Report on weekend outing

[aslan]

Sunday & Monday, I had a 2 hour, a 17 hour, a 1 hour, and another 1 hour BJ session at the Taj Mahal and the Borgata in AC (21 hours in all). Thank God for the education I got here in the Forum; it helped me go the distance, from about $2,000 down to $40 up before I left. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to lose a ton of money with a super plus count, but I was prepared because I heard it here first. If a hand of mine could bust, it did bust, hour after hour! On the recovery side, one time I had two hands betting $150 each ($15 min game) with a KO count above +10, and I miraculously got two BJs for a $450 profit—not bad! Also, I won a couple of $250 hands in the $25 min game. But I never planned to bet so much, my BR being only $6,500 (but replenishable). My intention was to play in a $5 or $10 min game, but the Taj didn’t have a $10 game until early Monday AM. Also, I didn’t plan to go beyond $90 or $100 max bet due to my small BR, but when push came to shove, I couldn’t see getting even if I didn’t max out my advantage. Mostly, however, I did bet restrained: 15, 30, 30, 30, 40, 40, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90. Although in the 1 hour long $25 min and $10 min games, I did spread 1 – 10. Because of the lessons learned here, I was able to stay detached for the most part, and grind my way back from disaster to a very modest victory. BTW, nobody told me how hard it is to plop your money down, hundreds at a time, when you’re down a whole bunch and all you ever seem to do is bust.

 

[EasyRhino]

Seventeen hours?!

Also, a $250 bet with only a $6000 bankroll (or perhaps only $4000 at the time you made it?). That's only appropriate if your bankroll is highly replenishable, otherwise you're just steaming.

But hey, a win's a win. On weekends like that I like to drive home and sardonically congratulate myself on my $2/hr win rate.

 

[ihate17]

A big part of being a winner

I always say that counting is the easy part of being a winning blackjack player. The normal human elements that come into play are the hardest parts. Getting your butt kicked on highly positive counts but keeping yourself under control, not steaming and not quiting when the count is still positive, is a real test for most people. The fact that you broke about even does not really matter here; win, lose or draw it sounds like you passed a test but that is only if your bankroll is immediately replenishable because $250 is a huge bet for a six grand bankroll.

ihate17

 

[21forme]

Were you playing full shoes or wonging in and out?

When I stopped by Taj last week, it was all no midshoe entry. Has that changed? (I'll be heading to AC this afternoon)

 

[ChefJJ]

Another AC question for you Aslan: did you see many $10 or $15 tables at Borgata?

Great salvage of a potential losing outing...way to stick to your guns and keep grinding.

 

[aslan]

Replies Back

Yes, my bankroll is highly replenishable. Yes, at times I was steaming, but I was always able to drag myself back to a detached frame of mind (probably owing to years of gambling at pocket billiards).

Yes, I was betting high; and since I’d rather not get into BR replenishment, I think I’ll stick to $10 games and less until I build the BR up, but even $10 action with a 1 to 10 spread is high for a $6,500 BR (and because of this trip, I can readily see why it’s high!).

Yes, they had beaucoup $15 tables at the Borgata (way in the back, if you enter from the shopping area), two $10 tables, and one crowded $5 table.

 

[EasyRhino]

While I don't have the math in front of me, for a titanically long weekend like that, with $6.5k, I'd only view a $250 bet as justified if you could replace the entire bankroll as replenishable before your next trip.

 

[aslan]

Were you playing full shoes or wonging in and out?

When I stopped by Taj last week, it was all no midshoe entry. Has that changed? (I'll be heading to AC this afternoon)

I was playing full shoes, mainly because at the Taj it's difficult to get a seat to begin with, and also, when playing 8-deck, it's going to be a long grind to get the money a lot of the time anyway. There was a "no mid-shoe entry" sign on the $25 table, but I didn't see one on any of the $15 tables, and in fact, people were jumping in all the time in the early morning hours when there were plenty of seats.

What I didn't like was that it was hard to play two hands when the joint was crowded unless you played them all the time, and of course I didn't want to play two hands during negative counts. I did get away with playing two hands intermittantly, or when there were table sweaters hoping to jump in, but I probably gave away some of my advantage doing this. Also, I was able to play three hands some, and won 3 $50 hands (3 X $50), but another dealer later on would not let me, saying it violated the house rules.

 

[aslan]

While I don't have the math in front of me, for a titanically long weekend like that, with $6.5k, I'd only view a $250 bet as justified if you could replace the entire bankroll as replenishable before your next trip.

True. And I could replenish it right away, but I don't want to. I'd say I didn't stick to my game plan, which was to play no higher than $100 max bet, and took the heat in an attempt to get my money back. Mind you, I only played one hour in the $25 min game where I bet the $250 (10X) in a high plus count. But it could have mushroomed into a big loser like my earlier experience that night. On the other hand, I figured that with so little advantage playing 8-deck, and on top of that, playing KO, I was not about to give up any more advantage by playing less than a 1 to 10 spread.

 

[Mimosine]

I figured that with so little advantage playing 8-deck, and on top of that, playing KO, I was not about to give up any more advantage by playing less than a 1 to 10 spread.

you don't have a meaningful advantage when your ROR exceeds a certain number, which your betting clearly did. :/

 

[aslan]

I may be stupid...

you don't have a meaningful advantage when your ROR exceeds a certain number, which your betting clearly did. :/

You mean when playing $250, which requires a minimum of $25K BR to achieve a reasonable ROR. I must agree it was an unwarranted risk, although my BR was not in risk of ruin, since I had planned not to exceed the $500 I entered the table with. I may be stupid, but I'm not dumb!

 

[Automatic Monkey]

you don't have a meaningful advantage when your ROR exceeds a certain number, which your betting clearly did. :/

Now I know what you're saying, but the way Aslan was betting is nowhere near extreme enough to erase advantage. As long as you have enough money to play out a shoe in good counts, you are always more likely to double your money than lose it when you play with an advantage. The player will sometimes do either, but as long as a bankroll is replenishable you never truly face ruin.