Here's my trip report for my first experience as a (semi) AP player:
____
So, after months of study, I bit the bullet. I packed up my bags and headed out to Vegas to put these new skills to the test. Here's my account of my first time, and I'm sticking to it:
My bankroll is far from sufficient. Enough to allow me to spread to a max bet of 2 hands of 2 units. But it's enough to put me into the game, if only for a few days.
The first night I'm there, I watch in amazement, back-counting and testing myself to just see that I can do it. I'm staying at an upscale resort, thanks to the generosity of a friend, and am prohibited from laying down bets, merely by the table minimums.
My friend, proficient in AP, plays through and to my surprise, I do pretty well at following the RC, and understanding when he spreads his bets. Later in the evening, I watch as the count shoots up into double digits...and am frustrated when my friend's bets don't change...until I notice the burly fellow behind the dealer, dressed in a slate gray Italian suit. I realize that as much attention is needed to environment as is needed to the cards if I want to really stay in this game.
Keeping the TC is another issue. I can estimate it, but not fast enough. A mental note to add a new element to my training when I get home. This problem is partially solved by sticking to double-deck. The face-up action in the shoe games is easy to follow, but I find that the face-down action of double deck is even easier. Without the face-up cards, I don't have the urge to check and recheck my count. I have one shot and I'd better get it right.
The next day, it's time to put up or shut up. I try my hand at wonging into some positive counts. There are now three mentors watching my play, and my nerves are on edge. Coffee? Eff that. I have adrenaline on my side. After a few initial stumbles...I'm actually playing with reasonable proficiency.
Over the course of the day, I learn a LOT. And one thing I learn is humility. I'm up by a handful of units, but this has more to do with providence than my abilities. Sure, I'm playing smarter than a ploppy, but I'm not as good as I should be. My BS is weak. In all of my efforts to increase my counting speed, I slacked off on my Basic Strategy, and it shows. I balk at A7's.
By the end of the night, I've been to five casinos, and am awash with new sensations. I am up a considerable amount by this stage. My friends ask deliberate questions to keep me on track...am I trying to make as much money as possible? Or am I trying to play correctly? How does the win affect my attitude? Am I going to quit, now that I am ahead?
The next morning, I can't get my eyes open fully. Even a steak and egg breakfast can't quite bring me up to steam...but I forge ahead.
The night before, I'd watched the casino behave in a terrible manner. A drunk ploppy was betting 10K at a time, spread 2x $5K. He lost 60K in 2 minutes. He didn't know or care. Then, his luck turned, and in 20 minutes, he'd cleared the casino's rack. Twice. He wasn't counting, or, if he was, he wasn't using any count I'd ever seen. He was hitting hard 18's. Any responsible casino should have seen his play as unacceptable, and comped him a room and some coffee.
The fact that he won isn't relevant...He was barely able to stand. I'm all for fair play...if the guy has cash to blow, then more power to the Casinos for providing a hospitable atmosphere for him to blow it in. But I'm also all for the Casinos stepping to the plate and behaving responsibly. A bar that won't let a drunk patron drive home is acknowledging that the service they provide can end up hurting the consumer. A Casino should have the same standards. Just my personal rant.
So, two days in and I'm up fairly big. My BR has gained by a third. I haven't had a bad streak yet, and I know this is the worst possible thing for a new player. How can you NOT feel invincible? My friends aren't faring so well, and I feel guilty for the luck that is handing me blackjacks in counts so negative that by all rights, the only hands that should be coming out should be pairs of 2's followed by more pairs of 2's.
Day three hits and my body is numb from the rush of adrenaline. I'm pretty sure my brain is tapped out. My eyes are glazed over. I'm drinking Red Bulls now, ignoring their vitamin-laced flavor.
My friend hits the best damn BJ I've ever seen. The dealer pays him full odds...for two A's, no ten in sight. I think that everyone in Vegas needs a nap.
I watch a team in a downtown casino. They're good. They have great cover....they're wasted. They could blend in perfectly at an Appalachian family reunion, neck tattoos and all. The fellow that catches my attention isn't masking his spread at all. He's not getting much heat, even though he's spreading $5 to 2x$50 at the drop of a hat. He has 10K in front of him. When I come back from breakfast, his teammates are gone, and his BR is down to its last leg. He orders a final Crown and Coke, and bleeds himself dry. Even good players have bad days.
And then I start to lose. Part of this is my fault directly. My friends can barely contain themselves as I absent-mindedly split 4's against a 2. Fatigue has taken its toll, and my weak BS foundation has started to crumble. My companions are losing too though, and it has little to do with their ability. They're playing right, and the dealers keep pulling 6 card 21's. Welcome to Variance, Nevada...population 4.
I call it quits for the day. I know I'm too tired to play well. This is a good lesson to learn the hard way.
The next day, I wake up and catch my flight home, glad to have a weekend to recover before I stagger into my normal office life...
I've had an incredible experience. I've had the good fortune to learn and study under three people whose character and skills exceed my abilities to express admiration. I've experienced a slight taste of variance. I've seen Vegas through new eyes.
And now I have a goal. I have a new appreciation for how much I need to study the foundations. I have a great respect for those of you who have been doing this for an extended period of time. I'm going to practice, study, and learn...and I will return.
End result = +10 units and a WHOLE lot of data to process.
