Day Trip to Atlantic City

[Doofus]

Monday, January 14:

7:00 Up bright and early this morning. Spent last night reading "Blackbelt in Blackjack." Oooh baby, the juices are flowing! Gotta get out of town and try out some of that fancy stuff. Mrs. Doofus thinks I'm going to Baltimore for a business meeting today. Heh heh heh..........

8:30 Two cups of coffee in my thermos, $1000 in hundreds and I am on the road. AC here I come!

10:30 Damn, this drive is longer than I remember.....

11:00 Ooops, took the first Atlantic City exit. Wrong! Given a 40mph tour of every dairy farm and small town in South Jersey. Memo to self - next time, don't get off the NJ Turnpike until I reach the AC Expressway.

12:00 Approaching AC - I don't remember those windmills. How ugly.

12:15 So let's try the Borgata. Get myself a players club card done. What do the tables look like? Lots of $25 tables, mostly full. Some $50 tables, plenty of seats. $100 seats in the high limit room, pass. Any $10 tables? Found. They are all full. So lets wait for somebody to go bust.

12:30 OK, take a seat, got a new shoe coming up. Good. Let's practice the high-lo count.

12:31 Was that a 3 or an Ace?

12:32 Uhhhh, that was a lot of cards.

12:33 Plus 3, right? Or was that minus 3? Oh, got to remember basic strategy too. And this dope next to me wants to chat. Great. What was that card? A six? What's the count? Oh hell........

12:34 OK, this counting stuff is not working well. Gotta clear the mind and start again on the next shoe.

12:40 New shoe - OK let's count again.

12:43 Oh crikey. Lost the count again. Can't she deal the cards a little slower?

12:45 OK, this is not working. In the midst of trying to keep a count, I hit my 12 against a dealer 6. Not good. Just got a dirty look from Third Base. OK, maybe we can try again someplace less busy. Let's just play basic strategy.


1:00 OK, get myself a $10 bet out. Pair of 3s. Dealer has a 5. Split please. Eight, for an 11 on the first hand. Double! Crap, a 4, for a 15. Maybe the next one. 3! Split it again? OK. Second hand pulls a seven. Double! Give me one more card. Four, for a 14. Hell! Third hand, next card. 3! Split it again. Isn't there some kind of limit? Hit, hit, hit. Crap, a 17. Fourth hand. A 6, for a 9. Another double! Cash in one of these green chips, I'm all out of reds. Woo hoo! Holy balls, I drew a deuce! This is a dreadful play. And look at all those cards chips out on the table, they reach halfway to third base! Everybody else plays out their hands. Dealer turns over a Deuce for a 7 total. ****. Another 3 for a 10 (what is it with all these threes?), a 4 for 14, and then a Queen! Bust! WOO HOO! I pull a huge pile of red chips to me like a poker player pulling in a big pot. Wow, that was a strange hand.

1:30 OK, enough. Up $37.50. That goofy hand from a half hour ago is almost gone.

1:35 Where to next? Ah, Ballys had a $100 bonus road sign for new Players Club members. Let's see what that's all about. Let's drive there.

1:50 Ballys Card in hand, am told that for my first half hour on the tables, the house will comp me for up to $100 in losses. Sounds good, but I ask, what if I win after a half hour? "No bonus, sir."

1:55 Scanning the tables at Ballys. Lots of Spanish 21. Pass. All hit soft 17, damn. OK, well, I am protected for a c-note on the downside. Let's play and try that counting business again. The place is fairly empty. Let's see how the green chips play here at Third Base.

2:00 Counting abandoned. I can't count through one table, let alone one shoe. Gotta stick to Basic Strategy.

2:05 Suckers at this table keep making side bets on getting a 20. No thanks. That Asian guy over at First Base keeps making unbalanced bets, $75 on one hand, $10 on the other. And wouldn't you know, every good hand he gets keeps falling on the $10 hand. He shouts again, reaches into his pocket for new chips. He does this three times over the next thirty minutes. He makes the right calls, but has no luck.

2:35 OK, 40 minutes in, and I am up 60 bucks. I guess I won't get any of that promised comp money. Oh well. Let's see what else is down here on the Boardwalk.

2:40 Trump This, Trump That, Trump Plaza. Let's try this place.

2:42 A 60 year old fat lady is screaming at the woman at the players club. "WHO DO I TALK TO ABOUT THE TERRIBLE SERVICE AT THIS CASINO?" "Your host, ma'am." "WHERE'S MY HOST!" "He's not here ma'am." "DO YOU KNOW HOW UNHAPPY I AM?" "Yes ma'am." Finally she storms off in a huff. Memo to self - don't ever lose enough to risk giving myself a stroke.

