I have been skimming through a BJ book by a well known gaming author (actually havent found much value in there) and found it striking how different our two views and experiences are of advantage play. For example, in his "report" he starts off a trip by getting into vegas early to relax followed by a good nights sleep; waking in his luxurious comped room; enjoying a leisurely breakfast followed by scouting, hanging out at the pool, perhaps a little BJ and then a gourmet comped dinner. Dinner is followed by a little more BJ and then enjoying a show and turning in early to relax and enjoy...
My trips on the other hand are grinds and all business. I typically play the weekends when conditions are best for my style of play. Thats means I cram my day job into 4 days (usually work the weekend before) to support taking Friday off. I rush out of work on Thurs a bit early and (a bit guilty) to make my evening flight (dinner is anything quick and gross that I can find in the airport). On the flight out I try to sleep to be able to get down to business upon my arrival. If I can get two full hours in I feel like I am off to a good start. Upon arrival it takes me about 2 hours to get from the airport to my room before I am ready to play. My rest consists of a 10 minute nap to rest my eyes for the night ahead. I play when I arrive for two reasons: maximize play time (max ev and to give me the best chance to end up ahead at the end of the year) and I like to play out swing shift which means I have to overcome jet lag at some point and when you have a weekend you dont have time to slowly adjust. BTW - no comped rooms for me; I have been tossed out of too many joints to stay where I play. Its either the cheapest dive I can book (a dollar saved is a dollar earned) or I use my hotel points from business travel to stay at an off-strip business class hotel.
Anyhow if I land at 11pm; I'll play till 4 or 5 am while moving around alot since the casinos are pretty quiet on weekdays at this time. I crash just before dawn hoping to catch 6-8 good hours but the damn time difference means that my body allows me about 3 hours before waking me up. I'll usually toss and turn for whatever period of time where I think I have a chance of getting some sleep after which I finally give up; shower; practice; and then grab a coffee and scarf down some tasteless pastry for breakfast while moving to my first job.
Starting out I bang away and continue to move since the weekend crowds havent arrived. Lunch is whatever is put out any the of high roller buffets that you find in most casinos (I have a few favorites that i'll keep to myself). Usually I get 2-3 calls from the office and always call back promptly (as soon as the count tanks of course) during the day. Once I got onto an emergent conference call from a pay phone and got to enjoy the spectacle of a hooker getting busted right next to me. It was kinda of nerve-wracking trying to cover the mouthpiece so that her screams would not be overheard.
Anyhow - dinner is usually comped (but quick - again lost time is something I cant afford) and even with the comp I cant afford the buzz of enjoying a glass of wine at this point since my prime playing time is just beginning. Its kinda funny trying to talk a host out of a gourmet comp; no I just want the snack bar! After dinner - a quick nap, shower and then off to the tables for swing shift (I play the entire shift ending play around 4 am).
Second nights are better sleeps since I am more in tune with the time zone and can usually last 4-5 hours instead of the 3-4 average on the first night. The second day is a repeat of the first; usually no office calls on Sat; and I can play abit longer in each joint. Again my play ends at 4 am.
Sunday is the same except I have to pack and check out of the room in the am and I usually enjoy the dinner a bit more since my playing is over for the trip. The crowds have departed and I have to fill up and return the rental car and get back to the aiport for my red-eye home. I land the next am (Monday) and hustle home to shower, change and then into work where I agree to work late to make up for coming in late of course. A bottomless cup of coffee ensures that I can perform despite the combined affects of minimal sleep and jet lag (I am now finally on Vegas time).
