Just got off the AC treadmill

aslan

Well-Known Member
#1
This was maybe the worst trip I've had to AC. Sorry, but I don't think the AC games are readily beatable, except maybe by team play (keyword: readily). Even then I have my doubts. Yes, you can go to AC and everything goes your way, but that's not a true test. I've had a load of experience there over the past six months, and it is a grind.

This last trip started at the Borgata. The pen was atrocious. 2 1/2 decks and more. Probably not beatable by counting alone--better get your rabbit's foot out. I played seventeen hours and came up a measly $350 ahead. What a grind. Wong all you want, with poor pen you have a better chance with craps or other table games, because when you do find a good count, it will generally only last nanoseconds. But I did manage to stay ahead because I remembered advice on the forum that you need to spread really high to beat these AC games. So even with 20X and 25X spreads in this $5 min game, I only managed a $350 win. I'll never play this game again.

I followed 21forme's advice and headed over to Trump Plaza. There the pen was great, only a deck or slightly more much of the time. So with great pen I was prepared for some really good play. Let me tell you, whoever said that 6- and 8-deck games were a roller coaster had a gift for understatement. Over and over the same thing happened, I held my own for the most part during the flat betting stage, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, but when the count got really good, I ramped on up only to find myself consistently losing in the big betting situations. After several hours I was down $2,700, but managed to bring it back in a few lucky positive counts to negative $500, betting two hands at up to $200 a hand ($15 min) and even once, three hands at $300 each. The cards were so bad, that one shoe the dealer made 21 the first four hands in a row. I felt strangely moved to wong out, which I did. The other two players lost about 20 of 21 of the next hands (that's an approximation). Everyone was besides themselves, stunned. We insisted the dealer reshuffle before the shoe was over, which the pit agreed to let her do.

If that wasn't bad enough, then up popped the devil. Sorry sir, we're closing this table to bring in new cards. So, tired and bleary eyed, wired with red bull and coffee, I moved to another table where I was greeted by the fastest dealer on earth, or anywhere else for that matter. I was just too tired to keep up, although I don't think I played badly. Just couldn't win a hand. All night I had been unable to hit hardly any stiff. I came to believe that you are supposed to bust 49 out of 50 times with 12 through 16. This table was even worse. If I didn't bust a stiff hand I can't remember it. It's as if only the dealer is allowed to make these hands, while players must bust--it's the rule! Anyway, I lost heavily, moved to $25 table, and found it impossible to win more then a hand here and there, and vitually never when the big bucks were bet. Players were saying it was because they had just changed to new cards. I don't know anything about that. Is it possible?

Wonging means absolutely nothing when you consistently lose in positive counts. Up and down you go, but unfortunately, there were more downs than ups.

After this sad experience, I was down to my last $2,000 or so. I wasn't steaming or anything, but I wanted to see if I could quickly win some of my BR back before I left AC. I was going to try again at BJ, but my partner said he had to leave soon. He suggested that the way I had been taking a beating at BJ, and because we didn't have much time left, why not make a couple of bets on the roulette wheel. I know what a lousy bet roulette is, but I figured it was about as close to even money for two or three bets as you can get. I know, the 0 and 00 are hugh, but I figured they counted more in the long run than two or three bets. I joked, just watch 00 come up the first time I bet a color. lol

Anyway, I bet $1.000 on black and won. Then I bet $500 on black and won. Last, I bet $500 on red and won. Worse than an 8 to 1 shot counting the house edge. It's really sad when you win easily in 5 minutes, half of what you lost in a grueling 12 hour bout with the odds in your favor. For those of you who don't know me, I seldom gamble per se, and have even given up playing slots completely. I figured I wouldn't feel any worse if I lost the $1,000 than I already felt from the beating I took at BJ. And if I won, it would be a real shot in the arm. (Please, no lectures on the stupidity of playing roulette--it was the only positive aspect of the entire trip. It was as much for entertainment as anything.)


Now I'm thinking what am I going to do differently next week? I figure I will play a $25 game for a couple of hours at a time. The days of long sessions are over for me--you have my word. Probably things will go better than today, but you never know. I'm willing to give it a few more shots. But I am beginning to think that winning at AC 6-deck games, even with good pen, is at best a real gamble, and that one better be prepared for one heck of a roller coaster ride. Those of you who have had no problem with these games, I think you have been lucky. Either that, or I have been very unlucky. Mostly I win in AC, but never without a battle and often with the possibility of going bust.