2:45 Lots of $25 tables, only one seat at a $15 one. So lets try this. I sit down at the one open seat.

2:50 Pit boss and dealer complaining about casino cutbacks, discussing how Pennsylvania slots are going to cost them all jobs. Ma and Pa Kettle kibbutzing over their $15 bets, distraught over hitting a 15 against a King. HIT THE DAMN THING, THERE'S NO SURRENDER IN AC!

3:00 No mas. Between the Unhappy pit boss and the drunk 50 year old woman hitting on me, the vibes at this table are not good. Down $65 here. Oh well, I'm still ahead.

3:05 Let's try Caesar's Palace. $15 table, I drop $400 on the felt. Low table for the handicapped. The guy down at Third Base is on Oxygen. Memo to self - when it gets so bad I can't breathe, don't waste time playing blackjack. Head straight to the gun store and buy a .44 and some bullets.

3:10 Pit Boss says my Ballys Card doesn't work. Shouts to his partner. Meanwhile, I am betting green chips.

3:15 Holy Balls! I am up $200 bucks in 10 minutes. Where's my card, Mister Pit Boss? I'm considering quitting.

3:17 Up $300! Woo hoo!

3:20 Now the pit boss and his partner are huddled over the computer, wrestling with my players club card.

3:21 Up $400! Time to quit. Don't want to get greedy. Meanwhile, PB and colleague are trying to type up a new card. Hurry up boys, I am up and want to quit.

3:23 Uh oh, only up $300.

3:25 Uh oh, only up $200

3:27 The pit boss gives me the new card, with profuse apologies. Meanwhile I am down to $150 up. OK, let's quit. Nah, one more hand.

3:28 Well, that double didn't do so well. But I'm still up $100. Let's go check out Mortons and have a nice ribeye on the house.

3:35 Damn, Mortons doesn't open until 5. Well, I guess I can play for an hour and a half until it opens. Let's see if that nice run can continue.

4:00 HOLY ****! Not only did I lose the $100 in profit I got up with a half hour ago, I am down another $200. ****! STOP!

4:05 Well, no rib eye, how about a nice deli sandwich?

4:10 Licking my wounds, and finishing off a forgettable deli sandwich. A ribeye would have been much better. Oh hell. Time to drive home. Onto the AC Expressway.

5:00 Where's the NJ Turnpike exit? I don't want to go into downtown Philadelphia.

5:10 Hmmm, isn't that the cheesesteak place I like?

8:00 "Hello, honey, I'm home! What a brutal day at work today."

 

[21forme]

Good story, moral being practice, practice...

BTW, at Ballys, unless it's changed since last week, the pit closest to the cashier's window is still S17.

Moral #2 - never play just for the sake of comps. It's diddly compared to what you can lose at the tables.

 

[Frankie]

The real moral of this story is always, always stop at Pat's or Geno's on the way home from AC (if you live in DC metro area). Best part of the trip. And I won over $10k last time.

 

[BJinNJ]

Nice report. Experience has its price.

Keep at it. It can be done.

CVBJ lets you practice without making a trip.

BJinNJ

 

[Doofus]

Good story, moral being practice, practice...

Indeed! I am headed to LV on Friday for a long weekend, and wanted a bit of a tuneup before I am playing with black chips.

BTW, at Ballys, unless it's changed since last week, the pit closest to the cashier's window is still S17.

Didn't see that one, else I would have played on it. Why give up an extra .20% to the house when you don't have to?

]Moral #2 - never play just for the sake of comps. It's diddly compared to what you can lose at the tables.

I think that ad by Bally's is a good way to draw in business. It worked on me. It made it much easier for me to sit down at their table when I knew that I was protected for a c-note on the downside. Of course, I knew that I was not going to lose anything with that kind of guarantee. I am not that kind of lucky.

 

[Doofus]

Keep at it. It can be done.

CVBJ lets you practice without making a trip.

Yes, I know it can be done. The problem is, sitting at home and practicing on a computer is nothing like sitting at a table (even when playing heads-up) and actually keeping count.

I don't know about the rest of you, but when I sit at a table I always get a jolt of adrenalin, my hand shakes ever so slightly when manipulating the chips, and I find it difficult to focus on the task at hand, beyond playing basic strategy correctly. I guess this last bit explains exactly why I enjoy gambling!