I am not complaining; BJ has been very good to me but (in my experience) its alot of work and much more of a grind than most folks seem to realize. As I said above you have to get the hours in to make any decent money and to offer long term protection from the variance; limit your expenses and most of all dont fool around if it means you will lose significant play time. I have seen about 5 shows in about 15 yrs of going to Vegas and once made the mistake of sleeping through a Don Rickles show with front row seats (big mistake but I wanted to be fresh to play after the show). Don made it clear that he was not pleased. As for lounging at the pool; I have gone whole years without unpacking my bathing suit although I always bring it just in case. Anyhow I wonder how many folks woudl be interested in advantage play if my account graced the books instead of much what I read.
thanks for listening!
wong out
My trips on the other hand are grinds and all business. I typically play the weekends when conditions are best for my style of play. Thats means I cram my day job into 4 days (usually work the weekend before) to support taking Friday off. I rush out of work on Thurs a bit early and (a bit guilty) to make my evening flight (dinner is anything quick and gross that I can find in the airport). On the flight out I try to sleep to be able to get down to business upon my arrival. If I can get two full hours in I feel like I am off to a good start. Upon arrival it takes me about 2 hours to get from the airport to my room before I am ready to play. My rest consists of a 10 minute nap to rest my eyes for the night ahead. I play when I arrive for two reasons: maximize play time (max ev and to give me the best chance to end up ahead at the end of the year) and I like to play out swing shift which means I have to overcome jet lag at some point and when you have a weekend you dont have time to slowly adjust. BTW - no comped rooms for me; I have been tossed out of too many joints to stay where I play. Its either the cheapest dive I can book (a dollar saved is a dollar earned) or I use my hotel points from business travel to stay at an off-strip business class hotel.
Anyhow if I land at 11pm; I'll play till 4 or 5 am while moving around alot since the casinos are pretty quiet on weekdays at this time. I crash just before dawn hoping to catch 6-8 good hours but the damn time difference means that my body allows me about 3 hours before waking me up. I'll usually toss and turn for whatever period of time where I think I have a chance of getting some sleep after which I finally give up; shower; practice; and then grab a coffee and scarf down some tasteless pastry for breakfast while moving to my first job.
Starting out I bang away and continue to move since the weekend crowds havent arrived. Lunch is whatever is put out any the of high roller buffets that you find in most casinos (I have a few favorites that i'll keep to myself). Usually I get 2-3 calls from the office and always call back promptly (as soon as the count tanks of course) during the day. Once I got onto an emergent conference call from a pay phone and got to enjoy the spectacle of a hooker getting busted right next to me. It was kinda of nerve-wracking trying to cover the mouthpiece so that her screams would not be overheard.
Anyhow - dinner is usually comped (but quick - again lost time is something I cant afford) and even with the comp I cant afford the buzz of enjoying a glass of wine at this point since my prime playing time is just beginning. Its kinda funny trying to talk a host out of a gourmet comp; no I just want the snack bar! After dinner - a quick nap, shower and then off to the tables for swing shift (I play the entire shift ending play around 4 am).
Second nights are better sleeps since I am more in tune with the time zone and can usually last 4-5 hours instead of the 3-4 average on the first night. The second day is a repeat of the first; usually no office calls on Sat; and I can play abit longer in each joint. Again my play ends at 4 am.
Sunday is the same except I have to pack and check out of the room in the am and I usually enjoy the dinner a bit more since my playing is over for the trip. The crowds have departed and I have to fill up and return the rental car and get back to the aiport for my red-eye home. I land the next am (Monday) and hustle home to shower, change and then into work where I agree to work late to make up for coming in late of course. A bottomless cup of coffee ensures that I can perform despite the combined affects of minimal sleep and jet lag (I am now finally on Vegas time).
I am not complaining; BJ has been very good to me but (in my experience) its alot of work and much more of a grind than most folks seem to realize. As I said above you have to get the hours in to make any decent money and to offer long term protection from the variance; limit your expenses and most of all dont fool around if it means you will lose significant play time. I have seen about 5 shows in about 15 yrs of going to Vegas and once made the mistake of sleeping through a Don Rickles show with front row seats (big mistake but I wanted to be fresh to play after the show). Don made it clear that he was not pleased. As for lounging at the pool; I have gone whole years without unpacking my bathing suit although I always bring it just in case. Anyhow I wonder how many folks woudl be interested in advantage play if my account graced the books instead of much what I read.
thanks for listening!
wong out
Top advantage players have this way of telling me that they saw me at such-and-such a place, but I didn't see them.