay in the use of the information being transfered to the pit which kills the houses use of Mindplay21 to cheat, if this is being enforced???

As an AP, I have found ways to play Mindplay, but I think the El Dorado under all circumstances does not deserve your business. Also note that both the Hilton and Flamingo in Vegas, in the past had Mindplay21 and never used the information to cheat their customers.

ihate17