I think the shorter sessions, one to two hours, will be a real plus, because BJ is becoming a drag. And I'm sure things will turn around--I've won a lot more times than I've lost. Also, I'm going to stop hanging in there until things turn around. That tends to make the losses bigger than the wins on a bad day, although I know in principle it is all one long continuous game.

Your comments would be appreciated.
 

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#2
Playing BJ until you are bleary -eyed and wired from redbull and coffee doesn't make you an AP.Sounds more like you are a compulsive gambler. Perhaps you should take a break.
 

Bojack1

Well-Known Member
#3
aslan said:
This was maybe the worst trip I've had to AC. Sorry, but I don't think the AC games are readily beatable, except maybe by team play (keyword: readily). Even then I have my doubts. Yes, you can go to AC and everything goes your way, but that's not a true test. I've had a load of experience there over the past six months, and it is a grind.

This last trip started at the Borgata. The pen was atrocious. 2 1/2 decks and more. Probably not beatable by counting alone--better get your rabbit's foot out. I played seventeen hours and came up a measly $350 ahead. What a grind. Wong all you want, with poor pen you have a better chance with craps or other table games, because when you do find a good count, it will generally only last nanoseconds. But I did manage to stay ahead because I remembered advice on the forum that you need to spread really high to beat these AC games. So even with 20X and 25X spreads in this $5 min game, I only managed a $350 win. I'll never play this game again.

I followed 21forme's advice and headed over to Trump Plaza. There the pen was great, only a deck or slightly more much of the time. So with great pen I was prepared for some really good play. Let me tell you, whoever said that 6- and 8-deck games were a roller coaster had a gift for understatement. Over and over the same thing happened, I held my own for the most part during the flat betting stage, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, but when the count got really good, I ramped on up only to find myself consistently losing in the big betting situations. After several hours I was down $2,700, but managed to bring it back in a few lucky positive counts to negative $500, betting two hands at up to $200 a hand ($15 min) and even once, three hands at $300 each. The cards were so bad, that one shoe the dealer made 21 the first four hands in a row. I felt strangely moved to wong out, which I did. The other two players lost about 20 of 21 of the next hands (that's an approximation). Everyone was besides themselves, stunned. We insisted the dealer reshuffle before the shoe was over, which the pit agreed to let her do.

If that wasn't bad enough, then up popped the devil. Sorry sir, we're closing this table to bring in new cards. So, tired and bleary eyed, wired with red bull and coffee, I moved to another table where I was greeted by the fastest dealer on earth, or anywhere else for that matter. I was just too tired to keep up, although I don't think I played badly. Just couldn't win a hand. All night I had been unable to hit hardly any stiff. I came to believe that you are supposed to bust 49 out of 50 times with 12 through 16. This table was even worse. If I didn't bust a stiff hand I can't remember it. It's as if only the dealer is allowed to make these hands, while players must bust--it's the rule! Anyway, I lost heavily, moved to $25 table, and found it impossible to win more then a hand here and there, and vitually never when the big bucks were bet. Players were saying it was because they had just changed to new cards. I don't know anything about that. Is it possible?

Wonging means absolutely nothing when you consistently lose in positive counts. Up and down you go, but unfortunately, there were more downs than ups.

After this sad experience, I was down to my last $2,000 or so. I wasn't steaming or anything, but I wanted to see if I could quickly win some of my BR back before I left AC. I was going to try again at BJ, but my partner said he had to leave soon. He suggested that the way I had been taking a beating at BJ, and because we didn't have much time left, why not make a couple of bets on the roulette wheel. I know what a lousy bet roulette is, but I figured it was about as close to even money for two or three bets as you can get. I know, the 0 and 00 are hugh, but I figured they counted more in the long run than two or three bets. I joked, just watch 00 come up the first time I bet a color. lol

Anyway, I bet $1.000 on black and won. Then I bet $500 on black and won. Last, I bet $500 on red and won. Worse than an 8 to 1 shot counting the house edge. It's really sad when you win easily in 5 minutes, half of what you lost in a grueling 12 hour bout with the odds in your favor. For those of you who don't know me, I seldom gamble per se, and have even given up playing slots completely. I figured I wouldn't feel any worse if I lost the $1,000 than I already felt from the beating I took at BJ. And if I won, it would be a real shot in the arm. (Please, no lectures on the stupidity of playing roulette--it was the only positive aspect of the entire trip. It was as much for entertainment as anything.)