 

[Doofus]

The real moral of this story is always, always stop at Pat's or Geno's on the way home from AC (if you live in DC metro area). Best part of the trip. And I won over $10k last time.

I agree!

The second moral of the story is not to do this on a day trip. I think an overnighter is a must. I've never stayed overnight in AC, but from now on, I think I will do it every time.

When I fly to Vegas, I am always headed back to my room for catnaps in between gambling sessions; I think it keeps me sharper and gives me better focus at the table.

 

[shadroch]

1) Always get a room in AC. Harrahs has an endless supply of free rooms.
2) Never waste a free play opp on a game like BJ. You could have played $100 worth of hi-risk slots. You would have gotten your $100 back when you lost but had a shot at winning thousands.
3)Comp counting is a better betting system than any card counting method out there,but like anything else you need to know what you are doing.Anyone who tells you otherwise is well-meaning but as ill-informed as the folks who tell you you can't count a six deck shoe or to stand on A-7 because 18 is a pretty good hand.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

1) Always get a room in AC. Harrahs has an endless supply of free rooms.

Agree, I even get weekends comped at the Tropicana (yes, the one with all the health department violations.)

2) Never waste a free play opp on a game like BJ. You could have played $100 worth of hi-risk slots. You would have gotten your $100 back when you lost but had a shot at winning thousands.

Not sure if that approach is best for this particular kind of promotion (loss rebate). It's not like a free slot play ticket. What I would have done is gone and placed a $100 chip on the Don't Pass line. If you want to increase your potential upside, you can place the same bet again if you win, indefinitely.

Or a group of AP's could have fun with this! Just bet your $100 Pass v. Don't Pass. Loser leaves the table, gets his rebate and the next AP comes in. Meet up afterwards at Hooters to split the booty.

3)Comp counting is a better betting system than any card counting method out there,but like anything else you need to know what you are doing.Anyone who tells you otherwise is well-meaning but as ill-informed as the folks who tell you you can't count a six deck shoe or to stand on A-7 because 18 is a pretty good hand.

By comp counting you mean general promotion abuse, right? Sounds like a winner to me! But it's hard to live on non-cash comps, I mean how many buffets can you eat in a day? I like the Foxwoods comp program because you can get gas cards which are effectively cash.

 

[Doofus]

1) Always get a room in AC. Harrahs has an endless supply of free rooms.

How do you go about getting them?

2) Never waste a free play opp on a game like BJ. You could have played $100 worth of hi-risk slots. You would have gotten your $100 back when you lost but had a shot at winning thousands.

You are absolutely 100% right. I had not the foggiest idea of doing that, and I should have. Hopefully your insight will help somebody else reading your good idea!

 

[Master@21]

Ugly isn't the word I would have used to describe the windmills...

I pass those windmills 2-3 times a week. I think they are mesmerising to watch, in fact, I'm surprised there hasn't been a slew of accidents on the bay highway (Rte 30, or Better known as the White Horse Pike) by folks watching them spin while driving!

You really need to have your counting skills down pat before you go to Vegas and start betting black! You have to be able to count, ask for a comp, order a drink and tell the know-it-all at 3rd base that he should be playing slots if he's going to continue playing BJ the way he is!!

AC is the best place to cut your teeth but even there, you can be identified and given heat, although they are much more relaxed nowadays. If you're in Bally's and feel you are getting heat, watch for a tall thin gentleman with dark hair, glasses and always dressed in a nice suit named "Nick" watching you. He's the CC Catcher there!

Practice, practice, practice!


Good Luck!

M@21

 

[EasyRhino]

Not sure if that approach is best for this particular kind of promotion (loss rebate). It's not like a free slot play ticket. What I would have done is gone and placed a $100 chip on the Don't Pass line. If you want to increase your potential upside, you can place the same bet again if you win, indefinitely.

Assuming that the promo only pays you if you lose, then it's more profit-maximzing to playing something where you lose a LOT, but has a huge upside. In an extra-ideal world, something with a low house edge. Video poker would probably be the way to go. Note that in the real world, you probably won't have an endless supply of $100 insurance deals (if you do, please PM me). In which case you may not want to dial it back a little bit, to suit your desired risk profile.

http://www.blackjackforumonline.com/content/beyondcouponsbjfo.pdf

If the promo was something like "free slot play" where you are reimbursed for the cost of each spin, then what you've got is "near cash". The worth of the promo doesn't vary for high-variance vs low variance play, it's just whatever you feel like doing.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Assuming that the promo only pays you if you lose, then it's more profit-maximzing to playing something where you lose a LOT, but has a huge upside. In an extra-ideal world, something with a low house edge. Video poker would probably be the way to go. Note that in the real world, you probably won't have an endless supply of $100 insurance deals (if you do, please PM me). In which case you may not want to dial it back a little bit, to suit your desired risk profile.

http://www.blackjackforumonline.com/content/beyondcouponsbjfo.pdf

If the promo was something like "free slot play" where you are reimbursed for the cost of each spin, then what you've got is "near cash". The worth of the promo doesn't vary for high-variance vs low variance play, it's just whatever you feel like doing.

