Victor Francis: My LV Trip

[Victor Francis]

So last week was my "big" LV counting adventure. I learned a lot and lost very little in the scheme of things. First, my results:

1/16/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 $70
55% Pen, kept good count, $5 tip

1/16/2005 6D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 $12.50
65% Pen

1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 $27
55% Pen

1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Fiesta Henderson $5 $38
55% Pen $3 Tip

1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Ellis Island $10 $75
70% Pen, $5 Tip

1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 ($53)
Drinking

1/18/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 ($90)
Tired

1/18/2005 2D H17 DAS Palice Station $10 ($30)
70% Pen, Not enough Time

1/19/2005 2D H17 DAS Fiesta Henderson $5 ($76)
$4 Tip, Bad Mood

Total ($27)

I stayed at the Gold Coast for the 1st 2 nights and their game was not good. I saw a green chipper get backed off. The pen on 2 deck was 55% at best, in fact 1 dealer wouldn't even get to the cut card, but would shuffle up when she saw that the cut card would hit on the next round! We actually had a dealer at another casino who gave us info on the hole card when he checked his 10 up card. He told us to beat 18, that was great. Now I know that I was well withing standard deviation but I will point out something interesting. I lost 4 times. One was because there was not enough time, fair enough. One was drinking, yeah I know - lesson learned. One was tired and out of sorts and the last was in a bad mood after my first casino poker game. When my mood was off I was betting scared and held back on the betting ramp. I would also lose the count when in an off mood.

On Thursday I went to Death Valley and loved it!

So what have I learned? My guess is that more experienced players will all know these, but as I said before - lesson learned.

1> Don't drink while playing - duh!

2> Don't play tired, angry, or chasing a loss. Even if the loss was at a different game.

3> Be more choosey about games. There was no reason to play at the Gold Coast.

4> Trust the math! I was holding back on my ramp, especially when chasing a loss or in a bad mood. My plan was to bet 1 to 8, but I ended up doing 1 to 4.

5> I need to get a starting bankroll.

All in all my wallet did okay and I learned some good lessons. This was my first experience at double deck and I loved it. Unfotunately Atlantic City and Connecticut do no have double deck. So my practice is back at 6 deck. My plan is to work on a bankroll so that I can approach the game correctly. I also need to increase the length of my sessions. By the way, while in Vegas I picked up a copy of CBJN and their pen values matched what we found.

At the end of it all, I had a great time.

[Ouchez]

> So last week was my "big" LV
> counting adventure. I learned a lot and lost
> very little in the scheme of things. First,
> my results:

> 1/16/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 $70
> 55% Pen, kept good count, $5 tip

> 1/16/2005 6D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 $12.50
> 65% Pen

> 1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 $27
> 55% Pen

> 1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Fiesta Henderson $5 $38
> 55% Pen $3 Tip

> 1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Ellis Island $10 $75
> 70% Pen, $5 Tip

> 1/17/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 ($53)
> Drinking

> 1/18/2005 2D H17 DAS Gold Coast $5 ($90)
> Tired

> 1/18/2005 2D H17 DAS Palice Station $10
> ($30)
> 70% Pen, Not enough Time

> 1/19/2005 2D H17 DAS Fiesta Henderson $5
> ($76)
> $4 Tip, Bad Mood

> Total ($27)

> I stayed at the Gold Coast for the 1st 2
> nights and their game was not good. I saw a
> green chipper get backed off. The pen on 2
> deck was 55% at best, in fact 1 dealer
> wouldn't even get to the cut card, but would
> shuffle up when she saw that the cut card
> would hit on the next round! We actually had
> a dealer at another casino who gave us info
> on the hole card when he checked his 10 up
> card. He told us to beat 18, that was great.
> Now I know that I was well withing standard
> deviation but I will point out something
> interesting. I lost 4 times. One was because
> there was not enough time, fair enough. One
> was drinking, yeah I know - lesson learned.
> One was tired and out of sorts and the last
> was in a bad mood after my first casino
> poker game. When my mood was off I was
> betting scared and held back on the betting
> ramp. I would also lose the count when in an
> off mood.

> On Thursday I went to Death Valley and loved
> it!

> So what have I learned? My guess is that
> more experienced players will all know
> these, but as I said before - lesson
> learned.

> 1> Don't drink while playing - duh!

> 2> Don't play tired, angry, or chasing a
> loss. Even if the loss was at a different
> game.

> 3> Be more choosey about games. There was
> no reason to play at the Gold Coast.

> 4> Trust the math! I was holding back on
> my ramp, especially when chasing a loss or
> in a bad mood. My plan was to bet 1 to 8,
> but I ended up doing 1 to 4.

> 5> I need to get a starting bankroll.

> All in all my wallet did okay and I learned
> some good lessons. This was my first
> experience at double deck and I loved it.
> Unfotunately Atlantic City and Connecticut
> do no have double deck. So my practice is
> back at 6 deck. My plan is to work on a
> bankroll so that I can approach the game
> correctly. I also need to increase the
> length of my sessions. By the way, while in
> Vegas I picked up a copy of CBJN and their
> pen values matched what we found.

> At the end of it all, I had a great time.

You may have lost a little, but in my eyes, you are a winner.

DD is a game that takes alot of getting used too.

Strength and Honor,
Ouchez.