LV Bear Interview @ BJINFO!

My 7000th post at BJINFO.

Two years ago I was playing at a Vegas casino known to me and Edgecapper. I had previously noticed a distinguished gentleman playing at 1st base and thought he was a ploppy, though he was playing bigger than others in the casino.

This time i watched him more closely. He was betting a 1-30 spread at 2D! Management was oblivious to what was happening.

After about 45-minutes more had past the mysterious gentleman ended session cashed out and departed.

I caught up to him on the street and said, "Thats the most obnoxious spread I've seen in years!" He was noticeably perturbed and replied, "Oh well, I just got lucky." I laughed and said, Save that sh*t for the pit!"

He was bothered by my forwardness and quickly got in his car. As he was pulling away I motioned for him to roll down his window, and he did so reluctantly. I blurted out, "I'm Zengrifter."

He laughed and replied, "I'm LV Bear, how the hell are you!" we chated for the next 20-min.

LV Bear is one of gambling's most competent professionals, and probably the industry's staunchest critic through his industry weblog The Bear Growls. He is also a frequent contributor at Tamburin's BJ Insider, BJ21, and he is one of BJINFO's newest members.

It is my distinct pleasure to announce that BJINFO's Interview Page has added LV Bear, enjoy! zg

That my friends is about as good of advice that you could hope to recieve
on an internet message board. As usual your rational reasoning is of great
help, thanks.

What a guy, he really understands. Gaming is much more practicable as a part-time enhancement of a full-time career where you actually provide something of benefit to your neighbors.

The ignorance of the gaming public is our enemy, for sure. In AC, there is at least one VP machine with a payoff of greater than 100%. It's a multi-game machine marked Keno, it has Keno and a few VP games, and one of those games is full-pay All-American Poker with a return of 100.7%.

You'd think that in a huge venue like AC there would be AP's playing those games 24 hours a day. And those machines are usually quite busy- with people playing Keno! I've never seen anyone else playing the AA, and the Keno players give me funny looks when they see me playing it, like I'm missing out on this great opportunity.

Very interesting reading. Thanks for posting.

supercoolmancool said:

That my friends is about as good of advice that you could hope to recieve
on an internet message board. As usual your rational reasoning is of great
help, thanks.

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Great interview i love reading his webblog. SCM i am honored you have actully quoted me:laugh:

nc-tom said:

Great interview i love reading his webblog. SCM i am honored you have actully quoted me:laugh:

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Yah, I saved it because I thought it was such a great quote, but I had since forgotten who originally said it. I like to keep it handy for just such an ocassion.

That was nothing short, of a dedicated and successful professional.
Sharing his experiences with us about the real-life ups and downs of and
advantage player.

You could almost say theirs no thrill in victory, without agony in defeat!

And again focuses my attention and concerns about the future of twenty-one and the incompetent casinos and over zealous personel that control and operate these games.

Where do we go from here, and what we do now? Will the games get better or will they continue to get worse! I guess we'll have to wait and see and have the future answer that for us.


That pretty much says it all, ten years of an advantage player, displayed on a single page, wrapped up in a nutshell.

awesome interview!

Mimosine said:

awesome interview!

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I'll go along with that. LVBear, don't be shy about posting!

A comprehensive account of the ups and downs of being an advantage player. It also embellishes the fact that players' overall acceptance of high-edge games has resulted in the expansion of games such as 6/5 Blackjack.

Good luck with your continued success.

Good interview. Thanks Ken and LVB for taking the time to put it together. I used to be very active on LVA and have to say that when I was learning the game, LVBear was one of the very few on the forum to whom I paid attention.

WELCOME to the forum!

Great interview. He hits home on a lot of points.

anyone know or think what other games than blackjack he exposes?

xxrenegadexx said:

anyone know or think what other games than blackjack he exposes?

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Guessing: 3-card poker and wheel-of-fortune, for starters. zg

Nice to see everyone's dream come true for one guy who had the dedication and smarts and guts to actually do it!

nice one ,thanks for posting!!

zengrifter said:

The sad reality is that 99% of casino patrons don't care about the quality of the games. They don't even understand the games, or the math involved. The casinos have done a good job of marketing their games as "entertainment" to the ignorant and gullible masses.

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I don't know what to say about that...except how can AP's win if nobody loses? And what is wrong with people using gambling as entertainment if they wish?

Overall, I do agree that this was a good interview...but I've gotta ask those questions. I'm not drinking that kool-aid.

Recreational Players

There is a strange mentality there that doesn't speak well to the intelligence of the Human Race I fear. First off, most of this category (the 99% LVBear makes reference to) are very often, not frequent players at casinos. They may go to the local casino on a whim or might take a vacation and head for Las Vegas every great once in a while. To them, it goes deeper than just learning "Basic Strategy". The majority go expecting to lose. And, as they enter a casino, they hang what intelligence they have on the hook next to where they check their coats!

For them, the effort to even attempt to learn Basic Strategy for Blackjack or any other game they might choose is something that is not even a consideration. It's just too much trouble to go to for the minimal amount of play they will indulge in.

I know a guy, one with whom I used to go on motorcycle tours. We discussed gambling and he got all excited and I thought here was a venue with which we could further end days of cruising! But the more I talked to him, the more obvious it became that he had no clue. I mean, NONE AT ALL.

He turned up his nose at Blackjack. He wanted to play Let-it-ride. Even after I told him he was playing at a 3.5% disadvantage as compared to an average .5% disadvantage in BJ, he came back with the huge payoff in LIR for big hands. He bragged about the time he won some large amount on one hand and blew off the times that he lost. He was after an adrenalin rush and he claimed he couldn't get it in Blackjack where you only win two for one on a win except for three for two on a Blackjack.

His attitude about Video Poker was the same. When he plays it, he's willing to blow $100 holding NOTHING other than a pat hand or cards to make up a Royal. He's definitely not the type of player who will take up any kind of casino action on a regular basis. All or Nothing. He's there to have FUN and expects to lose his entire gambling budget on the very remote chance of hitting the home-run.

We did go to a couple of casinos but after a half hour, he was ready to hit the road. I hardly had time to scout the VP and Blackjack tables.

I've heard this same story (names change and serial numbers are filed off) from many other visitors to casinos. I don't call them "Player's". I'm not quite sure what to call them. They would be the types who would go to a carnival and blow $200 on the games along the midway!

But they by FAR outnumber those who study the games enough to know which ones will provide a chance to stretch a bankroll. Games that with a bit of preparation can be turned into a game of Skill. But I have been totally unsuccessful in imparting any "logic" to them concerning their very unwise methods of play. A waste of time even with (or maybe Especially with) Friends!

As LVBear said or implied, this mentality is what has allowed the casinos to rape the BJ table rules and destroy decent paytables on VP. For the Basic Strategy player, these games are becoming nothing more than the mirror image of an ATM...you put the money in and the Casino takes it out!

Mikeaber said:

There is a strange mentality there that doesn't speak well to the intelligence of the Human Race I fear.

As LVBear said or implied, this mentality is what has allowed the casinos to rape the BJ table rules and destroy decent paytables on VP.

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That's a bit extreme, but your take nonetheless.

If the loss rate is too high eventually people, no matter how stupid, will stop playing and/or look for a better game. It's competition, just like selling gas.