Hey, I'm a pro poker player/former croupier from the UK trying to gauge the viability of being able to make a little bit of money on the side when the poker games aren't looking great. For reference, I play 5/5/10 PLO, so I'm used to undertaking a good amount of variance, and the reason I mention poker is that I think it's relevant to mention that I'm already used to my finances being at the mercy of variance.
I've been going deeper down the rabbit hole of card counting over the past few days - also really interested in the concept of AP ultimate holdem with the edge coming from dealer mistakes. Trying to find more information on this, but that's for another day
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Most of the content I've consumed which peaks my interest is from Quattro AP. I'm sure he's popular (or infamous) around these parts. However, I think I would cringe to death playing the super aggressive 1-20 spreads he does, going from $50 to $1k when the count's high. As I understand, he sacrifices any form of cover and grinds EV, generating some absolutely ridiculous hourly EV rates but is obviously seldom able to realise much of it when his sessions are so short.
Cover play is something I'm not too familiar with but I liken it with giving action in poker when you're in a private game and you don't want to be seen as someone who's way too strong. I would happily sacrifice a big proportion of his hourly to have some sustainability and be able to fly under the radar a little bit. I'll be in Vegas for 9 days starting next week, not too long, but I make frequent returns - and I also wonder whether an appropriate amount of covering would lead to some comps somewhere down the line (it all counts towards the EV, right).
My big question is - what might you suggest is optimal cover play? I know there is no strict answer to this, so I suppose I'm asking for your personal opinions/experiences, but is it more discreet to play a smaller spread? Play smaller and maintain a wide spread? Any tips for some good spots where you can sacrifice EV and still make enough money to make it worthwhile? I presume this will depend on circumstances, but this would be a fun side quest that I'd really like to turn into a hobby that carries some EV.
Couple of concerns - one being that as a PLO player, getting barred from the Wynn/the Aria would be a huge problem. Another concern is that I'm British and my ID would be my passport. Unsure if that's a really easy identifier or something that might attract attention/be picked up on quickly between internal surveillance. I look around 20 despite being in my mid-20s; my beard-growing attempts are pathetic at best so I can't hide this and I'll be getting ID'd everywhere I play for sure.
My one last question is about players' cards. I imagine the idea is to avoid them at all costs, unless you're covering well enough to be able to fly under the radar and use them for comp points (as is my question above regarding this). I will be on the players' card system at Wynn, MGM and Caesars - not sure if this is a huge problem or sticking point.
My ideal scenario would be - play PLO at the Aria for a little while, if the games aren't looking good, take a walk down the strip and hit up a couple of other casinos on the way down to the Wynn. Play a few shoes along the way, win a bit of EV, but cautious to not overstay my welcome and try to keep backoffs to a minimum. If my hourly EV is between $50-$100 I'm happy; variance generally isn't a concern but obviously undertaking very regular $10k sessions for a $50 hourly isn't hugely concerning. No issues whatsoever if you guys tell me I'm smoking the pipe and none of this is possible/easy because of x/y/z, it's just a thought I've had that I'd love to make a reality if at all possible.
Grateful in advance for your thoughts
I've been going deeper down the rabbit hole of card counting over the past few days - also really interested in the concept of AP ultimate holdem with the edge coming from dealer mistakes. Trying to find more information on this, but that's for another day
.Most of the content I've consumed which peaks my interest is from Quattro AP. I'm sure he's popular (or infamous) around these parts. However, I think I would cringe to death playing the super aggressive 1-20 spreads he does, going from $50 to $1k when the count's high. As I understand, he sacrifices any form of cover and grinds EV, generating some absolutely ridiculous hourly EV rates but is obviously seldom able to realise much of it when his sessions are so short.
Cover play is something I'm not too familiar with but I liken it with giving action in poker when you're in a private game and you don't want to be seen as someone who's way too strong. I would happily sacrifice a big proportion of his hourly to have some sustainability and be able to fly under the radar a little bit. I'll be in Vegas for 9 days starting next week, not too long, but I make frequent returns - and I also wonder whether an appropriate amount of covering would lead to some comps somewhere down the line (it all counts towards the EV, right
).My big question is - what might you suggest is optimal cover play? I know there is no strict answer to this, so I suppose I'm asking for your personal opinions/experiences, but is it more discreet to play a smaller spread? Play smaller and maintain a wide spread? Any tips for some good spots where you can sacrifice EV and still make enough money to make it worthwhile? I presume this will depend on circumstances, but this would be a fun side quest that I'd really like to turn into a hobby that carries some EV.
Couple of concerns - one being that as a PLO player, getting barred from the Wynn/the Aria would be a huge problem. Another concern is that I'm British and my ID would be my passport. Unsure if that's a really easy identifier or something that might attract attention/be picked up on quickly between internal surveillance. I look around 20 despite being in my mid-20s; my beard-growing attempts are pathetic at best so I can't hide this and I'll be getting ID'd everywhere I play for sure.
My one last question is about players' cards. I imagine the idea is to avoid them at all costs, unless you're covering well enough to be able to fly under the radar and use them for comp points (as is my question above regarding this). I will be on the players' card system at Wynn, MGM and Caesars - not sure if this is a huge problem or sticking point.
My ideal scenario would be - play PLO at the Aria for a little while, if the games aren't looking good, take a walk down the strip and hit up a couple of other casinos on the way down to the Wynn. Play a few shoes along the way, win a bit of EV, but cautious to not overstay my welcome and try to keep backoffs to a minimum. If my hourly EV is between $50-$100 I'm happy; variance generally isn't a concern but obviously undertaking very regular $10k sessions for a $50 hourly isn't hugely concerning. No issues whatsoever if you guys tell me I'm smoking the pipe and none of this is possible/easy because of x/y/z, it's just a thought I've had that I'd love to make a reality if at all possible.
Grateful in advance for your thoughts