Now I'm thinking what am I going to do differently next week? I figure I will play a $25 game for a couple of hours at a time. The days of long sessions are over for me--you have my word. Probably things will go better than today, but you never know. I'm willing to give it a few more shots. But I am beginning to think that winning at AC 6-deck games, even with good pen, is at best a real gamble, and that one better be prepared for one heck of a roller coaster ride. Those of you who have had no problem with these games, I think you have been lucky. Either that, or I have been very unlucky. Mostly I win in AC, but never without a battle and often with the possibility of going bust.

I think the shorter sessions, one to two hours, will be a real plus, because BJ is becoming a drag. And I'm sure things will turn around--I've won a lot more times than I've lost. Also, I'm going to stop hanging in there until things turn around. That tends to make the losses bigger than the wins on a bad day, although I know in principle it is all one long continuous game.

Your comments would be appreciated.
This is a tough post man. I understand your pain, but I will not sympathize because you are making your own bed here. I will admit that A.C. is not the optimal playing ground but it is nevertheless very beatable. There are a couple of things that are disturbing about your trip that I cannot relate to if you are a serious AP.

First off you mention that the Borgata had terrible penetration yet you sat there and played it for 17 hours! Why would you do that? There are quite a few options at this point. First off did you check all the pits at the Borgata, there are quite a few you know. There are even manually shuffled games with usually better pen due to dealers laziness in shuffling. Or you could have done what you did, only much earlier, and go to a totally different casino that might offer a better game. It sounds as if you are not aggressively searching for the best games available and are being complacement about what is right in front of you.

Next, why the heck are you playing ridiculously long sessions until you are bleary eyed and half concious. That is not real smart play. Its really a counters equivalent to steaming. Playing just to chase losses regardless of how physically out of it or numb your caffeine saturated brain might be. There is 1 and only 1 person that I know of that can play that long without having a serious reduction in mental capacity, and that would be James Grosjean, and we both know thats not you. You even admit to not even being able to keep up with a fast dealer. If thats the case how do you even know if you weren't playing badly. Odds are you were probably much worse then you could imagine.

Of course there is the gamblers desperation of throwing huge bets, well over your bj max, down on the roulette table. This is what makes you feel better about a tough night of blackjack? I promise you if you had lost those bets you would feel pretty stupid and much worse than you do now, you just got lucky.

Whats tough to swallow here is you say you are up overall as a blackjack player yet you still complain. I'm sure there are many good players that can't say that yet but wish they could, even those that are playing more disciplined then yourself. I don't mean to offend you here, but you are getting more than you should at this point based on what I read here, and you should be thankful. I'm not sure if you totally understand the concept of card counting and AP otherwise I think you would be more in tune of what the whole process entails. I do wish you luck in the future as you will need it if you don't refine your game a little bit. If you must play A.C., search for your best options instead of settling. If your going to get beat at least give yourself a fighting chance. I would be able to live with losing knowing I did all I could to avoid it.
 

moo321

Well-Known Member
#4
Play shorter sessions, take a nap, eat some food, play a good video poker or video blackjack game, or live poker, and have a good time! I only play till I'm bleary eyed if the dealer is flashing his hole card, they're paying 2 to 1 on blackjacks, or I've got 3 days to live.
 
#5
shadroch said:
Playing BJ until you are bleary -eyed and wired from redbull and coffee doesn't make you an AP.Sounds more like you are a compulsive gambler. Perhaps you should take a break.
I agree. Resorting to a bad gamble on a roulette wheel to make up for a normal downswing in card counting is a bad sign. It means you are consulting with your emotions and disregarding mathematical science when things get tough. Agree with yourself that you will never do that again, before you go out to play BJ again, because it doesn't sound like you are ready to tackle the challenging environment of blackjack in AC.

