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pit15

Well-Known Member
Lonesome Gambler said:
Fair enough, but in this case, the MP is higher than Thunder's max bet at BJ.


So?

What edge does he have with a max bet at BJ? Maybe 5% under very very very rare circumstances?

If he can't deal with betting 50% more then that amount with nearly TEN TIMES that advantage, he should quit playing.
 

SWFL Blackjack

Well-Known Member
$25 MP on BJ or Baccarat

I just received 6-$25 MP certificates to use in the next 6 weeks. My only options are BJ and Baccarat. Any suggestions on the optimal way to use these?

Hedge betting is not ideal in my situation since I will not have a partner with me while using these certificates.
 

Mr. T

Well-Known Member
SWFL Blackjack said:
I just received 6-$25 MP certificates to use in the next 6 weeks. My only options are BJ and Baccarat. Any suggestions on the optimal way to use these?

Hedge betting is not ideal in my situation since I will not have a partner with me while using these certificates.
You see when I see this posting I know I was talking about apples and you all were talking about oranges.

Where I play we get like a year-end bonus from the casino in the form of a match play coupon. This will be either be a $500 or $1000 coupon which is about 50 times of your average bet. Nothing like the multi mini coupons you all are talking about.

In your senario I would just play your coupons like your average bet in the game you are most comfortable with. For us here the question becomes how do you make a play with a coupon worth 50 times your average play. In our senario almost everybody would cash out their coupon mostly on Baccarat and played in the manner that I mentioned earlier. The different types of coupon that I highlighted is just to give my take on the valuation of these coupons.

Furthermore I am not your average gambler. Imagine who would go to Macau and visit some 10 casinos and did not make a single bet. Or visit the Singapore casino 7 times pay the $100 levy each time and not make a single bet. It is because the casino will give me a 2N3D cruise when I produce my $100 levy receipt.

In short I am not a Gambler at all.
 
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Lonesome Gambler

Well-Known Member
SWFL Blackjack said:
I just received 6-$25 MP certificates to use in the next 6 weeks. My only options are BJ and Baccarat. Any suggestions on the optimal way to use these?

Hedge betting is not ideal in my situation since I will not have a partner with me while using these certificates.
You probably can guess how I feel about hedge betting in these instances. That said, since your local joint doesn't offer craps, you can play it on 3-card poker. Check the "Matchplay Mania" section in Beyond Coupons, available in the Book and here.

Man, that link's getting a lot of play these days, eh?
 

Lonesome Gambler

Well-Known Member
pit15 said:
So?

What edge does he have with a max bet at BJ? Maybe 5% under very very very rare circumstances?

If he can't deal with betting 50% more then that amount with nearly TEN TIMES that advantage, he should quit playing.
I was referring to blackjackavenger's post, where he argued that playing this MP on craps could be more of an opportunity cost than anything due to a potentially higher overall EV at blackjack. My point is that, since the MP is for 50% more than Thunder's max bet, any time spent cashing the MP (even if it took something outrageous like 15 minutes), his expectation is still considerably higher by maximizing the MP on the pass line instead of playing it at his usual BJ game with a high TC.
 

SWFL Blackjack

Well-Known Member
Lonesome Gambler said:
You probably can guess how I feel about hedge betting in these instances. That said, since your local joint doesn't offer craps, you can play it on 3-card poker. Check the "Matchplay Mania" section in Beyond Coupons, available in the Book and here.

Man, that link's getting a lot of play these days, eh?
Unfortunately, the coupons specifically say BJ and Baccarat only.
 

pit15

Well-Known Member
Lonesome Gambler said:
I was referring to blackjackavenger's post, where he argued that playing this MP on craps could be more of an opportunity cost than anything due to a potentially higher overall EV at blackjack. My point is that, since the MP is for 50% more than Thunder's max bet, any time spent cashing the MP (even if it took something outrageous like 15 minutes), his expectation is still considerably higher by maximizing the MP on the pass line instead of playing it at his usual BJ game with a high TC.
I'm going to say that the opportunity cost argument is null and void for almost everybody regardless of the value of the MP.

How much time do you waste in the casino doing things other then AP?

