farmdoggy
Well-Known Member
So mid last week I lost $1100 in about 5 hours at a local indian casino spreading 1x5 - 2x50 on 6 decks :flame:. Saturday I decide to work "overtime" and try to recover my losses. I hit up the same casino on a different shift mid-morning and make $400 in 3 hours, seeing none of the same people except for the former pit boss dealing at a $25 table in a different pit. I had already made plans to meet my BS playing friend Mike and his GF at a different nearby casino that night, as his GF had a work party being hosted there. I had taken a few weeks off from that particular casino because I played there quite a bit over the winter break, and I was afraid that I might have overstayed my welcome...
After a few hours break I meet my friend at the second casino and we part ways at first. I hit the tables, playing unrated (although I do have a card) and find that none of the dealers seem to recognize me. Before I knew it I had lost my $400 + some at the Blackjack tables, but made it back before my friend returned from his party. After he gets back we sit at the same table for about an hour and I'm counting while he's "following my lead" (betting) without being too obvious, and asking me for advice on occasion. At one point in a positive count, Mike has 9 vs a dealer 3, hesitates and says "Not sure what to do here..." I say "Oh yeah, double down!" He does and gets a 2... Dealer pulls a 17 and everyone at the table wins except for him. I said "Mike I can't believe you doubled a 9 vs. a 3... God, you're stupid!" :laugh: Everyone else at the table laughed too. Anyway, I didn't make much money, but Mike's up $500 before we break and go back to the party for free drinks and and a small buffet. I eat and have a drink but soon left Mike back at the party so I can get some more action at the tables.
It was during this time that I started getting quite a few negative or otherwise uneventfull shoes, and I met the nice dealer... He was about my age, maybe younger, and he came in at the end of a negative shoe. The next shoe is slightly negative to neutral and the new dealer was pulling an abnormal amount of ridiculous 21's out of his butt. We start joking about how horrible the shoe was which had taken $125 from me $5 at a time. About halfway through the next shoe which was also uneventfull, the dealer pauses his dealing and asks me...
"Let me ask you, I'm just curious... Are you practicing counting cards or something?" I was completely blown away... The count had gone nowhere, and I hadn't placed more than a $20 dollar bet that he'd seen up to this point... I wondered if I was making any newbie mistakes like moving my lips or nodding as the cards are dealt, glancing at the discard tray too much, or doing the "windmill" motion with my head. Honestly bewildered, I say "No... Why?... What would make you think that?". He says "Well I've noticed that you've mostly been betting $5, and the count is not really doing anything, but every once in a while you bet $10 or $15, and it just seems to be at the right times." I said "Oh, so you are counting..?" (I almost added "too?"). He said yes, and for the rest of the rest of the shoe he started talking about how being successful at counting was really hard, and how you have to wait all day for a "killer shoe" and have a huge bank to withstand the fluctuations. He told me about his counter friend who finally got a shoe that reached a TC of almost 30, only to have the dealer get blackjack for the rest of the shoe. I really, really wanted to chime in and share some of my stories (Like how a dealer got 6 ten-up blackjacks against me in a row when I had my max bet out at the same place his friend was playing), but I didn't... Even though I'm sure it was safe to tell him. Anyway, he mentioned that dealers don't really like counters, but not because they have the edge. "We really don't care, it's not our money" he said. "Oh, what is it then? Is it because they don't tip?" I asked. "Not tipping, sure, alot of people don't tip... But really it's because they never come to have any fun... They never talk or joke around, if they interact with the other players, it's usually an argument... But the worst is God forbid I make a mistake, they're gonna complain, call the pit over and raise a huge stink about it!" It's now the last hand of the shoe, and I bet 2x20 and win both. "What was the count on that last hand?" I ask. "I dunno, I lost interest" he said. I wanted to tell him it was +2... Instead I play a $2.50 chip for him and I lose. Soon after, the dealer's change, and he left so quickly, I had to chase him down to hand him a red chip. "Oh!" he said, "Like I deserve it!" At that point, I wished I had handed him a green one.
Anyway, to finish the story, I ended up making $1000 for the day and learned alot... If I were smarter I would have gotten the dealer's number or something, and maybe fill him in on my stories over a few beers... Maybe then I can find out if there are any "messages" that might display on the computer screens at the tables when I hand them my player's card (I had a bad dream about this).