-- HiNoon
____
So, after months of study, I bit the bullet. I packed up my bags and headed out to Vegas to put these new skills to the test. Here's my account of my first time, and I'm sticking to it:
My bankroll is far from sufficient. Enough to allow me to spread to a max bet of 2 hands of 2 units. But it's enough to put me into the game, if only for a few days.
The first night I'm there, I watch in amazement, back-counting and testing myself to just see that I can do it. I'm staying at an upscale resort, thanks to the generosity of a friend, and am prohibited from laying down bets, merely by the table minimums.
My friend, proficient in AP, plays through and to my surprise, I do pretty well at following the RC, and understanding when he spreads his bets. Later in the evening, I watch as the count shoots up into double digits...and am frustrated when my friend's bets don't change...until I notice the burly fellow behind the dealer, dressed in a slate gray Italian suit. I realize that as much attention is needed to environment as is needed to the cards if I want to really stay in this game.
Keeping the TC is another issue. I can estimate it, but not fast enough. A mental note to add a new element to my training when I get home. This problem is partially solved by sticking to double-deck. The face-up action in the shoe games is easy to follow, but I find that the face-down action of double deck is even easier. Without the face-up cards, I don't have the urge to check and recheck my count. I have one shot and I'd better get it right.
The next day, it's time to put up or shut up. I try my hand at wonging into some positive counts. There are now three mentors watching my play, and my nerves are on edge. Coffee? Eff that. I have adrenaline on my side. After a few initial stumbles...I'm actually playing with reasonable proficiency.
Over the course of the day, I learn a LOT. And one thing I learn is humility. I'm up by a handful of units, but this has more to do with providence than my abilities. Sure, I'm playing smarter than a ploppy, but I'm not as good as I should be. My BS is weak. In all of my efforts to increase my counting speed, I slacked off on my Basic Strategy, and it shows. I balk at A7's.
By the end of the night, I've been to five casinos, and am awash with new sensations. I am up a considerable amount by this stage. My friends ask deliberate questions to keep me on track...am I trying to make as much money as possible? Or am I trying to play correctly? How does the win affect my attitude? Am I going to quit, now that I am ahead?
The next morning, I can't get my eyes open fully. Even a steak and egg breakfast can't quite bring me up to steam...but I forge ahead.
The night before, I'd watched the casino behave in a terrible manner. A drunk ploppy was betting 10K at a time, spread 2x $5K. He lost 60K in 2 minutes. He didn't know or care. Then, his luck turned, and in 20 minutes, he'd cleared the casino's rack. Twice. He wasn't counting, or, if he was, he wasn't using any count I'd ever seen. He was hitting hard 18's. Any responsible casino should have seen his play as unacceptable, and comped him a room and some coffee.
The fact that he won isn't relevant...He was barely able to stand. I'm all for fair play...if the guy has cash to blow, then more power to the Casinos for providing a hospitable atmosphere for him to blow it in. But I'm also all for the Casinos stepping to the plate and behaving responsibly. A bar that won't let a drunk patron drive home is acknowledging that the service they provide can end up hurting the consumer. A Casino should have the same standards. Just my personal rant.
So, two days in and I'm up fairly big. My BR has gained by a third. I haven't had a bad streak yet, and I know this is the worst possible thing for a new player. How can you NOT feel invincible? My friends aren't faring so well, and I feel guilty for the luck that is handing me blackjacks in counts so negative that by all rights, the only hands that should be coming out should be pairs of 2's followed by more pairs of 2's.
Day three hits and my body is numb from the rush of adrenaline. I'm pretty sure my brain is tapped out. My eyes are glazed over. I'm drinking Red Bulls now, ignoring their vitamin-laced flavor.
My friend hits the best damn BJ I've ever seen. The dealer pays him full odds...for two A's, no ten in sight. I think that everyone in Vegas needs a nap.
I watch a team in a downtown casino. They're good. They have great cover....they're wasted. They could blend in perfectly at an Appalachian family reunion, neck tattoos and all. The fellow that catches my attention isn't masking his spread at all. He's not getting much heat, even though he's spreading $5 to 2x$50 at the drop of a hat. He has 10K in front of him. When I come back from breakfast, his teammates are gone, and his BR is down to its last leg. He orders a final Crown and Coke, and bleeds himself dry. Even good players have bad days.
And then I start to lose. Part of this is my fault directly. My friends can barely contain themselves as I absent-mindedly split 4's against a 2. Fatigue has taken its toll, and my weak BS foundation has started to crumble. My companions are losing too though, and it has little to do with their ability. They're playing right, and the dealers keep pulling 6 card 21's. Welcome to Variance, Nevada...population 4.
I call it quits for the day. I know I'm too tired to play well. This is a good lesson to learn the hard way.
The next day, I wake up and catch my flight home, glad to have a weekend to recover before I stagger into my normal office life...
I've had an incredible experience. I've had the good fortune to learn and study under three people whose character and skills exceed my abilities to express admiration. I've experienced a slight taste of variance. I've seen Vegas through new eyes.
And now I have a goal. I have a new appreciation for how much I need to study the foundations. I have a great respect for those of you who have been doing this for an extended period of time. I'm going to practice, study, and learn...and I will return.
End result = +10 units and a WHOLE lot of data to process.
-- HiNoon