Whats the average time you go to spend playing blackjack

[colin563]

Howdy folks

Just out of interest, Whats the average time you go to spend playing blackjack? for me its generally in the 5-8 hours range, all so whats the longest any one here has spent playing blackjack at a table? for me its been about 10 hours other than going to the toilet, I pretty well stayed at the table ( had a couple of meals at the table as well ) take care and be lucky

Cheers

Colin

 

[Canceler]

When I go to the casino I usually expect to spend about 3 hours there. However, if I don't lose all the money I brought along, and if I have no pressing reason to leave, and I still seem to be playing correctly, it could stretch out to be much longer. Was once stunned to discover that I had spent 6 straight hours (8:00PM - 2:00AM) sitting in the same chair at the same table without moving.

 

[Mikeaber]

Went to AmeriStar yesterday and played for 14 hours...7am until around 9pm. I think my BR was $45 less when I left than when I walked in. I wasn't at just one table though. I think overall, I played at 5 tables during the ordeal.

But that isn't my longest stint. I think that must have been out at Plaza in Vegas. I was on a pretty good run with $600 in winnings and around 26 hours broken only be time out for meals and sandbox runs.

 

[colin563]

You must have been counting blackjacks in your sleep after that session!

 

[Mikeaber]

Probably Collin <LOL>. But I don't know if counting in my sleep was the result of that "stint" or if it was just something I pretty much do all the time anyway!

I most likely wouldn't play that long at one place except for one thing. There is nothing close to where I live so when we go to a casino, it takes planning. It's not a matter of deciding that "Hmmm, it's Friday night, lets go play a couple of hours of Blackjack!" No, it's more like when can I get a Friday off work so that we can make hotel reservations and drive 200 or so miles to get to the Casino and spend the night?" Or if it's Vegas, we have to really make plans. Where to leave the dog and who's going to take care of the cat and fish and swimming pool. Can we get a flight that matches up with hotel reservations."

So, when I get to a casino, I try to make the most of it. Doesn't make any sense at all to go to all that trouble and only play for a couple of hours.

 

[cyclinggimpe]

I haven't been playing blackjack very long; but, the most I've spent at the casino is 4 hours. I shouldn't have stayed that long; I lost all that I came in with. The few times that I left with more, I played 2 to 2.5 hours. I went yesterday with $60 and kept yo-yoing up and down and finally I was up to $100. I was there about 2 hours when I was ahead. But, I was having so much fun that I kept playing. I stayed there for 4 hours and lost everything plus another $20. So, I'm starting to think that I should only play for 2 hours and then leave if I'm ahead.

I can do shorts stints since the casino is a few blocks away from my home.

 

[SweetAxtion]

Preferably less than 1/4 of a shoe

I like to leave as soon as I'm up. If I'm up 2-3 hands over the house and I've just started playing I leave and go home.

 

[Mikeaber]

I haven't been playing blackjack very long; but, the most I've spent at the casino is 4 hours. I shouldn't have stayed that long; I lost all that I came in with. The few times that I left with more, I played 2 to 2.5 hours. I went yesterday with $60 and kept yo-yoing up and down and finally I was up to $100. I was there about 2 hours when I was ahead. But, I was having so much fun that I kept playing. I stayed there for 4 hours and lost everything plus another $20. So, I'm starting to think that I should only play for 2 hours and then leave if I'm ahead.

I can do shorts stints since the casino is a few blocks away from my home.

LOL......I started this morning at 8am after a 3.5 hour drive to the casino. Played nickels with a $100 buyin. Dead even after 2 hours downstairs at AmeriStar in KC. Colored up and went upstairs to the $3 tables looking for a table of women (they have more fun!) Played for 10 hours at the same table...third base. Had a blast and colored for $160. I never got down more than $50 and never got ahead more than $90. I spend quite a bit of time recovering from one sour 7-hand loss but ground away and made it up. I think my largest bet of the day was $20. Played two spots for a while and that wasn't working so went back to my nickel bets on one spot. Just had some fun.