And Mike:whip:, by the way, made $700... I should be happy that this was one of the FEW instances that that lucky bastard didn't make more than me (with or without my help).
After a few hours break I meet my friend at the second casino and we part ways at first. I hit the tables, playing unrated (although I do have a card) and find that none of the dealers seem to recognize me. Before I knew it I had lost my $400 + some at the Blackjack tables, but made it back before my friend returned from his party. After he gets back we sit at the same table for about an hour and I'm counting while he's "following my lead" (betting) without being too obvious, and asking me for advice on occasion. At one point in a positive count, Mike has 9 vs a dealer 3, hesitates and says "Not sure what to do here..." I say "Oh yeah, double down!" He does and gets a 2... Dealer pulls a 17 and everyone at the table wins except for him. I said "Mike I can't believe you doubled a 9 vs. a 3... God, you're stupid!" :laugh: Everyone else at the table laughed too. Anyway, I didn't make much money, but Mike's up $500 before we break and go back to the party for free drinks and and a small buffet. I eat and have a drink but soon left Mike back at the party so I can get some more action at the tables.
It was during this time that I started getting quite a few negative or otherwise uneventfull shoes, and I met the nice dealer... He was about my age, maybe younger, and he came in at the end of a negative shoe. The next shoe is slightly negative to neutral and the new dealer was pulling an abnormal amount of ridiculous 21's out of his butt. We start joking about how horrible the shoe was which had taken $125 from me $5 at a time. About halfway through the next shoe which was also uneventfull, the dealer pauses his dealing and asks me...
"Let me ask you, I'm just curious... Are you practicing counting cards or something?" I was completely blown away... The count had gone nowhere, and I hadn't placed more than a $20 dollar bet that he'd seen up to this point... I wondered if I was making any newbie mistakes like moving my lips or nodding as the cards are dealt, glancing at the discard tray too much, or doing the "windmill" motion with my head. Honestly bewildered, I say "No... Why?... What would make you think that?". He says "Well I've noticed that you've mostly been betting $5, and the count is not really doing anything, but every once in a while you bet $10 or $15, and it just seems to be at the right times." I said "Oh, so you are counting..?" (I almost added "too?"). He said yes, and for the rest of the rest of the shoe he started talking about how being successful at counting was really hard, and how you have to wait all day for a "killer shoe" and have a huge bank to withstand the fluctuations. He told me about his counter friend who finally got a shoe that reached a TC of almost 30, only to have the dealer get blackjack for the rest of the shoe. I really, really wanted to chime in and share some of my stories (Like how a dealer got 6 ten-up blackjacks against me in a row when I had my max bet out at the same place his friend was playing), but I didn't... Even though I'm sure it was safe to tell him. Anyway, he mentioned that dealers don't really like counters, but not because they have the edge. "We really don't care, it's not our money" he said. "Oh, what is it then? Is it because they don't tip?" I asked. "Not tipping, sure, alot of people don't tip... But really it's because they never come to have any fun... They never talk or joke around, if they interact with the other players, it's usually an argument... But the worst is God forbid I make a mistake, they're gonna complain, call the pit over and raise a huge stink about it!" It's now the last hand of the shoe, and I bet 2x20 and win both. "What was the count on that last hand?" I ask. "I dunno, I lost interest" he said. I wanted to tell him it was +2... Instead I play a $2.50 chip for him and I lose. Soon after, the dealer's change, and he left so quickly, I had to chase him down to hand him a red chip. "Oh!" he said, "Like I deserve it!" At that point, I wished I had handed him a green one.
Anyway, to finish the story, I ended up making $1000 for the day and learned alot... If I were smarter I would have gotten the dealer's number or something, and maybe fill him in on my stories over a few beers... Maybe then I can find out if there are any "messages" that might display on the computer screens at the tables when I hand them my player's card (I had a bad dream about this).
And Mike:whip:, by the way, made $700... I should be happy that this was one of the FEW instances that that lucky bastard didn't make more than me (with or without my help).
At least he doesn't know anything yet or have any of my info, so at least I'm safe here until May or until I screw up again... I'm glad I posted this.
