Hard 8 :: ::: KC Trip Report

[Hard 8 :: ::]

Spent a couple of days in KC recently, so scouted the main venues at three different times of day: early morning, middle of the night, and mid-afternoon. I'm a low roller, so stuck with the $10 2D games. Spread 1-8 in all venues. Checked my watch closely to play 1.0 hours on the dot at each, so as to get a balanced comparison.

All games are very similar, dealt from shoe, H17, DAS, but only 1 card on split AA, No mid-shoe entry. Buy-in limit of $500 every two hours.

Day 1, Morning

AMR: 2-4 players at table, Pen: 0.9 decks remaining below cut card, very fast dealer. 1.0 Hr, +$15 Hit two blackjacks with max bet out, very fun. All the other players were very congratulatory (as was the dealer), which felt alien compared to some of my usual haunts.

HAR: 3 players, Pen: 0.5; Since I was here last, they have apparently changed their shuffle procedures, as all dealers strip shuffled, then riffled, then put cards into auto shuffler; Very friendly dealers; 1.0 Hr, +$5

AR: 3-4 players jumping in & out; Pen 1.0; Three different dealers over the course of the hour, & they all had a ten-card showing every dam time :-) amidst beaucoup high counts; Dealers at this place are cool and aloof, as though they're all thinking mostly about their next break. The bathrooms, which I visited on one low count, are my favorite bathrooms in the world. Cool decor, and extremely clean. 1.0 Hr, -$545.

Got comped for their really excellent buffet. The mussels are extraordinary, (I got grabby & ate eight of 'em), the asparagus is outstanding, and the desserts excellent. The prime rib, seared on the grill for just about a minute was fantastic. You can tell you're on the Kansas border when you get meat this good.

Went back to hotel to relax, bed by 5:30 pm so as to be up at 1:30 am for:

Day 2, Graveyard

Had a couple of vanilla Bun Bars & a cup of hotel coffee for nourishment, left my hotel at 2:00 am, on deserted streets.

AMR: 1-3 players, Pen 0.9, 1.0 Hr +$60

HAR: 1-2 players (heads up for most of the hour), Pen 0.5, same elaborate shuffle; 1.0 Hr, +$180

AR: 2-4 players, Pen 1.0; 1.0 Hr, +$265; Chinese guy with a distinctive playing style (namely, slamming the table when he would bust) jumped in for one or two hands & then out three times in the one hour, much to the chargrin of the other players. By this time of day, some energetic senior citizen types had already started to show up. Went across the river to the Woodsweather Caf? for breakfast (amongst truck-drivers & bikers) of greasy eggs & sausage & toast. Hung around the Steamboat Arabia parking lot until they opened. Fantastic museum.

Day 2, mid-late afternoon

AMR: 4-5 players at table, Pen: 0.9; 1.0 Hr; Slow game, with players drifting in & out, slow dealers. +$230

HAR: 5 players the whole hour, until almost suppertime, when everybody bailed out at once left me heads-up for the last five minutes, Pen: 0.5; 1.0 Hr, +$35 Spotted another counter, which is extremely rare in this part of the world, where virtually no one has even a fair understanding of BS. Counter was pretty good at counting, but made quite a few playing errors. We smiled at each other but exchanged no words.

AR: 2-5 players; Pen 0.9 1.0 Hr, +$15

Closed out the trip with a visit, out of curiosity (they get a bad rating in cbjn), to the:

IS of CRAPI; The 2D games were both $15 min, with pen about 1.0, so didn't play, but instead played 6D, H17, DAS but 1 card only on split AA, Pen 1.4, $5 min. Extremely fast, but unsmiling, dealer (my favorite kind), 3 players for the whole 1.0 hour, Spread 1-20, +$145. I'd normally play for three hours at 6D at a joint like this, but departed because the conditions were indeed very poor.

Ended up +$370, which partially made up for my last visit to KC, where I dropped over $500. On balance, a pretty fun trip. Crowded tables overall, and most dealers are pretty slow. Very friendly dealers & pit crew.

The overall mediocre games of this town got me thinking of another trip to Vegas. Soon.

:: ::

[Foster Reed]

> HAR: 3 players, Pen: 0.5; Since I was here last, they
> have apparently changed their shuffle procedures, as
> all dealers strip shuffled, then riffled, then put
> cards into auto shuffler; Very friendly dealers; 1.0
> Hr, +$5

Interesting that you appeared to have the best conditions here. I thought this chain was turning into just a slot house. Just up the road at Council Bluffs/Omaha the DD game at HAR was around (and even slightly less than) a lousy 50%, and on top of that it is 6:5! Truly pathetic!

At any rate, congratulations on your solid win.

Foster