Bashful C. Stupid-Butt's Gaming Log

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 6, 2008

Hi there and Hello,

I would like to post my gaming log here, and thought that since it's blackjack in general and the boards don't have a section for braggarts and losers, I thought this is a fine place for a log. Feel free to criticize, doubt, troll and add compliments, as I would do the same for you.

5/26/08- Played Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois. $10 minimum, $5000 maximum. No Surrender Split any pair, Double Down on any 2 cards. Aces see one card only. No Smoking Tables and Floor. Smoking areas available.

Bank $200
Costs $25 gas, food, soda
Winnings $130

Time spent driving 2 hours round trip 82 miles
Time spent playing blackjack 90 minutes

Net gain for 5/26/08 $105.00

Net gain for month of May $105.00

June:

6/6/08- Played Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois. $10 minimum, $5000 maximum. No Surrender Split any pair, Double Down on any 2 cards. Aces see one card only. No Smoking Tables and Floor. Smoking areas available.

Bank $200
Costs $20 gas
Winnings $200

Time spent driving 2 hours round trip 82 miles
Time spent playing blackjack 45 minutes

Additional Notes: Full Table, 7 Players. Dealer was dealing me gold. Opening bet was $50 and a winner. 3rd baseman made the table when he sat down by standing on A8 against dealer's 4. Largest losing bet was a $35 DD of A4 v Dealers 3. Drew 5, Dealer flopped a 21. Most of the 1st shoe was neutral/+2. Second shoe started off big with high count of 6-7 and went downhill. 3rd baseman took over after player 5 left and I moved over to fill the table. Started becoming inconsistent and losing his money twice as fast, alternating between playing 1 and 2 hands. Exit Stupid-Butt. Dealer wins tip hand of 5 bucks for a 10 dollar tip.

Net gain for 6/6/08 $180.00

la_dee_daa · Jun 6, 2008

are you saying your BR is $200???

second how does a shoe start off with a true count of 6-7 unless the first deck that comes out is all little cards.

tipping $5 is alot at small stakes and will kill any ev...

those aren't very good rules assuming its 6-8 decks..

Sonny · Jun 6, 2008

la_dee_daa said:

I think it is the trip BR. He won $105 on his first trip and his next BR was still $200 so I assume he restarts each session with a $200 trip BR. I assume that the total bankroll (including all winnings) is counted separately.

Although I had a few questions too. He opened up with a $50 bet off the top? That seems unusual for a counter, especially one with only $200 in his pocket. Also he mentions doubling A,4 vs. 3. Isn’t the index for that play around +7 or something? It might even be higher for risk-averse players. All the 3rd base talk gives me a shaky feeling too.

But he seems to be winning and hopefully having a good time too. I’m excited to see how this thread progresses. I appreciate the his honesty and I think a lot of people can learn some things from this adventure.

-Sonny-

Rumondo · Jun 6, 2008

I don't understand driving 3 hours for less than an hour of blackjack.

Also the deck can't hold its count on a full table... it should massively swing every round with 7 people taking cards.

I just don't see how you could be an AP player under these conditions

p.s. I"m new so maybe I'm out of line here.

moo321 · Jun 7, 2008

Rumondo said:

Nope, you're right. If you were a mid to high black-chipper, I could see driving 3 hours to play an hour. But otherwise...

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 7, 2008

6/7/08 Part One

6/7/08- Played Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois. $15 minimum, $5000 maximum. $25 minimum, $5000 maximum. No Surrender, Split any pair, Double Down on any 2 cards. 4 hands limit per player. Aces see one card only. No Smoking Tables and Floor. Smoking areas available.

Bank $900
Costs $15.50 gas, soda, ATM
Winnings $209.50

Time spent driving 2 hours round trip 82 miles
Time spent playing blackjack 110 minutes

Additional Notes: The place was a madhouse. The 15 dollar table was full with people coming, going, playing multiple hands. Started with $200 and lost, went into wallet for $200 more and lost. Played 3rd base after original 3rd base women got creamed for several hundred and I followed in her footsteps.