Oh, sure, in terms of actual advantage on a single bet you're better off with other things, but you can accomplish the same thing by parlaying an even-money craps bet, and I only chose craps because the house edge is so much lower than other games, and you're not limited to a single bet in this promotion, like you are with Grosjean's coupons. You can probably fool around with taking odds in craps too, and you have a lot of control over your EV/variance ratio (i.e., the chance that you are going to actually see any real money from the promotion) by controlling how and when you take odds, and how many times you parlay the bet.

A single-zero roulette wheel might still be a better deal, if you can find one.

 

[EasyRhino]

BTW you might not want to lie to your wife about this sort of thing. That doesn't usually end well.

 

[21forme]

The real moral of this story is always, always stop at Pat's or Geno's on the way home from AC (if you live in DC metro area). Best part of the trip. And I won over $10k last time.

Personally, I think the cheesesteak at Borgata's Metropolitan is better than Pat's or Geno's.

Speaking of Borgata, seems not many dealers got that memo about going back to 1 1/2 decks cut (who posted that? I can't find it now...) I was there a couple of days ago and just about all cutting 2 decks.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Personally, I think the cheesesteak at Borgata's Metropolitan is better than Pat's or Geno's.

Speaking of Borgata, seems not many dealers got that memo about going back to 1 1/2 decks cut (who posted that? I can't find it now...) I was there a couple of days ago and just about all cutting 2 decks.

I posted that. That was my observation, I saw about 25% of the dealers cutting to 1.5 and one of them was discussing with a PC that they were now supposed to do that.

Metropolitan is very good. Last time there I went to the noodle bar, that wasn't bad either.

 

[ChefJJ]

Metropolitan is very good. Last time there I went to the noodle bar, that wasn't bad either.

I may be derailing the conversation a bit...but I have to say that if anyone likes pho (pronounced fa), there is a very good and inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant about a block south of the Soliders & Sailors Monument in AC. When the lady comes along with me to AC, we make it a point to hit that up before the tables. Excellent and filling.

good luck

 

[Doofus]

BTW you might not want to lie to your wife about this sort of thing. That doesn't usually end well.

Good point. She does go with when I go to Vegas, but doesn't like to gamble. She might not have understood the need for a tuneup.

 

[GeorgeD]

Yes, I know it can be done. The problem is, sitting at home and practicing on a computer is nothing like sitting at a table (even when playing heads-up) and actually keeping count.

I don't know about the rest of you, but when I sit at a table I always get a jolt of adrenalin, my hand shakes ever so slightly when manipulating the chips, and I find it difficult to focus on the task at hand, beyond playing basic strategy correctly. I guess this last bit explains exactly why I enjoy gambling!

Are you new to Casino Play? I was that kind of shaky playing at first, but once I got a few sessions behind me, got much more relaxed. Hate to say it, but yea ,].... casino play is the only way to get past that.

May be best to stick with BS till you're more comfortable. You don'' want to start ramping your bets to find you're off on the count. Besides, when you first push out bigger bets the nerves may get you again.

 

[shadroch]

Not sure if that approach is best for this particular kind of promotion (loss rebate). It's not like a free slot play ticket. What I would have done is gone and placed a $100 chip on the Don't Pass line. If you want to increase your potential upside, you can place the same bet again if you win, indefinitely.


Keep in mind you need to play a full half hour to qualify for the rebate.
But besides that,if you wager $100 on DP,and win you have $200.If you take the $100 to a slot machine,you'll have about 150 spins on a 25 cent Wheel of Forune machine,with a chance of winning $1,000 or more.
In you scenerio,you have a decent chance of doubling your money,in mine you have a much less likely chance of doing so.But as it's a one time free roll,I would go for the longshot chance of hitting big money rather than simply doubling my money,esp. since after losing that one big roll,I'd be forced to put my own money at risk to satisfy the time reqirements.
I'm not sure there is a one size fits all best method of using this promotion,
but I'm pretty sure just normal BJ play is one of the weaker ones to use.