MoneyPlays
Well-Known Member
WARNING: Wordy Writer Ahead
So I’m going to Vegas the first week in August and I wanted to get your expert opinions on my game plan. First a little background: I started playing blackjack, for real money, when I went on a cruise several years ago. I’ve been on 4 cruises since then and was always looking for a chance to go play. I knew how to play basic strategy plus a little bit of progression betting and what I will call “card sense.” Yup, I wuz a ploppy and didn't know it. :grin: On the cruise ships I had lost money the first time but won after that with the amount of the wins increasing each time. So I thought, hey, there’s nothing to this game. I knew of card counting but didn’t really know anything about the details.
Last Feb. we took a vacation to Vegas for a week, my first time out there. It was purely by chance, we had some friends who had a timeshare that had to be used by March and they asked us if we wanted to go. Playing blackjack in Vegas sounded a little intimidating to me, so about a month before the trip I thought I would pick up a book to brush up on my skills. I ended up buying Bluebook II by Renzey and started learning a little more about the game and what counting cards could do for you, among other things. Of course, I only paid attention to the parts I wanted to believe. So I started to practice counting a little and got fairly good at it, or so I thought. Got to Vegas and it was a little overwhelming, I wasn’t prepared for all the distractions. Little bit different than a cruise ship. No practice at home can really prepare you for that, plus I was probably enjoying the free drinks a little too much. :laugh: As the week went on I kind of got away from the counting more and more. It just seemed like a lot of work and I figured I could win without it.
I didn’t really get to play as much as I wanted to, it seemed like I spent half my time looking for a decent game. Plus I had to do the couples stuff, see all the sights and the shows and whatever half the time, and my wife doesn’t like to gamble that much. Our next to last day we went downtown to check it out and see the light show later that night. We found some $2-$3 tables and I got her playing some blackjack with me, so I’m thinking this is a good thing. My wife was about even after 2 hours, but I dropped almost $200 betting $5 a hand! I had never lost that much before, but I know now I’d just been lucky up to that point. But I was seriously trying to figure out how they were cheating me. Even though I won it back and then some the next day, that loss was bugging me the whole way home, so I started digging a little deeper into this blackjack thing. Then I found this website and started reading and reading and reading some more. It was one of those moments where the light shines down and you hear the choir singing and you say, “I GET IT!!!” I’ve really learned a lot in the last 3 months thanks to all of you fine people. I’ve also read several more books, starting with Bluebook II again. Amazing how the book seemed different the second time around. I practice whenever I can, I've even built a blackjack table. My wife, bless her heart, plays dealer for me. (She's not very good, but I still toke her anyway.) :grin:
Here’s the deal:
Not looking to go pro or anything like that, just going to pretend for a week.
This is the strategy I’m working on for this trip, which will be my first time seriously counting cards and varying bets based on my advantage. I appreciate any input you can give me, because I probably need all the help I can get. I know how reality can end up being a lot different than what you put down on paper, so I'm trying to eliminate some of the surprises ahead of time.
Should I take a daytrip somewhere for “live” practice beforehand or save my money for the real deal? My options are Indiana, West Va. or possibly Michigan. Anywhere I go will be a 3-4 hour trip, so my EV will take a hit right of the top. Any suggestions?
Staying at MGM, my level of play probably won't qualify for a room comp there, plus a little nervous about playing where I'm staying. But we got 5 nights for less than $300 and a free buffet every day.
I’ll be in Vegas for 5 days with a $2000 trip bankroll, betting unit is $5-10 depending on table min. I’ll be playing the best games available, whether 1, 2 or 6 deck per CBJN and your advice.
Betting ramp is 1-4 for Single, 1-6 for Double and 1-10 for 6D Shoe.
Looking for 65% pen on 1-2 Deck and 75% pen on 6 Deck
Using basic Hi-Lo with my “Elite 11” indices. Wong in and out when possible on 6D
- Insurance
- Stand on 16v9 or 10, 15v10, 12v2 or 3
- Hit 13v2 or 3, 12v4,5 or 6
- Surrender 16v10, 16v9, 15v10 when available
Should I be concerned with RoR for this trip? There's not much I can do about it anyway. But I imagine it would be fairly high, especially if I end up playing a lot of 6D shoes at $10 min.?
My “act” will mainly be typical clueless tourist, superstitious ploppy, progressive bettor/ steamer, or whatever seems to be the norm for that casino, I'll observe other players while I backcount.
Will be keeping my eyes open for dealer tells, holecard and tracking opportunities, no great expectations here but you never know, I might stumble into something.
Use and abuse comps and coupons to the max, including the wife playing some video poker. I wanted to count and signal bets to her but she, in no uncertain terms, said I was out of my mind. :laugh: If she's that nervous about it, it's not worth the risk. I think the movie "21" scared her.
Oh, I almost forgot:
Send wife to video poker/ spa/ pool/ mall/ Grand Canyon before going to play so she doesn’t see how much I’m betting.
So what have I left out? What should I do different? Am I in the ballpark or crazier than a cross-eyed ploppy? Give it to me straight, I can take it….I think.
Thanks for your help.