Went on a short break to consider my options over a cigarette. Took out $500 from ATM and sat at $25.00 table. Played 1st base with another person at third with small bank. Opening bet was $100 and a winner. Game began playing normal, for me, and the game soon turned to heads up where I racked up a few more bucks. When I was finally up close to $150 a decided to get the "NOW" card since I was allowed to catch my bearings. 3rd baseman returned with more money, and a few young guys sat down watching, waiting for new shuffle. Play began with a new deck for a few hands and the Pit boss returned with my card. Exit Stupid-Butt. Dealer was given a $12.50 tip.

Net Gains 6/7/08 $209.50

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 7, 2008

Originally Posted by Rumondo View Post
I don't understand driving 3 hours for less than an hour of blackjack.

I don;t look at it as 2 hours of driving for 45 minutes of blackjack. I see it a driving 2 hours for a handful of cash. You are right a full table sucks and when there's a lot of activity it's hard to find a steady groove.

Originally Posted by la_dee_daa View Post
are you saying your BR is $200???

My original bankroll is stated as how many chips I purchased. On 6/6 and 5/26, each time I only needed $200 to win. I had more money in my wallet and the ATM is right outside the door, The bank does have a limit of $1000 per 24 hours, so if you like I have a $1200.00 bankroll in any 24 hour period.

Sonny commented:
He opened up with a $50 bet off the top? That seems unusual for a counter,

Yes. 25% of your bankroll is huge, but it sets a starting amount to keep track of the count. $50 for even deck, 40 for -1 count, 30 for -2, 20 for -3, and 10 for -4. In the adverse, 60 for +1, 70 for +2, and so on.

It's high risk for sure, but has work 85% of the time for me. Right now my counting is weak, but felt good on the $25.00 table. I would rather be there, less crowded and not as active. The $100 open is also a starting point that allows me to lower my bet to 75 for -1, 50 for -2, and 25 for -3. In the opposite direction, 125 for +1, 150 for +2, and onwards and upwards.

la_dee_daa replied:

tipping $5 is alot at small stakes and will kill any ev...

EV is not something I am proficient at. I understand it's expected value, but it's not part of my game. My tip was $2.50 which was played for the dealer who was paid when the hand was won.

I deliver pizza, and so I follow the 15% rule. Yes, in Vegas, and have tipped over $100.00 at least 12 times. That's why I didn;t understand why "Bob" wouldn't help me out when I was being distracted by a fellow player. He knew he was going to get the best tip of the night if I walked away a winner as I had already tipped the man the day before.

Rumondo · Jun 7, 2008

If you honestly follow this strategy and play the kind of bets you speak of with a 1200 dollar roll even with an advanced counting strategy and good deck odds you would have to have an extremely high RoR.

If you stick down that first 100 bet, split 2 cards and double you stand to lose ~35% of your total trip roll on the first hand. I just think any success you are currently having is variance and not any true advantage you actually possess. Especially if you are betting 10-50 on negative counts with a 1.2k trip roll.

The only reason you aren't losing it all is you are only playing an hour's worth of Blackjack.

Also, tipping 15% means you have totally ruined your EV. It's quite clear you are just on the postive side of Variance at the moment.

EasyRhino · Jun 7, 2008

Your note on rules doesn't include whether the table is S17 or H17. That's a big one.

Also, calling your buyin "bankroll" is misleading. You should instead refer to your trip BR (how much cash you brought), or your total BR (if you segregate funds for gambling in general).

(I also track buyins and cashouts seperately from win/loss, but mainly just in case I have amounts that are going to cause extra scrutiny or CTRs at the cage).

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt said:

That's obviously the case.

You're dealing with what is effectively a spread in shoe games (yes there's a 6x difference between small and large bets, but you're betting a ton in negative counts), crowded tables, and dramatically overbetting your cash on hand. Also, you're using the chips as a crutch to keep the count. As long as you're not under the impression that you're playing a winning game, then you're fine.

