Packed in AC

[takinfromindians97]

I just got back from AC and took a beeting. I could not find an empty table for my life and especially could not wong at all. My question is when the conditions are like this should i just find a 10-15 min table and sit and just use a bigger spread or should i hold my ground and play maybe 5 or 10 hands an hour on average? Also whenever i would wong in on a table every other spot was taken so the good cards were getting eaten like a bum would eat a balogna sandwich. 20's and blackjacks would rain all around me and here i am with a 15 or 14 or 16. So am i just haveing a bad streak or is this common and its all in my head. Im no stranger to losing, when i was first starting out i played BS only for years, but since i started advantage playing ive done very good. I guess im just looking for some other stories or opinions about what to do and what other people have encounterd when the tables are full.

 

[DonR]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I'm also playing, almost exclusively, full tables. Not by my choice, but that is the reality. When the count gets high, I'd really love to play another spot, but I can't get it. Playing behind somebody else would be to obvious, I think. And yes, I have seen, just like you're saying, 19's and 20's and BJ's flying around me, and I'm getting stiffs against a dealer's T card. Not much we can do, under these circumstances, I'm afraid.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Sounds like normal variance. AC is tough, you have to do a lot of shopping for pen and even for open seats sometimes. And you have to be prepared to play a $25 min at least.

 

[takinfromindians97]

I know its so frustrating especially when i usually wong in and out of 2 and 3 people tables and crush it but lately AC has been packed. And i gotta take a seat when i see it and play all negative shoes. When the count warrants i gotta use a crazy spread to make up for the negative shoes which draws heat or even worse the whole stiff well the money flys all around me.

 

[Thunder]

Forget about trying to play two spots when the count gets good in AC. Not going to happen. Everytime I get an empty table. It fills up pretty quickly. If you want empty spots, you're going to have to play at $25 minimum tables and even then there's no guarantee.

 

[takinfromindians97]

pen

The pen was actually great ive come to know alot of these dealers and they love me and my girlfriend especially the female ones. They will actually cut one deck off at my request, by telling them i wanna play longer cause the shuffle takes to long. Other then that i didnt have to much trouble with the pen. As for the 25$ table there was only 2 or 3 open and i couldnt get a seat there either. I usually play 25$ tables but when i cant wong i try to hit cheaper ones for time when its negative and use a crazier spread but i am a charmer and i have a good act which aliviates any heat at all.

 

[zengrifter]

I just got back from AC and took a beeting. I could not find an empty table for my life and especially could not wong at all. My question is when the conditions are like this should i just find a 10-15 min table and sit and just use a bigger spread ...

Regarding your "bigger spread" question I detect some confusion on how to size your bets. zg

 

[kewljason]

Yes Ac is unusually crowded for this time of year. Usually after september it slows down some until chrismas week, especially during the week. Weekends and holidays are always crowded. Best time to play AC is weekdays, 6 am till about 10:30 or 11 am before the buses and daytrippers start arriving and from 5pm til about 8pm after they leave before the evening crowd shows up. Borgata is pretty reasonable all day during the week as they dont cater to the bus crowds from philly and NYC and usually have plenty of tables open.

 

[takinfromindians97]

Zen im not confused about my betting spreads i follow them exactly how they are laid out. Just sometimes if the count keeps getting higher so do my bets, but only when i get stuck at a table when the casino is packed and i cant wong. I have excellent cover for my acting crazy most casinos i play at get to know me and my crazy style of play. They think i am a nut jumping around from table to table cause i dont wanna wait for shuffles. I leave my girlfriend to count from a fresh shuffle and call me in if it gets good while i stalk the tables like a lunatic yelling and going crazy they love me cause they think im a nutzo who just has money with nothing better to do but waste it gambling. They never think anyone calling as much attention to themselves as me could ever be counting.

 

[callipygian]

i usually wong in and out ... i gotta use a crazy spread to make up for the negative shoes

If you're Wonging in and out, why do you need to make up for negative shoes?

 

[kewljason]

I think he covered that at the bigging of the thread. He usually wongs in and out alot, but Atlantic City is so crowded, wonging is more difficult so he is playing through more negative counts and thus, using a bigger spread to make up for such.

 

[21forme]

Interesting that the tables remain crowded, yet AC had its worst month EVER in Sept. The worst numbers were Resorts and Hilton down ~30% and the best being Borgata down ~5%. Guess the bulk of the loss is the drop in slot players due to competition from PA and NY houses.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Interesting that the tables remain crowded, yet AC had its worst month EVER in Sept. The worst numbers were Resorts and Hilton down ~30% and the best being Borgata down ~5%. Guess the bulk of the loss is the drop in slot players due to competition from PA and NY houses.

I'd agree. Borgata seems to have a lot more of its floor space dedicated to table games thus they'd be immune to the effects of nearby slot palaces.

Most of the places are just so enamored with slots and slot players I don't think they could bring themselves to take out banks of machines and replace them with some decent table games. They'd rather let the machines sit idle and blame the smoking ban that isn't being enforced yet.

 

[takinfromindians97]

no no no silly

I said that i only do it when i cant wong because tables are packed and i have to sit at one and just play it out. If theres no open tables to wong it makes it kinda hard, so i just sit at one and play all. This is when i feel going a bit bigger cant really hurt as long as you dont have any heat.

 

[takinfromindians97]

tables all around

When im there i usually make the trop home base and play the entire strip. and resorts and hilton were even more packed cause they offer 5$ tables and six deck at a few tables also. I actually had good luck at hilton wonging the 25$ tables cause everyone was stacked on top of each other trying to get in on the 5$ tables.

 

[jaredmt]

what about spanish 21? are those tables always just as crowded?

 

[21forme]

what about spanish 21? are those tables always just as crowded?

Yes. Problem is there are so few Sp21 tables. Most places only have 2 or 3 open at any given time.

 

[kewljason]

more table games

I think the problem is that there are so many more types of tables games than there were just a few years ago. Everything from 3 and 4 card poker to mini baccarat, let it ride, to carnival games like the big six wheel (saw the game of "war" not too long ago), are eating up the table game floor space that used to be ocuppied by blackjack games. Oh and of course the ever evil 6-5 single deck games.

 

[rollem411]

When im there i usually make the trop home base and play the entire strip. and resorts and hilton were even more packed cause they offer 5$ tables and six deck at a few tables also. I actually had good luck at hilton wonging the 25$ tables cause everyone was stacked on top of each other trying to get in on the 5$ tables.

I'm pretty sure Hilton is NMS entry.

 

[takinfromindians97]

Hilton is no mid shoe entry on only a few tables and they usually remove or add it by request and its only a few 8 deck 25$ tables