czechs play: one AP's Trip Report

[czechs play]

Visited Vegas some weeks ago. Decided to Stay at Bar U. Last time I stay here was over 6 years. Rooms are still decent. Each room now has a wall-mounted plasma tv. Decided to stay mid strip to check out the playing conditions in the area. Started playing at the Bar U first just to get my motor started. Did not plan on playing for more than ? hour. They?ve still got decent DD with the $15 and $25 minimum. Left after 15 minutes just to get my matchplay coupon turned in. Came out even. Walked to Harrah?s next. I read somewhere in a magazine that Harrah?s offered one of the best bj?s. Find this hard to believe when their conditions haven?t changed in 6 years. Still no DAS. How does Harrah?s pack em in with such horrendous rules? Next went to Flamingo Hilton?.oops I mean the Flamingo. Things have changed a bit since 6 years ago. I remember back then, the carpets were real bright and garish. Now it?s more muted. Looks like the bj conditions are the same as years ago. DD, DAS, 65% pen. Played several hours each day for the 3 days I was in town. Had 3 successful sessions totaling +60 units. Even recognized the same dealers from 6 years ago. Things were going well?.didn?t look like the PCs or the Eye remembered me back in the day when they backed me off? but alas, the fun ended on the 3rd day. In front of a packed table of DD $25 min players, I got the familiar tap on the shoulder and those 3 words, No More Blackjack. As usual, I overstayed my welcome. As I colored up, I glanced at the others to get their reaction and all of them had the deer in the headlights look. A Kodak moment. I always have to get the last word in, so I muttered to the players with some dripping sarcasm, ?I guess this is what happens to you when you actually win.? Oh well, guess I?ll visit again in another 6 years.
Went to my safe haven casino, the Bellagio, for the rest of my trip. I consider this place the AP?s safe haven for being such a high class joint who don?t flinch card counting action, or so I thought. It was my final night of my trip. My flight left 6 AM the following morning, so I decided to pull an all-nighter to achieve my target goal for the trip. Bought in at the DD tables. Things were up and down at the beginning?the typical CC?s roller coaster ride. Noticed another AP playing next to me as soon as I noticed when I ramped my bet, he would ramp his also and spread to 2 hands. He asked me if I was a poker player and I told him no. Got into a conversation with him about poker and bj since he played both. I asked which game he makes more money at and he answered without question, it was poker, because poker is winnable and bj isn?t. Hmmm, with an answer like that, maybe he wasn?t a card counter. Nonetheless, his quality of play was virtually AP?esque. He soon bailed to hit the poker tables. After about an hour, the session took a turn for the worse. My big bets weren?t winning and that, combined with the slow bleeding process, I was down 70 units. Decided to hang in there since I had still had the ammo and time. That?s when I made my furious comeback. The type of comeback that takes literally seconds?.the type of comeback when the count becomes double digits and stays that way for the last 3 hands of the deck. The type of comeback that would have made LL Cool J proud. I was now down 15 units. And lo and behold, that?s when the PC approached me and told me I could only flat bet from now on. He was trying to explain this to the dealer, which was a moot point, since I immediately pushed in my stacks to color up. I was mildly disappointed, since I thought the Bellagio was better than that. Here I am getting heat while a one Sammy Farha is at the table next to me betting 5 dimes per hand with a mountain of Lakers colors. Oh well, at least I recuped most of my losses and ended in the black for the trip.

Word of Advice: For all you CCs, when the pit phone rings, I highly suggest you color up and leave. They're not talking about the weather over the phone...they're talking about you. Some advice I?ve failed to abide by and learned the hard way.

[Ouchez]

Thanks for the report.

Sammy is a celebrity so he can get away with more, but then again maybe you are just way better.

Sounds like you had fun and that is the most important part.

Regards,
Ouchez.

[fareast21]

> Thanks for the report.

> Sammy is a celebrity so he can get away with more, but
> then again maybe you are just way better.

> Sounds like you had fun and that is the most important
> part.

> Regards,
> Ouchez.
Mirage=casinobarU?

[Sun Runner]

> That?s when I
> made my furious comeback. The type of comeback that
> takes literally seconds?.the type of comeback when the
> count becomes double digits and stays that way for the
> last 3 hands of the deck. The type of comeback that
> would have made LL Cool J proud.

LL Cool J might have been proud; you probably caught a little positive flux. If you made the comeback in those last three .. neutral hands .. consider yourself fortunate.

Either way, thanks for the enjoyable read and good luck in 2012.