I have let a few days pass before posting about this event for obvious reasons. I actually have debated whether I should post about it at all, as I know doing so has absolutely no positive value for me and could have negative consequences, however to be honest, I am just bursting to share this event. I have shared it with a few non blackjack playing friends and while I know they are extremely happy for me, they fail to really appreciate the enormity of the event. So I post, minus names, places and time details.
It was the second shoe of the day for me. A 6-deck game with really decent penetration. The first shoe, also at this table was uneventful as the count hovered around zero. Didn't go low enough to exit, didn't go high enough to raise my bet. Myself and one other player both playing a single spot were joined in the second round by another player wagering 2 hands. The small cards began to come out. The count grew. I began to increase my wagers up my betting ramp. Lost some hands, won some hands. With all the small cards appearing, I was actually holding my own. The count reaches my max wager point. About this time the player wagering 2 hands, and losing most, exits. Thanks!
Small cards are still coming out. But, I am placing my max bet and winning. One hand I drew a 5 card 20. A couple other hands, my 4 card hand beat the dealers 4 card hand. The gent I had played the previous shoe with has had enough and exits, leaving only myself. The true count hits double digits. I decide to increase my max bet by 50%, which I know sounds kind of oxymoron-ish. My max bet is actually determined by a betting level that I wish to stay under, to avoid heat, rather than by bankroll limitations, as my bankroll can actually support a bigger max bet, so this is actually a move I have built into my plan for certain extreme situation and this most definitely qualifies. Probably most of you would have increased even more, but I stick to my game plan. Anyway, by the end of the shoe I have played at least 30, maybe 35 hands at max bets, with 20-25 of them being this 'super max bet'. I pushed two hands of 20, one which seemed like a win, (more on that in a minute) and had one split that ended up as a push with one win, one loss. Won every other hands, including a number of doubledowns. Ironically, No blackjacks. By the time the dust had settled I had won 870 units or the equivalent of 54 of my original max bets.
This is an astonishing amount to me. More than 1/4 of my total income for each of the last 2 years. (not combined) More than I made total in my first 2 years of play of fulltime play. I don't see how I will ever come close to this feat again. I may someday play at a higher level with much greater max bets, than I do now, which could allow me to make more than this on a single very good shoe, but I don't believe I will ever play 30 some hands at max bet and not lose a single hand.
Now, how can a push with max bet seem like a win? Let me tell you. I had a 10 vs dealer 10 and with a double digit TC the play was to double. By this time a gentleman from the pit had taken a mild interest in the game and I decided not to push the envelope by doubling as called for. I hit, drew a 2, hit a second time and drew an 8 to push the dealers 20. Had I doubled, I have a 12 and lose my double. The push seemed like a win to me.
One final though: Some of you may remember earlier this year, I spoke of another 'monster shoe' in which I won about half of the amount won here. At that time, that was my largest win in a session, and I was unable to compose myself and get my emotions together enough to continue play that day. I vowed to do better in the future. Well, I didn't. :sad: My adrenaline was pumping and my heart pounding, and again, I thought it best just to call it a day. Maybe if the blackjack gods, work with me and give me a few more of these opportunities, I will finally get the hang of it.
The other kind of embarrassing thing is that despite everything I have learned and know to be true, I still had some ploppy thoughts creep into my mind about how I am probably due to give some back now. Shows I still have a lot to work on.