Plus, it appears you tend to quit when you've won $200. When combined with the relatively large bets, this means that you're going to have a lot of occassions where you leave with a $200 win. It also means that you're going to have a smaller, but significant, number of trips where you leave after losing all the cash you brought and all the cash you got out of the ATM.

There is no point in harping on the tipping. Since the game is, at best, break even, the tips are just like any civilian tipping... they're just an expenditure.

BTW, if I had $500 in my pocket and was just flat-betting for an evening at a casino, I probably wouldn't bet more than quarters.

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 7, 2008

I'm saying I've been lucky, and that my counting is weak. Weak in the sense of perfection. General ideas are not true counting.

I knew I was making large bets with a negative count. I also failed to mention that after taking the 2nd $200 out of my wallet, I managed to get ahead $10 bucks, meaning $410 in chips in front of me, and then proceeded to lose it.

There was also a large clump of Aces at that table near the end of the deck where 7 came out in one hand, and the person who got 3 hit a BJ, 19, 16. Once the yellow card came out so did the 10's.

I expect to see the winnings increase x5 playing at the $25.00 table just as soon as I can get comfortable at the table and count properly once again. For some reason I am a wreck. $200, $400, $900 should be nothing to me, but I seem to have lost the ice water in my veins that I once had. I just don't like losing, it's sort of alien to me. I have always excelled at things I put a full effort into.

As for variance, the losing time on the $15.00 table was the variance in the overall picture. I am so serious that I walk away a winner 85% of the time, and in order to lose, as in losing more money than I have won over my lifetime, I would have to play blindfolded, or place a single $15,000.00 bet and lose.

Thanks for the input and taking my log at face value, you can't make this stuff up, and I would be insane to pass on some fairy tale. Having a public log has it's pro's and cons. Pro being incentive to continue winning, con being added pressure.

At least I now can take a 400 dollar loss and still be ahead $97.50. That's better than coming here saying I'm down 10 bucks.

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 7, 2008

6/7/08 Part Two

I woke up early and will spend the rest of the day climbing walls. I wanted a solid 12 on the pillow. $497.50 is a nice weekend's pay for sure, but for the past two weeks I've been moving at the posted speed limit. On the Bus, through the mountains, in a rental car, and in my convertible. Now with the casino in play, there is more excitement and anticipation.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm not a religious person, but there is a sense of curse and jinx. It's foolish I know. I can;t even go to the campground for a night of camping without passing the exit to the casino, and I'm trying to get back the money I spent over the past 3 weeks.

The pit boss also told me to swipe my card on the way out for some new promo, and reading up on the "NOW" card, I get cash play every time I play provided I have reached X number of points. For all I know I have another $5.00 or more waiting for me. I didn't think about it on my way out. I just wanted to get out of there with my money.

I think I'll wash my car....

sagefr0g · Jun 7, 2008

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt said:

this is a good story. talking all your posts. not sure all what your doing in minute detail but it's a good story.
just curious though. above your on a bus, rental car, and sounds like maybe your own personal car?

but anyway sounds like your having fun. hope you don't lose any money lol.

zengrifter · Jun 7, 2008

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt said:

I can mitigate the jinx/curse, for a tithe. z:angel:g

sagefr0g · Jun 7, 2008

zengrifter said:

i usually experience those feelings, thoughts when battle is imminent. partly just an adrenaline thing and maybe archaic taboo influences of society, idealogies or what ever and maybe an intellectual sense that i don't fully know that things are gonna work out as desired.
i'm usually able to get over it for free.

by the way zen i was suprised i beat you to this:
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/bb/showpost.php?p=84299&postcount=26

InPlay · Jun 7, 2008

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt said:

I woke up early and will spend the rest of the day climbing walls. I wanted a solid 12 on the pillow. $497.50 is a nice weekend's pay for sure, but for the past two weeks I've been moving at the posted speed limit. On the Bus, through the mountains, in a rental car, and in my convertible. Now with the casino in play, there is more excitement and anticipation.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I'm not a religious person, but there is a sense of curse and jinx. It's foolish I know. I can;t even go to the campground for a night of camping without passing the exit to the casino, and I'm trying to get back the money I spent over the past 3 weeks.

The pit boss also told me to swipe my card on the way out for some new promo, and reading up on the "NOW" card, I get cash play every time I play provided I have reached X number of points. For all I know I have another $5.00 or more waiting for me. I didn't think about it on my way out. I just wanted to get out of there with my money.....

I would go to church on Sunday and say your prayers whether it be to GOD or Ali. You are just on a wing and a prayer.

Rumondo · Jun 8, 2008

I get inspired every time you write one of your posts here. I realize I'm new here and I'll probably never aspire to the level of being a "winner" you are, but just reading about how you go crush the casino for a couple hundred bucks in an hour or two on almost a daily basis without every losing is truly inspiring. It is nice to read about someone on the internet who is much smarter and better than any mathematician. Just imagine what you will accomplish when you knock of the rust and get your counting back down solid.

Since you clearly have a hand on Blackjack, would you mind coming up with a betting strategy that helps me win most of the time on Keno?

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 8, 2008

6/8/08- Played Empress Casino in Joliet, Illinois. $25 minimum, $5000 maximum. No Surrender, Split any pair, Double Down on any 2 cards, Aces see one card only. Four Hands Per Player, Stand on soft 17. No Smoking Tables and Floor. Smoking areas available.

Bank $500
Costs $18.18 gas, water, soda
Winnings $400

Time spent driving 2 hours round trip 82 miles
Time spent playing blackjack 25 minutes

Additional Notes: The area was ravaged by tornadoes, and I wasn't about to drive through the storms, so after a good 8 on the pillow, the weatherman said the the weather was clearing and I took off. The skies were clear and Mars was positioned near the 1st quarter moon just to the right.

Opening bet was $100 and a loss, deck was +3 bet $175 win, lowered to $50 for a win. Minimum bet out through the rest of shoe. Sat out in the smoking deck considering my options, and the group came to a consensus that the slot machines are not very loose, and the worst rule in the casino is no smoking. As a smoker, you'll find it hard to be natural without being able to light up at will. According to the group, the place is dead, a lot less crowded, and that the smokers are going to the Indiana casinos where they can smoke.

I also noticed that the crap and garbage near the catwalk crossing a body of water that is part of the river was flowing against the wind. It was not moving for sometime, but then the next time I looked at it, I was wondering if there was a lock and dam system nearby as the crud was flowing from what I call a pool out into the river. It was as if a plug was pulled and the junk was heading for the drain. Thought about swiping my "NOW" card on the way out but kept on walking. Exit Stupid-Butt. Tip to dealer, $12.50

Net gain for 6/8/08 $381.82

Bashful C. Stupid-Butt · Jun 8, 2008

I'm no expert on the game, but you can go to "tothegames" and play a really nice KENO game online for free. I doubt it will improve your odds, but it's a good time waster.

On the drive home I started thinking about about EV, RoR, and the other things talked about here, and it seems to me you can raise your EV and lower your risk of ruin by spending less time at the casino. Take the small wins and walk home a winner more times than not. It works for me anyway. I am also still angry with the city even though settling my false imprisonment claim for $40,000 was my fault. I can't seem to stop complaining about it. I've told the story a few times while at the casino.

More money would have gotten me out of town, I guess the only deception here is that I settled for $40,000, but after paying the lawyer his 33% and costs, my amount was only $26,407.67, and I'm unhappy about it. So that's where the casino came in. It's about the only thing worth staying for, and I don;t feel like getting a pizza delivery job.

Looks like the rains are back. I got home just in time. I would hate to drive a convertible with the top up...

By adding my wins and total amount of time grabbing cash, I average $3.245 per minute.

EasyRhino · Jun 8, 2008

This is like a train wreck happening in slow motion.

BCSB, which books have your read about blackjack?

rukus · Jun 8, 2008

EasyRhino said:

Next stop: Vooooooodoooooooo section.

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