tensplitter
Well-Known Member
I made my first counting trip to Vegas this weekend. Stayed in a comped room at Flamingo from Friday to Tuesday, and only played there on 2 days. I played a $25 DD blackjack game there with decent rules heads up for hours. Got no heat. Also played $100 through a 100-play VP machine till it was gone so I could justify my comp room.
Most of my play was downtown. I played about 15 hours a day, sleeping through the hottest part of the day since I hate crowded tables and Las Vegas heat.
Binions had a great single deck $5 game, ironically right next to an unplayable 6 deck CSM 6:5 shoe game. I had it to myself overnight, spread from 5-40 for 8 hours straight and killed that game! I came back the next day, different more serious looking pit boss on duty. I only played for an hour and built a tower of red chips before the pit boss told the dealer to shuffle every round. Since I was playing rated, I continued to play there, but used a simple negative progression, and also randomly changed my bets from $30 to $5, and the pit boss knew I wasn't changing my bets by the count since the dealer shuffled every round. I did use my index plays though.
Fitzgeralds was the best of them all. I liked the double deck $10 game and played it overnight. The dealers and pit bosses were rooting for me to win, especially when I made a $50 bet. They had this promotion of a coupon that would allow me to take 100% of my bet back on any hand, kind of like 100% early surrender. I could get one coupon an hour. Saved them for my big bets. I could surrender my main bet and still make an insurance bet.
4 Queens had a $5 DD game with a little heat. I got a preferential shuffle after spreading from $5 to $25 and back to $10 in sight of the pit boss. Later on I tapped into my "fun money" and played the carnival game Texas Hold 'Em Bonus in the evening. I had the 2 players next to me show me their hands, and I made some good folds if those players had cards I needed to make a pair or flush and I had low cards, and I also inferred what the other players had based on their raising. I think that game could be beaten or break even if I could see everyone's hands. There was a $100 automatic bonus if someone had pocket queens and then got four queens on the flop at that game (probably because the casino was called Four Queens)
Gold Spike was a little-known casino with a $3 3-2 6D H17 game. Got no heat spreading $3-2x$50. There were some bad players there who doubled hard 12s and stood on A6. The dealers seemed like they were new and had to ask the pit boss what to do in some situations. I guess the pit boss didn't think people would count at her casino.
El Cortez had more heat than the Las Vegas weather. I only went there 3 times, and could only play 20 minutes to an hour. They back off so many people that the same pit boss had to back me off twice without remembering who I was. One time the pit boss said to me that he knew what the count was and he was right. The third back-off, I played craps afterwards and had a hot roll. The blackjack pit boss went to the craps table, saw me and my hot roll, then backed me off from shooting or raising my bets any further. In craps, a -EV game nonetheless. I was just rolling normally. I was the only one who pressed up my place bets to capitalize on my hot roll and had the most money on the table. The next shooter immediately rolled a seven and then everyone at the table colored up and left, angry at the pit boss. Way to go pit boss, you back off someone only winning $5-10 an hour in blackjack and chase away players losing on average $50 an hour in craps. Thanks for the $500, El Cortez!
Golden Nugget was all 6-5 so I didn't play there.
Fremont had a good DD game but it was crowded even at 1AM.
On the strip I milked a $5 match play promotion at Casino Royale. They had machines outside dispense a match play coupon to anyone who played them so I just collected them. Played craps, roulette, baccarat, and blackjack with them. I wish I thought of using 38 of them to bet every number in roulette and cashing out $170 ahead. Sure felt nice to be playing normally -EV games with a huge +EV with the coupons.
To end my trip I placed a $100 sports bet on my alma mater Rutgers to win this Saturday. If we win then I could get a "free" trip to Vegas later this year.
Outside of casinos it was nice talking to people about counting cards and did meet another blackjack AP on the deuce bus. People are impressed that I know how to count cards even though it isn't rocket science. I got a nice bankroll boost out of my trip.
Most of my play was downtown. I played about 15 hours a day, sleeping through the hottest part of the day since I hate crowded tables and Las Vegas heat.
Binions had a great single deck $5 game, ironically right next to an unplayable 6 deck CSM 6:5 shoe game. I had it to myself overnight, spread from 5-40 for 8 hours straight and killed that game! I came back the next day, different more serious looking pit boss on duty. I only played for an hour and built a tower of red chips before the pit boss told the dealer to shuffle every round. Since I was playing rated, I continued to play there, but used a simple negative progression, and also randomly changed my bets from $30 to $5, and the pit boss knew I wasn't changing my bets by the count since the dealer shuffled every round. I did use my index plays though.
Fitzgeralds was the best of them all. I liked the double deck $10 game and played it overnight. The dealers and pit bosses were rooting for me to win, especially when I made a $50 bet. They had this promotion of a coupon that would allow me to take 100% of my bet back on any hand, kind of like 100% early surrender. I could get one coupon an hour. Saved them for my big bets. I could surrender my main bet and still make an insurance bet.
4 Queens had a $5 DD game with a little heat. I got a preferential shuffle after spreading from $5 to $25 and back to $10 in sight of the pit boss. Later on I tapped into my "fun money" and played the carnival game Texas Hold 'Em Bonus in the evening. I had the 2 players next to me show me their hands, and I made some good folds if those players had cards I needed to make a pair or flush and I had low cards, and I also inferred what the other players had based on their raising. I think that game could be beaten or break even if I could see everyone's hands. There was a $100 automatic bonus if someone had pocket queens and then got four queens on the flop at that game (probably because the casino was called Four Queens)
Gold Spike was a little-known casino with a $3 3-2 6D H17 game. Got no heat spreading $3-2x$50. There were some bad players there who doubled hard 12s and stood on A6. The dealers seemed like they were new and had to ask the pit boss what to do in some situations. I guess the pit boss didn't think people would count at her casino.
El Cortez had more heat than the Las Vegas weather. I only went there 3 times, and could only play 20 minutes to an hour. They back off so many people that the same pit boss had to back me off twice without remembering who I was. One time the pit boss said to me that he knew what the count was and he was right. The third back-off, I played craps afterwards and had a hot roll. The blackjack pit boss went to the craps table, saw me and my hot roll, then backed me off from shooting or raising my bets any further. In craps, a -EV game nonetheless. I was just rolling normally. I was the only one who pressed up my place bets to capitalize on my hot roll and had the most money on the table. The next shooter immediately rolled a seven and then everyone at the table colored up and left, angry at the pit boss. Way to go pit boss, you back off someone only winning $5-10 an hour in blackjack and chase away players losing on average $50 an hour in craps. Thanks for the $500, El Cortez!
Golden Nugget was all 6-5 so I didn't play there.
Fremont had a good DD game but it was crowded even at 1AM.
On the strip I milked a $5 match play promotion at Casino Royale. They had machines outside dispense a match play coupon to anyone who played them so I just collected them. Played craps, roulette, baccarat, and blackjack with them. I wish I thought of using 38 of them to bet every number in roulette and cashing out $170 ahead. Sure felt nice to be playing normally -EV games with a huge +EV with the coupons.
To end my trip I placed a $100 sports bet on my alma mater Rutgers to win this Saturday. If we win then I could get a "free" trip to Vegas later this year.
Outside of casinos it was nice talking to people about counting cards and did meet another blackjack AP on the deuce bus. People are impressed that I know how to count cards even though it isn't rocket science. I got a nice bankroll boost out of my trip.