 

[BJteam_player?]

longest time?

I have spent 24 hours at BJ table, picked $12,500 for my troubles.
- Went in with $2000 - $1000 cash + $1000 in chips
- Played a $10 table and lost $1750
- Changed to a $25 table with $250
- Started betting $25 ahand, did quite well
- Pushed Bet upto $50, if !st one lost, I moved back down $25 for a couple of hands
- From $50 to $100 and same as b4
- From $100 to $200, and same as b4
- From $200 to $500, and same as b4
- From $500 to $1000, and same as b4
All this on one box, then I started playing 3 boxes at A Grand a box
I had $5000 of chips on me and asked for a couple of $1000 chip, the PB was very rude and said " NAH, your not getting any" and the Dealer was running low.
When I had $10,000 in chips, the New PB said "Let's see what we can do for You" they still never gave them to me, so I cashed $5000 at time.
I walked away, got a Handshake from the PB and The Dealer, I drunk, tired and very hungry.
After Breakfast I dropped a $1000 at another Table, My Mate at 1st another player and Me at 3rd. the other player was making very fundamental mistakes, we both (and including the Dealer) were making very snide remarks, he then had the audacity to ask us for "advice" and we responded, "hey it your money, your cards, you decide"

It was avery long day, and I couldn't sleep because of the "rush"

Happy BJing

 

[colin563]

Boy! oh Boy! thats what I call a session!

 

[BJteam_player?]

Boy! oh Boy! thats what I call a session!

And I haven'y had a session like that for a very long time, trying to build a BR, something in the order of $2500.

At a $5 table, people are working out what to do
At a $10 table people should know what to do
At a $25 table I will be surprise if they don't know how to play
At $50 and above table they better know what they are doing

But at sometime or other we all make one or two fundamental mistakes

Happy BJing

 

[SweetAxtion]

Playing too long

At a $5 table, people are working out what to do
At a $10 table people should know what to do
At a $25 table I will be surprise if they don't know how to play
At $50 and above table they better know what they are doing

But at sometime or other we all make one or two fundamental mistakes

Happy BJing

I usually sit at the $50.00 dollar min table. Sadly I see so much money thrown away at this level that I just want to shake these people. The odd time someone will play BS with a few errors and hunches along the way. This is a rarity though. Most of the time people lose money and they play very poorly.

For me I think it comes down to discipline and the old saying "winners know when to stop". The only people in my opinion that in the long run who will make money and benefit from playing long sessions are those who can count cards effectively and utilize BS. For everyone else I believe that once you've hit your win-goal for the day you should leave. So many times have I seen people be up for the day only to lose what they've won and their starting buy-in because they've thought that they can "ride the casino money" and stay just one more shoe.

 

[BJteam_player?]

Knowing when to stop

Your are very right in that, some people might have a set goal, like lose what I bring to the table, double my money or depending on the development of the game is a tough one - leave.

When I picked up 14 grand, I later thought that if I kept on going I would have made 25 maybe 50 grand, or blown the lot. So I think myself lucky that I pullled out when I did- the winnings got me into the very 1st BJ Tournament at Crown Casino (Melb), didn't make passed the 1st round, I got it back at recreation BJ afterwards And I am "richer" for that experience.

Happy BJing

 

[SweetAxtion]

There's been a time that I've been down to my last $500.00 dollars and been down $21,500. I've made it back to "even" and walked away because I realise that even though I'm sitting there with a stack of 40+ in purple chips, I'm already fortunate to have "won" 20k in a sitting.

But I do hear you on thinking you could make even more...the thought crosses my mind often. Then reality hits me when I'm reminded of the numerous times that I pulled chips out of my pocket to cover a "double down"...and then ended up losing all the money I won that day plus what I took with me in the first place.

 

[lagavulin62]

sweet, this is all starting to sound like playing the stock market.

 

[SweetAxtion]

It's how I approach it in a sense. I've got people I'm supposed to be making money for. As long as I'm making them more money than what they would make sitting in a bank or playing the market I have access to their funds. So in a sense I approach it the same way and do my best to cover and protect their investment.

