Strange afternoon in Atlantic City.

[shadroch]

I get here early this morning,intent on banging out a few hours on the slots as it is a rare triple cashback/triple bonus reward points day.I'm playing a quarter Triple Diamond machine,have about six pulls invested when I hit for $220.Go to a nickle Terminator machine and my first pull I hit for $108.Proceed to a 50 cent Wheel of fortune and turn $40 in to $160 out.A $1 WOF turns out the same. $50 in becomes $160 out.I'm there less than an hour,have accumalated less than 50 Reward Credits but am up almost $500.I leave and head over to the Trop for some $10 blackjack.
Its not very busy so I find a table where I can play first base.A couple of hands in,I draw 2 7s against the dealers 5.I call out my intention to split them when 3rdbase guy says thats not the right move and offers to buy my hand.He does,stays on 14,dealer busts and he's the local hero.
The count goes pretty positive,I decline to hit my 16 against a Ten. He buys my hand,busts,but so does the dealer so there are hi-5s all around. Except to me. I soon get a BJ,decline insurance against the dealers 10,and Mr 3rd Base insists on putting up the money for me.Dealer doesn't have it and suddenly the table conversation is about how I'm costing the guy money with my inaccurate playing.
After about an hour,I'm up about $50 bucks.I draw 8s against the dealer 6.
My new mentor approves of me splitting and I draw two stiffs.Everyone else stands but Professor Blackjack decides this is a good time to split his 10s.He draws a 8 and a nine. Dealer turns over a 10,followed by 4 and sweeps the table.
The dealer points out that if 3rdbase hadn't split his tens,dealer would have busted.Third base guy apologizes to everyone,tosses every body at the table a Green chip and walks away.Another player calls over the pitboss and complains that the dealer was rude and chased away the guy only because he was trying to help the table. I head out to enjoy the early spring air.

 

[21forme]

Strange, indeed.

I had an unusual day in AC on Saturday, myself. Played at a table with a group of pleasant people. Everybody minding their own business, other than some friendly conversation. Nobody telling anyone else how to play. Nobody doing what-ifs. No loudmouth drunks. It was refreshing.

 

[Preston]

I would have left the table if I had some idiot trying to coach me how to play.

I assume initially that everyone is a ploppy and shouldn't be advising me how to play. He may have been buying your hands but he was costing you EV (I'm assuming you would've been splitting in a + count)

One of my biggest peeves is some idiot coaching me on my hands when I make an odd play. Especially when I do an index play.. but I'im just following BS I might hit somebody. I have anger issues.

 

[shadroch]

Strange, indeed.

I had an unusual day in AC on Saturday, myself. Played at a table with a group of pleasant people. Everybody minding their own business, other than some friendly conversation. Nobody telling anyone else how to play. Nobody doing what-ifs. No loudmouth drunks. It was refreshing.

In AC,that is quite unusual.

 

[shadroch]

I would have left the table if I had some idiot trying to coach me how to play.

I assume initially that everyone is a ploppy and shouldn't be advising me how to play. He may have been buying your hands but he was costing you EV (I'm assuming you would've been splitting in a + count)

One of my biggest peeves is some idiot coaching me on my hands when I make an odd play. Especially when I do an index play.. but I'im just following BS I might hit somebody. I have anger issues.

Why would you leave the table?I had the seat I wanted and am not the least bit sensitive to idiots critiquing my play.As he had everybody convinced I was a newbie,it was the perfect camo.

 

[Preston]

When he bought your hand did he just buy your initial bet? If the dealer ended up busting and you "pushed" that means you didn't win.