Sorry this was so long! :whip:
So I’m going to Vegas the first week in August and I wanted to get your expert opinions on my game plan. First a little background: I started playing blackjack, for real money, when I went on a cruise several years ago. I’ve been on 4 cruises since then and was always looking for a chance to go play. I knew how to play basic strategy plus a little bit of progression betting and what I will call “card sense.” Yup, I wuz a ploppy and didn't know it. :grin: On the cruise ships I had lost money the first time but won after that with the amount of the wins increasing each time. So I thought, hey, there’s nothing to this game. I knew of card counting but didn’t really know anything about the details.
Last Feb. we took a vacation to Vegas for a week, my first time out there. It was purely by chance, we had some friends who had a timeshare that had to be used by March and they asked us if we wanted to go. Playing blackjack in Vegas sounded a little intimidating to me, so about a month before the trip I thought I would pick up a book to brush up on my skills. I ended up buying Bluebook II by Renzey and started learning a little more about the game and what counting cards could do for you, among other things. Of course, I only paid attention to the parts I wanted to believe. So I started to practice counting a little and got fairly good at it, or so I thought. Got to Vegas and it was a little overwhelming, I wasn’t prepared for all the distractions. Little bit different than a cruise ship. No practice at home can really prepare you for that, plus I was probably enjoying the free drinks a little too much. :laugh: As the week went on I kind of got away from the counting more and more. It just seemed like a lot of work and I figured I could win without it.
I didn’t really get to play as much as I wanted to, it seemed like I spent half my time looking for a decent game. Plus I had to do the couples stuff, see all the sights and the shows and whatever half the time, and my wife doesn’t like to gamble that much. Our next to last day we went downtown to check it out and see the light show later that night. We found some $2-$3 tables and I got her playing some blackjack with me, so I’m thinking this is a good thing. My wife was about even after 2 hours, but I dropped almost $200 betting $5 a hand! I had never lost that much before, but I know now I’d just been lucky up to that point. But I was seriously trying to figure out how they were cheating me. Even though I won it back and then some the next day, that loss was bugging me the whole way home, so I started digging a little deeper into this blackjack thing. Then I found this website and started reading and reading and reading some more. It was one of those moments where the light shines down and you hear the choir singing and you say, “I GET IT!!!” I’ve really learned a lot in the last 3 months thanks to all of you fine people. I’ve also read several more books, starting with Bluebook II again. Amazing how the book seemed different the second time around. I practice whenever I can, I've even built a blackjack table. My wife, bless her heart, plays dealer for me. (She's not very good, but I still toke her anyway.) :grin:
Here’s the deal:
Not looking to go pro or anything like that, just going to pretend for a week.
This is the strategy I’m working on for this trip, which will be my first time seriously counting cards and varying bets based on my advantage. I appreciate any input you can give me, because I probably need all the help I can get. I know how reality can end up being a lot different than what you put down on paper, so I'm trying to eliminate some of the surprises ahead of time.Should I take a daytrip somewhere for “live” practice beforehand or save my money for the real deal? My options are Indiana, West Va. or possibly Michigan. Anywhere I go will be a 3-4 hour trip, so my EV will take a hit right of the top. Any suggestions?
Staying at MGM, my level of play probably won't qualify for a room comp there, plus a little nervous about playing where I'm staying. But we got 5 nights for less than $300 and a free buffet every day.
I’ll be in Vegas for 5 days with a $2000 trip bankroll, betting unit is $5-10 depending on table min. I’ll be playing the best games available, whether 1, 2 or 6 deck per CBJN and your advice.
Betting ramp is 1-4 for Single, 1-6 for Double and 1-10 for 6D Shoe.
Looking for 65% pen on 1-2 Deck and 75% pen on 6 Deck
Using basic Hi-Lo with my “Elite 11” indices. Wong in and out when possible on 6D
- Insurance
- Stand on 16v9 or 10, 15v10, 12v2 or 3
- Hit 13v2 or 3, 12v4,5 or 6
- Surrender 16v10, 16v9, 15v10 when available
Should I be concerned with RoR for this trip? There's not much I can do about it anyway. But I imagine it would be fairly high, especially if I end up playing a lot of 6D shoes at $10 min.?
My “act” will mainly be typical clueless tourist, superstitious ploppy, progressive bettor/ steamer, or whatever seems to be the norm for that casino, I'll observe other players while I backcount.
Will be keeping my eyes open for dealer tells, holecard and tracking opportunities, no great expectations here but you never know, I might stumble into something.
Use and abuse comps and coupons to the max, including the wife playing some video poker. I wanted to count and signal bets to her but she, in no uncertain terms, said I was out of my mind. :laugh: If she's that nervous about it, it's not worth the risk. I think the movie "21" scared her.
Oh, I almost forgot:
Send wife to video poker/ spa/ pool/ mall/ Grand Canyon before going to play so she doesn’t see how much I’m betting.
So what have I left out? What should I do different? Am I in the ballpark or crazier than a cross-eyed ploppy? Give it to me straight, I can take it….I think.
Thanks for your help.
Sorry this was so long! :whip:
