Kaiser
Well-Known Member
(yes, the thread title is a quote stolen from the movie "8mm" 
)
Last night I was wide awake and bored after the rest of my family had gone to bed early. If I stay up at home I end up pounding a bag of nachos or something, so I decided to go hit the casino. I planned on just having a "casual" session there playing basic strategy and chatting with other players at the table. I've been playing this place quite a bit, and thought maybe a couple hours of flat betting would lay a small bit of cover for me at the same time.
I think I managed to play the first few hands without counting, because I was trying to check something out on the TV behind the tables. But man, once I looked down and started playing I could NOT just play basic strategy and relax. I couldn't understand it. I tried to keep my mind blank and not count cards, but I'd inevitably see the player's cards to my right , then mine, and the count would force itself into my brain. It was the weirdest thing.
It's not like I have hundreds of hours of experience and have this super human brain or anything (far from it), but it just seemed funny to me that I spent so much time wondering if I'd *ever* learn to count comfortably at "casino speed", and here I am counting when I don't even want to.
I then decided that I'd keep the count, but alter my playing decisions only, because I didn't bring a big roll with me and didn't want to tap out after losing a few big bets. But I'm sitting there as the count climbs and climbs and can't help myself. I start firing out the big bets. I win a few, lose a few. No one is even giving my spread a second thought, because I have guys on either side of me with multiple beer can high stacks of green and black. I never really get anywhere though. At my highest I'm up 25 units, at my lowest I'm down 10 units. I never won or lost more than 2 hands in a row. I end up breaking dead even for the night.
So yeah, it's pretty much impossible to just sit and casually play now. I guess I'm a card counter.
)Last night I was wide awake and bored after the rest of my family had gone to bed early. If I stay up at home I end up pounding a bag of nachos or something, so I decided to go hit the casino. I planned on just having a "casual" session there playing basic strategy and chatting with other players at the table. I've been playing this place quite a bit, and thought maybe a couple hours of flat betting would lay a small bit of cover for me at the same time.
I think I managed to play the first few hands without counting, because I was trying to check something out on the TV behind the tables. But man, once I looked down and started playing I could NOT just play basic strategy and relax. I couldn't understand it. I tried to keep my mind blank and not count cards, but I'd inevitably see the player's cards to my right , then mine, and the count would force itself into my brain. It was the weirdest thing.
It's not like I have hundreds of hours of experience and have this super human brain or anything (far from it), but it just seemed funny to me that I spent so much time wondering if I'd *ever* learn to count comfortably at "casino speed", and here I am counting when I don't even want to.
I then decided that I'd keep the count, but alter my playing decisions only, because I didn't bring a big roll with me and didn't want to tap out after losing a few big bets. But I'm sitting there as the count climbs and climbs and can't help myself. I start firing out the big bets. I win a few, lose a few. No one is even giving my spread a second thought, because I have guys on either side of me with multiple beer can high stacks of green and black. I never really get anywhere though. At my highest I'm up 25 units, at my lowest I'm down 10 units. I never won or lost more than 2 hands in a row. I end up breaking dead even for the night.
So yeah, it's pretty much impossible to just sit and casually play now. I guess I'm a card counter.