77 vs a 6 is a money maker. It could have been a resplit/double hand that could've made you a lot of money. It's good camo to look like a novice, but you could have refused to sell hands after a while. (but him buying the 16 was a good move)

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I get here early this morning,intent on banging out a few hours on the slots as it is a rare triple cashback/triple bonus reward points day.I'm playing a quarter Triple Diamond machine,have about six pulls invested when I hit for $220.Go to a nickle Terminator machine and my first pull I hit for $108.Proceed to a 50 cent Wheel of fortune and turn $40 in to $160 out.A $1 WOF turns out the same. $50 in becomes $160 out.I'm there less than an hour,have accumalated less than 50 Reward Credits but am up almost $500.I leave and head over to the Trop for some $10 blackjack.
Its not very busy so I find a table where I can play first base.A couple of hands in,I draw 2 7s against the dealers 5.I call out my intention to split them when 3rdbase guy says thats not the right move and offers to buy my hand.He does,stays on 14,dealer busts and he's the local hero.
The count goes pretty positive,I decline to hit my 16 against a Ten. He buys my hand,busts,but so does the dealer so there are hi-5s all around. Except to me. I soon get a BJ,decline insurance against the dealers 10,and Mr 3rd Base insists on putting up the money for me.Dealer doesn't have it and suddenly the table conversation is about how I'm costing the guy money with my inaccurate playing.
After about an hour,I'm up about $50 bucks.I draw 8s against the dealer 6.
My new mentor approves of me splitting and I draw two stiffs.Everyone else stands but Professor Blackjack decides this is a good time to split his 10s.He draws a 8 and a nine. Dealer turns over a 10,followed by 4 and sweeps the table.
The dealer points out that if 3rdbase hadn't split his tens,dealer would have busted.Third base guy apologizes to everyone,tosses every body at the table a Green chip and walks away.Another player calls over the pitboss and complains that the dealer was rude and chased away the guy only because he was trying to help the table. I head out to enjoy the early spring air.

Glad you had a good time and made money!

Oh and by the way, you reversed the count once, on the third shoe.

Thanks for letting me buy your hands though!

 

[shadroch]

When he bought your hand did he just buy your initial bet? If the dealer ended up busting and you "pushed" that means you didn't win.

77 vs a 6 is a money maker. It could have been a resplit/double hand that could've made you a lot of money. It's good camo to look like a novice, but you could have refused to sell hands after a while. (but him buying the 16 was a good move)

But refusing his offer might have dented the tables harmonics,which everyone knows are almost as important to the flow.Also,allowing him to buy the one hand made it easier to sell him the other hands.You give a little now to take a lot later.

 

[shadroch]

Glad you had a good time and made money!

Oh and by the way, you reversed the count once, on the third shoe.

Thanks for letting me buy your hands though!

Touche!!!!!

 

[EasyRhino]

I'm confused about this hand-buying too. What was the exact transaction?

Also, how much was the dude betting?

... and also, can triple point / triple cashback actually make even slots +EV?

 

[shadroch]

He bought both hands for my $10 original bet.Even though the count was positive for the second one I'd yet to ramp my bets up.
He was betting $25-50 on most hands. If he won a hand,he let half the winnings ride next bet.He'd bet $50 after a dealer BJ because the odds shift to the player the hand after the dealer gets a BJ.He had most of the table emulating his leads.

Can 3X cashback/3X reward credits make the game a +EV? I'm not sure you can quantify that.It obviously makes it a much better game than when its only regular cashback,yes? Suppose I drop $300 but get my next trip to Vegas completely comped? Or me and my fellow slot player both drop $500 but he asks for and gets comped in the buffet while I know better and dine at the Mansion.

 

[Mimosine]

I'm confused about this hand-buying too. What was the exact transaction?

Renzey's "Blackjack Bluebook II" has a pretty good description of when to buy and sell hands, and how to do it.

some hints or scattered tidbits are here:
http://renzey.casinocitytimes.com/Archives/

here is one:
http://renzey.casinocitytimes.com/article/hand-interaction-the-neglected-side-of-blackjack-strategy-6043

this one is better:
http://renzey.casinocitytimes.com/article/gain-an-edge-at-blackjack-using-hand-interaction-1080

but his book is the most complete version... explains how to "buy" a player's blackjack when the dealer has an "A" up.

 

[KenSmith]

By the way, Renzey's book is now in stock here, and I'll hopefully have it listed in the store by tomorrow.
UPDATE: Done. You can find Blackjack Bluebook II here for $16.50.