I highly doubt that people go into a casino, go straight to a table, play, then go straight out every single time.
 

flyingwind

Well-Known Member
Lonesome Gambler said:
Besides, how long does it take to redeem a MP on craps? I think the most time I've ever spend cashing a MP on the pass line has been 2 minutes.
Can you please explain exactly how to use the MP on craps? I read that beyond coupons article and I'm still having a hard time figuring this out.

Let's assume a $10 match play coupon, that's single use only, and on a lose would be taken away.

Are you talking about playing the MP on the pass line? Or first put $10 in chips on the pass line bet, then once you're on a number, put the MP on the odds bet (are you allowed to do that?)?
 
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tensplitter

Well-Known Member
Some rolls can last quite a while before resulting in a point or seven out.

My preferred method to redeeming match play in craps is betting it on the dont pass bar, then placing the minimum on the 6 and 8 (or the 5 if the point is 6 or 8). That way if the shooter's making a lot of place numbers I can ride that streak at no risk to me.
 

Lonesome Gambler

Well-Known Member
flyingwind said:
Can you please explain exactly how to use the MP on craps? I read that beyond coupons article and I'm still having a hard time figuring this out.

Let's assume a $10 match play coupon, that's single use only, and on a lose would be taken away.

Are you talking about playing the MP on the pass line? Or first put $10 in chips on the pass line bet, then once you're on a number, put the MP on the odds bet (are you allowed to do that?)?
Yes, you wager $10 on the pass line. Don't worry about odds bets, which are not covered by the MP. The coupon is literally a "match" play, so you must match your original wager (ie. put the coupon on the pass line with your chips when you place your bet before the come-out roll).

Scenario A) Wager $10 + the $10 MP on the pass. Shooter gets a natural or rolls a point and hits it. You win $20.

Scenario B) Wager $10 + the $10 MP on the pass. Shooter craps or sevens out on a point roll. You lose $10.

Don't pay attention to tensplitter's post (no disrespect intended) on playing MPs on craps, however—your expectation is very slightly lower playing it on the don't (and less fun, if you ask me), and placing the numbers to "ride a streak" is not advisable.
 

pit15

Well-Known Member
tensplitter said:
Some rolls can last quite a while before resulting in a point or seven out.

My preferred method to redeeming match play in craps is betting it on the dont pass bar, then placing the minimum on the 6 and 8 (or the 5 if the point is 6 or 8). That way if the shooter's making a lot of place numbers I can ride that streak at no risk to me.
You make place bets why? How is it +ev?
 

flyingwind

Well-Known Member
Lonesome Gambler said:
Yes, you wager $10 on the pass line. Don't worry about odds bets, which are not covered by the MP. The coupon is literally a "match" play, so you must match your original wager (ie. put the coupon on the pass line with your chips when you place your bet before the come-out roll).

Scenario A) Wager $10 + the $10 MP on the pass. Shooter gets a natural or rolls a point and hits it. You win $20.

Scenario B) Wager $10 + the $10 MP on the pass. Shooter craps or sevens out on a point roll. You lose $10.

Don't pay attention to tensplitter's post (no disrespect intended) on playing MPs on craps, however—your expectation is very slightly lower playing it on the don't (and less fun, if you ask me), and placing the numbers to "ride a streak" is not advisable.
Thanks for explaining this.

What if it's not a MP coupon? What if it's a free-play even-money $10 coupon that does not require a match? Would you play it the same way on craps? Or would you play it on another game?
 

Lonesome Gambler

Well-Known Member
It really depends on the rules of the coupon. Do you lose it on a win, lose, or push? Do you keep it on a push but lose it on any win or loss? Do you only lose it when you lose the bet?

For the first two scenarios, three card poker gives you the best expectation, and for the third scenario, a good blackjack game followed by betting the don't on craps are your best options.

See the section "Funny-chip Follies" in Beyond Coupons.

Edit: I just noticed that it's a $10 coupon, in which case betting the don't will be less optimal. If there's a decent blackjack game, that's your best bet. In this case, we're just looking to minimize the house edge that we're wagering the $10 coupon against.
 
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