I plan a trip for a 2% risk of ruin, the parameters being the advantage of the game, the number of hands I'm planning on playing, and the amount of money I have available on that trip. If I play once a week, that would mean on the average of about once a year I'll walk out of the casino spitting and cursing.
Fair enough. But I didn't plan on it happening today, the way it did.
First store- played about 3 hours. Limits were high, tables were crowded, and all the dealers were dealing like they were on drugs. Goofing off and chatting between cards, dawdling with their racks, giving me about 40-50 hands per hour and I was just in no mood for that crap given the other disadvantageous conditions. Walked out about 10 units down in 4 hours.
On to the second store. Also way too crowded, but I found a fast dealer giving good pen. Played 2 hours, up 5 units. Left the table to go home, got my play in for the night. But on the way out, I figured I had a little more left in me, maybe Wong into a shoe or two headed for the door.
Oh, to be able to take that decision back! Watched a shoe, Wonged in at +3 (HO2) about 1/4 of the way into the shoe. Then everything turned to garbage. The count went up and up, but I lost every hand but one. I walked away 200 units down. But not at the end of the shoe or the count. I had to walk away from a +11 count because I did not have a dollar left in my pocket.
Driving away from the casino realizing I didn't have a playing stake any more, and that it would take >40 hours of table time just to get back to where I began this night. And that it felt like I had paid my dues, and things were bound to get better, and a second later thinking, in a pig's ass they are. This is no less likely to happen on my next trip than it was on this one. Utterly stifling. But I'll be back.
Fair enough. But I didn't plan on it happening today, the way it did.
First store- played about 3 hours. Limits were high, tables were crowded, and all the dealers were dealing like they were on drugs. Goofing off and chatting between cards, dawdling with their racks, giving me about 40-50 hands per hour and I was just in no mood for that crap given the other disadvantageous conditions. Walked out about 10 units down in 4 hours.
On to the second store. Also way too crowded, but I found a fast dealer giving good pen. Played 2 hours, up 5 units. Left the table to go home, got my play in for the night. But on the way out, I figured I had a little more left in me, maybe Wong into a shoe or two headed for the door.
Oh, to be able to take that decision back! Watched a shoe, Wonged in at +3 (HO2) about 1/4 of the way into the shoe. Then everything turned to garbage. The count went up and up, but I lost every hand but one. I walked away 200 units down. But not at the end of the shoe or the count. I had to walk away from a +11 count because I did not have a dollar left in my pocket.
Driving away from the casino realizing I didn't have a playing stake any more, and that it would take >40 hours of table time just to get back to where I began this night. And that it felt like I had paid my dues, and things were bound to get better, and a second later thinking, in a pig's ass they are. This is no less likely to happen on my next trip than it was on this one. Utterly stifling. But I'll be back.