Playing tired is often bad not because you can't count cards and play properly, but because you do not have the same control over your emotions when you are in that state. Any human will eventually become psychotic with sleep deprivation, to the point where they will kill their own children (there are documented cases of mothers killing babies who have kept them awake for many days, and the mother doesn't even realize what she did.) I'm not implying you went psychotic, just that you didn't have what it takes to avoid bad decisions after a certain point.

I beat AC games all the time. I look for the best pen and move quickly around the city until I find it. I avoid negative counts, and for God's sake (not really, just for my sake) I stay away from sucker bets like roulette! That's all it takes to beat it.
 
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jimmtech

Well-Known Member
#6
If you ALWAYS resize your max bet after each session to 1% or 2% of you total bankroll, your ROR does not increase with each losing session. I personally try to size my max bet at 2% of my current bankroll..

I have lost my whole bankroll in the past doing what you did and decided to implement this discipline.

For you first session, your max bet was what % of your BR?

For your last session your max bet what what % of your BR?

Not trying to cast any aspersions, just curious, thanks.
 

bj bob

Well-Known Member
#7
Sikmple solution to your woes

aslan said:
This was maybe the worst trip I've had to AC. Sorry, but I don't think the AC games are readily beatable, except maybe by team play (keyword: readily). Even then I have my doubts. Yes, you can go to AC and everything goes your way, but that's not a true test. I've had a load of experience there over the past six months, and it is a grind.




Now I'm thinking what am I going to do differently next week? I figure I will play a $25 game for a couple of hours at a time. The days of long sessions are over for me--you have my word. Probably things will go better than today, but you never know. I'm willing to give it a few more shots. But I am beginning to think that winning at AC 6-deck games, even with good pen, is at best a real gamble, and that one better be prepared for one heck of a roller coaster ride. Those of you who have had no problem with these games, I think you have been lucky. Either that, or I have been very unlucky. Mostly I win in AC, but never without a battle and often with the possibility of going bust.


Your comments would be appreciated.
Problem=Atlantic City
Cost= 300 mi. RT from Fairfax to AC @ $3.00/ gal (25 mpg).....$72.00
Tolls.....................................................................$18.00
Rooms (2 nights) @$155/........................................$310.00
TOTAL $400.00


Solution=Reno
Cost= Gas to BWI(RT).....................................................$ 6.00
Plane via SWA(RT)................................................$250.00
Rooms (2 nights)..................................................$144.00
TOTAL $400.00

DOLLAR DIFFERENCE: $0.00 ..... REAL DIFFERENCE: Priceless:) :) :)
 

21forme

Well-Known Member
#9
Bj Bob - I don't think aslan is paying for the rooms or meals. With his play, I'm sure he gets comped.


Aslan - You've gotten some good advice above.

First, no fault of your's, you got hit by the negative variance stick. It happens. What you shouldn't do is steam and play roulette or some other losing game. IIRC, you've talked in past posts about winning big at BJ, then blowing those winning on craps, slots or video poker. :whip:

Second, we've exchanged a number of PMs and talked about what to do when you see a bad game - just walk away. Sure, it's easy to sit and play, hoping luck will be with you, but no way in hell should you play a 6D game with 2 1/2 decks cut off. Maybe it's because you're over-tired, you justify in your mind playing a poor game. It's like sitting through a negative count, rather than wonging out - you may win a few, but you still should get out.

Perhaps you need a little break to sit back and review your play. If you don't have the tenacity to stay with the game plan, you're not going to come out ahead in the long run.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#10
shadroch said:
Playing BJ until you are bleary -eyed and wired from redbull and coffee doesn't make you an AP.Sounds more like you are a compulsive gambler. Perhaps you should take a break.
Or learn a valuable lesson? I have "gambled" in the pool rooms for years. I'm known as a locksmith--someone who never loses. I don't like to gamble at all. period. End of discussion. I believe it was because of my aversion to losing that I insisted on hanging in there until I won. Now I know that I have a much better chance of winning by getting proper rest and playing shorter, less taxing sessions. Since I value winning far above the feelings that compulsive gamblers thirst after, I have no doubt that the proper correction will be, and already has, been made. Thanks for your concern, but I intend to remain a locksmith, i.e., an AP, even though I'm still a learning AP when it comes to BJ. A rea lcompulsive gambler would never have let everyone on the forum know what he had done. It would surely have identified his sickness. Thanks again, Shad. Appreciatively, Az
 

Mr. T

Well-Known Member
#11
What happened?

In your previous AC report you were so gunho and on a roll. A fleeced lined parka for the wife, you said.
You sound so contrite and sorry for youself here.
I agree with Shadroch that you have a problem and may be compulsive although you are usually the last person to realise this.
You cannot take the variance and losing streaks even though you may be a good counter. It gets into you soul and eats into you.
If you are Asian and Aslan then it may be time to cut up your player's cards.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#12
Bojack1 said:
This is a tough post man. I understand your pain, but I will not sympathize because you are making your own bed here. I will admit that A.C. is not the optimal playing ground but it is nevertheless very beatable. There are a couple of things that are disturbing about your trip that I cannot relate to if you are a serious AP.

First off you mention that the Borgata had terrible penetration yet you sat there and played it for 17 hours! Because at Borgata I was never in any really serious situation as occurred at the Plaza. Why would you do that? There are quite a few options at this point. First off did you check all the pits at the Borgata, there are quite a few you know. I stayed at thetable I was at because it was such a low limit game, $5 min, that I could easily camo my basic bet unit and spread hugh, which I figured could win for me with the occasional positive counts that lasted a while. It did in fact work, but not well enough that I would ever want to try it again. Just not profitable enough. After getting some sleep, I searched the Borgata for any game with better pen and I found absolutely none. I'm not kidding. The management has ordered 2 1/2 deck cutoff and the rare "good" pen is two full decks, which probably accounts for keeping my head barely above water. There are even manually shuffled games with usually better pen due to dealers laziness in shuffling. Or you could have done what you did, only much earlier, and go to a totally different casino that might offer a better game. It sounds as if you are not aggressively searching for the best games available and are being complacement about what is right in front of you. This is true. I must overcome laziness.

Next, why the heck are you playing ridiculously long sessions until you are bleary eyed and half concious. That is not real smart play. Its really a counters equivalent to steaming. Playing just to chase losses regardless of how physically out of it or numb your caffeine saturated brain might be. There is 1 and only 1 person that I know of that can play that long without having a serious reduction in mental capacity, and that would be James Grosjean, and we both know thats not you. You even admit to not even being able to keep up with a fast dealer. If thats the case how do you even know if you weren't playing badly. Odds are you were probably much worse then you could imagine. Possibly worse than I thought, but the main thing the tiredness did was take away my good judgement to step back from the game when everything seemed to be going south. If I ever do experience this much negative variance I want to be sure that I am in tip top condition mentally and physically. This was the fastest dealer I have ever experienced, but I know I could handle it if I weren't so tired. In fact, the faster the better in the sense of games played per hour. As one gets tired, it's just like low sugar, youre mental capacity and judgement are affected so that in a sense you dnn't even know what's hapening to you. It can be like a bi-polar person whose illness affects their judgement so that they don't even realize that they need to take their medicine, when in fact their thinking is just a product of their illness. You may beat me and kick me if I ever let this happen again. I am so embarrassed.

Of course there is the gamblers desperation of throwing huge bets, well over your bj max, down on the roulette table. This is what makes you feel better about a tough night of blackjack? I promise you if you had lost those bets you would feel pretty stupid and much worse than you do now, you just got lucky. Of course I just got lucky. I can afford it. It was a shot in the dark that would not have hurt me if I had lost it. But I can't say I was unhappy from winning it. Ill advised due to lack of sleep, it may have been. Stupid would be putting $1,000 after $1,000 on the line. I had a plan and I stuck to it. It was less risky than betting during negative counts in a very high dollar game, and the premium was on limited time to play. Okay, now that I am rested, I admit it was stupid, too. It's that whole syndrome of tiredness changing one's mental capacity to make good judgements. Know thyself! Know thy limitations!
Whats tough to swallow here is you say you are up overall as a blackjack player yet you still complain. I'm sure there are many good players that can't say that yet but wish they could, even those that are playing more disciplined then yourself. I don't mean to offend you here, but you are getting more than you should at this point based on what I read here, and you should be thankful. I'm not sure if you totally understand the concept of card counting and AP otherwise I think you would be more in tune of what the whole process entails. I'm learning, learning, learning. You read it in books and hear it on the forum, but until you experience it in real life, you haven't really learned it. Now, both emotionally and mentally I am leaning toward backcounting and wonging out exclusively, even when there is great pen. I may still experience the roller coaster, but it won't be over prolonged periods of time and it won't be a grind. Also, it will be a lot more profitable per time actually played. I've read it a thousand times, but real life is making it sink in.I do wish you luck in the future as you will need it if you don't refine your game a little bit. If you must play A.C., search for your best options instead of settling. If your going to get beat at least give yourself a fighting chance. I would be able to live with losing knowing I did all I could to avoid it. I gratefully appreciate you comments. It is perhaps the best feedback I have ever been given on the forum. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, experience and good sense with me. I may make it yet if I can acquire the disciplinethatyou and other APs seem to possess. I am not an AP yet, I know that. I am an "aspiring AP."
...
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#13
moo321 said:
Play shorter sessions, take a nap, eat some food, play a good video poker or video blackjack game, or live poker, and have a good time! I only play till I'm bleary eyed if the dealer is flashing his hole card, they're paying 2 to 1 on blackjacks, or I've got 3 days to live.
Short, concise, wise, and funny. Thanks!
 