 

[rookie789]

Better than the bank

Sweet,

I don't know how long you have been making a profit for your investors, but it sounds like a fairy tail to me unless you found a secret way to beat the casino's day in and day out, casinos have used the best mathamatical minds and computer's available to be certain they have the mathamatical advantage in all games including blackjack. I agree you can get a small advantge counting cards but never enough with a 1 man operation to cover multiple investors, you would need large bets with a large spread and that would get you back roomed in a New York minute.

 

[SweetAxtion]

Sweet,

I don't know how long you have been making a profit for your investors, but it sounds like a fairy tail to me unless you found a secret way to beat the casino's day in and day out, casinos have used the best mathamatical minds and computer's available to be certain they have the mathamatical advantage in all games including blackjack. I agree you can get a small advantge counting cards but never enough with a 1 man operation to cover multiple investors, you would need large bets with a large spread and that would get you back roomed in a New York minute.

Not quite a year just yet. As well, I only make them more than what the bank would pay them. For example for their 10k, I only give them 10% return.

As for a "secret"...There is no secret other than the fact that I go home when I'm up and I don't try and stay longer than I have to. Hence my posting to this thread in regards to my willingness to go home if my first bet or two is enough for me to make my "quota" for the day.

Let me put it this way...I got this idea from three old men who play bacarrat every day 5 days a week. They show up when the casino opens and will stay 15mins or 12 hours if they have to. According to the dealers that I know, these fellas *always* make their $200.00 a day.

To me it doesn't make sense because of the house edge etc...Logically it doesn't make sense. Mathematically it doesn't make sense. Until I used the knowledge and discipline to try this out. I call it the hundred dollar bankroll to make and walk out being up five bucks. Now can one lose 20 hands in a row? Yes they can. I've when only 2 hands out of an entire 6 deck shoe once.

I don't necessarily think I'm doing anything special other than the fact that I have a family and have a 40hr/wk job so I don't have the time to spend more than an hour at a time at the casino. So I hit and run and so far this has made me more money than at any time I have tried to just "grind out" the casino counting cards.

So the secret is no secret at all. I laugh when I see the posters that are plastered in the washrooms "Winners know when to stop". I just happen to stop all the time.

I once posted this information on another board and got the feeling that the "professional card counters" thought this was ludicrous and that at any point I would experience the negative swing and go on a major losing streak. They told me that someone can win 90% of their BJ sessions and still be down money. Well...I think that is a fairy tale.

Unless someone can explain it to me if the computer calculations regarding house edge vs player edge takes into account every situation in which the player leaves as soon as they're up money...I will assume that what I've been doing is correct (in regards to using card counting, BS, and hit and run tactics).

In the end I guess it just comes down to, it works for me

 

[SweetAxtion]

you would need large bets with a large spread and that would get you back roomed in a New York minute.

One last thing...I regularly tip in the form of a $50-100 bet for the dealer before I go home. Card counters don't do that sort of thing. And you're right they may back room me one day, but for now I tip them more than most blackjack players combined for the day.

 

[KenSmith]

Edited to add: SweetAxtion, I posted this without re-reading much of this thread, and I now see that my original response may not have been responding to your thoughts as intended. However, leaving while you're ahead if you have an edge in the game simply means you are leaving profits on the table. If you think of your entire playing year as one long session, it may help explain the difference.

My original response was:

Unless someone can explain it to me if the computer calculations regarding house edge vs player edge takes into account every situation in which the player leaves as soon as they're up money...I will assume that what I've been doing is correct (in regards to using card counting, BS, and hit and run tactics).
In the end I guess it just comes down to, it works for me

"if the computer calculations... takes into account every situation..."
It sounds like you've probably heard explanations of this before, so I'll just answer yes, but you'll have to take my word for it.

What happens on those trips where you simply never get ahead? How big a hole do you dig when that happens? If you haven't had a trip yet where you've never been ahead, you haven't been playing for very long.