Tarzan
Banned
I am engrossed in a great book that the illustrious Flash loaned me, entitled, "Blackjack Autumn" by Barry Meadow. It's written in a chronological diary style and depicts the exploits of the author's trials and tribulations in hitting every single casino in the state of Nevada.
What's fascinating about this book is that it was around 2000, so at the peak of casino proliferation and construction in Vegas. This was a time when I was witnessing this huge expansion personally and making some juicy hauls out of Vegas so I can relate to much of what he talks about. Where the author talks of the Venetian, Mandalay Bay and Paris coming onto the scene with more hotel rooms and "someday there may be too many hotel rooms chasing too few tourists but that hasn't happened yet". The irony of the 2008 recession hitting and the last several years brought that about before these newer casinos could haul enough in to reap sufficient reward on their investment. His musings came true!
The day to day drama and struggles along with a very realistic view of the attitudes of casino personnel is well put and straight to the point of the matter. He points out something else that I have often noticed more so in Atlantic City more than Vegas. I thought I was the only one that noticed! Anyway, when seeing advertising for the casinos, the billboards, the fliers and brochures you always see "Mr. and Mrs. Model" types in their late 20's looking fashionable and glamorous next to the craps table when in reality the average age in the casino is 48-50 years old and looking over a row of slot machines is to see a group of elderly persons with cords running from their bodies to the player's cards tucked into the machines as if they were all on some sort of IV!! The casinos want to appear "hip and cutting edge" but the vast majority of their patrons are actually retirees, older people, etc. and lacking much in the way of glamour to say the least.
I love the depiction of sour-faced "mad at the world because here I am at middle age as a dealer in this sh*thole" blackjack dealers. I have played against quite a few of them! I just don't get it because I think a blackjack dealer is the greatest job going and would be fun! I have done much more hideous things for a living! The book gets away from the doldrums of counting methods and playing strategy and focuses on actual playing experiences, the mindset of the author and all those he encounters in his travels, so it is not your typical blackjack book and a great read.
What's fascinating about this book is that it was around 2000, so at the peak of casino proliferation and construction in Vegas. This was a time when I was witnessing this huge expansion personally and making some juicy hauls out of Vegas so I can relate to much of what he talks about. Where the author talks of the Venetian, Mandalay Bay and Paris coming onto the scene with more hotel rooms and "someday there may be too many hotel rooms chasing too few tourists but that hasn't happened yet". The irony of the 2008 recession hitting and the last several years brought that about before these newer casinos could haul enough in to reap sufficient reward on their investment. His musings came true!
The day to day drama and struggles along with a very realistic view of the attitudes of casino personnel is well put and straight to the point of the matter. He points out something else that I have often noticed more so in Atlantic City more than Vegas. I thought I was the only one that noticed! Anyway, when seeing advertising for the casinos, the billboards, the fliers and brochures you always see "Mr. and Mrs. Model" types in their late 20's looking fashionable and glamorous next to the craps table when in reality the average age in the casino is 48-50 years old and looking over a row of slot machines is to see a group of elderly persons with cords running from their bodies to the player's cards tucked into the machines as if they were all on some sort of IV!! The casinos want to appear "hip and cutting edge" but the vast majority of their patrons are actually retirees, older people, etc. and lacking much in the way of glamour to say the least.
I love the depiction of sour-faced "mad at the world because here I am at middle age as a dealer in this sh*thole" blackjack dealers. I have played against quite a few of them! I just don't get it because I think a blackjack dealer is the greatest job going and would be fun! I have done much more hideous things for a living! The book gets away from the doldrums of counting methods and playing strategy and focuses on actual playing experiences, the mindset of the author and all those he encounters in his travels, so it is not your typical blackjack book and a great read.
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Turned out to be a book review by Tarzan not of Tarzan as I had initially thought.