Kasi

Well-Known Member
#14
21forme said:
Perhaps you need a little break to sit back and review your play.
There's so many things I wonder about I don't where to begin.

But I'd try to analyze absolutely everything you are doing. There's no way 2 hands at $200 is the same as 3 hands at $300 for starters.

Your risk of ruin seems to fluctuate a lot, I'm guessing.

You spread more just because you suddenly remembered advice on this forum? Did they mention what that may do a bankroll? Maybe you should figure out a spread on your own and not rely on such general advice.

You change any unit sizes or spreads when going from 2.5 decks to 1?
You have any idea what a huge difference that is and how it allows one to bet a bankroll differently?

Playing shorter sessions won't do crap if you are grossly mismanaging a bankroll in the first place.

Maybe best bet is buy a sim (I assume you don't have one.) and get real precise in what you do. Clearly your play implies a very large bankroll and I can think of no better use of what is 1 or 2 bets to you.

Feel free to call me full of it. Just an impression. And good luck to you.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#15
Automatic Monkey said:
I agree. Resorting to a bad gamble on a roulette wheel to make up for a normal downswing in card counting is a bad sign. It means you are consulting with your emotions and disregarding mathematical science when things get tough. Agree with yourself that you will never do that again, before you go out to play BJ again, because it doesn't sound like you are ready to tackle the challenging environment of blackjack in AC.

Playing tired is often bad not because you can't count cards and play properly, but because you do not have the same control over your emotions when you are in that state. Any human will eventually become psychotic with sleep deprivation, to the point where they will kill their own children (there are documented cases of mothers killing babies who have kept them awake for many days, and the mother doesn't even realize what she did.) I'm not implying you went psychotic, just that you didn't have what it takes to avoid bad decisions after a certain point.

I beat AC games all the time. I look for the best pen and move quickly around the city until I find it. I avoid negative counts, and for God's sake (not really, just for my sake) I stay away from sucker bets like roulette! That's all it takes to beat it.
Thanks for your comments. I was just posting Bojack about the mental incapacity factor in sleep deprivation. And it sneaks up on you unawares. I agree one hundred percent with everything you said. I bared my soul regarding this trip because I need outside eyes to confirm my bad decisionmaking and poor play. I am actually going to sit down and write out a game plan on paper for my visit next week. I will make a list things I "will" do. One of them will be to search AC for good games. I already have leads. Next, I will take "every" opportunity to wong in and out of games. No exceptions. I have tried to do it my way, justifying it with a desire for longevity, only to find out that your way, and the other AP's ways, are right, and that every exception I have made for myself was only a delusion. I've been making private judgements that I now realize I don't have the right to make at my novice level of experience. G-- d--- it! I'm p*ssed off at myself! One thing that is intolerable is stupidity. If I ever have to report back here that Whoops I did it again, I want Ken to ban me from the forum. I'm not joking.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#16
jimmtech said:
If you ALWAYS resize your max bet after each session to 1% or 2% of you total bankroll, your ROR does not increase with each losing session. I personally try to size my max bet at 2% of my current bankroll..

I have lost my whole bankroll in the past doing what you did and decided to implement this discipline.

For you first session, your max bet was what % of your BR?

For your last session your max bet what what % of your BR?

Not trying to cast any aspersions, just curious, thanks.
My BR is quickly replenishible. Therefore, I try to follow the guidelines that people here have told me, and what I got from reading Arnold Snyder, about what my bet spread needs to be to beat a game with a particular pen and rules. In this case, resizing my bets would be counter-productive.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#17
bj bob said:
Problem=Atlantic City
Cost= 300 mi. RT from Fairfax to AC @ $3.00/ gal (25 mpg).....$72.00
Tolls.....................................................................$18.00
Rooms (2 nights) @$155/........................................$310.00
TOTAL $400.00


Solution=Reno
Cost= Gas to BWI(RT).....................................................$ 6.00
Plane via SWA(RT)................................................$250.00
Rooms (2 nights)..................................................$144.00
TOTAL $400.00

DOLLAR DIFFERENCE: $0.00 ..... REAL DIFFERENCE: Priceless:) :) :)
Mt rooms are free. My gambling buddy pays $40 for gas. Tolls are slightly discounted using EZPass. However, I love Reno. I can get discount rooms through a friend at the Golden Nugget (I think it cost me $75 for oneday with the second day free, and my buddy splitting the cost with me, last time I went). The fare was $250, SWA, like you said. One problem was getting around in Reno. Casinos are spread apart. How do you handle this problem?
BTW, thanks for the comments, Bob. I appreciate it
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#19
21forme said:
Bj Bob - I don't think aslan is paying for the rooms or meals. With his play, I'm sure he gets comped.


Aslan - You've gotten some good advice above.

First, no fault of your's, you got hit by the negative variance stick. It happens. What you shouldn't do is steam and play roulette or some other losing game. IIRC, you've talked in past posts about winning big at BJ, then blowing those winning on craps, slots or video poker. :whip:

Second, we've exchanged a number of PMs and talked about what to do when you see a bad game - just walk away. Sure, it's easy to sit and play, hoping luck will be with you, but no way in hell should you play a 6D game with 2 1/2 decks cut off. Maybe it's because you're over-tired, you justify in your mind playing a poor game. It's like sitting through a negative count, rather than wonging out - you may win a few, but you still should get out.

Perhaps you need a little break to sit back and review your play. If you don't have the tenacity to stay with the game plan, you're not going to come out ahead in the long run.
Plenty of good advice above, I agree. So far, every comment has been right on target and given me something to work with in getting it right. I guess I'm not as quick a study as I thought I was, but believe me, experience is the best teacher. Still I like the old Jesuit axiom, "You don't have to jump into the lake to know you're going to get wet." Like they say, the more you learn, the more you know how little you know.
 

aslan

Well-Known Member
#20
Mr. T said:
In your previous AC report you were so gunho and on a roll. A fleeced lined parka for the wife, you said.
You sound so contrite and sorry for youself here.
I agree with Shadroch that you have a problem and may be compulsive although you are usually the last person to realise this.
You cannot take the variance and losing streaks even though you may be a good counter. It gets into you soul and eats into you.
If you are Asian and Aslan then it may be time to cut up your player's cards.
Ha! I'm not Asian, but I am Aslan. Yes, the lack of judgement does come out due to tiredness, but compulsive gambling is not a problem of mine. I believe I can take the variance when I am rested, but find it difficult when I am over-tired. But I have just come to this realization. If you are right, I will have another bout of this and Ken can kick me off the forum for conduct unbecoming an AP. If I am a compulsive gambler, time will bear this out, but the guys in the pool room have me pegged for the tightest AP that ever picked up a cue. My problem is overdoing things, doggedness (sometimes an advantage in other pursuits), and letting myself get over-tired with the accompanying reduction in good judgement.

Here's something I'd like to get some commet on. I have a hard time getting any sleep in my room. It's bad enough at home, where I wake up every three or four hours and have to force myself to sleep. In the casino, I wake up even more frequently. I guess it is the atmosphere they try to drum up to keep people gambling. I guess I just have to keep forcing myself to go back to sleep like I do at home. I brough sleeping pills, AdvilPM, but forgot to take one until I woke up a couple of times. Then it was too late or I would have been groggy all day. Anyone else have this problem?
 
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