Don's Domain Chat: Bryce Carlson
Don's Domain Chat
Bryce Carlson
Bryce Carlson, author of Blackjack for Blood

July 20, 2003

Sun Jul 20 20:49:11 2003:
Viktor Login:

Sun Jul 20 20:51:51 2003:
Alexost Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:09:01 2003:
Lux Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:10:01 2003:
bfbagain Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:11:53 2003:
megapossum Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:13:17 2003:
Slippery Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:13:30 2003:
KevinBlackwood Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:13:31 2003:
NightTrain Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:13:31 2003:
Bryce Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:13:39 2003:
Bryce Hi guys

Sun Jul 20 21:13:44 2003:
KevinBlackwood HI Bryce

Sun Jul 20 21:13:48 2003:
Alexost hello.

Sun Jul 20 21:13:50 2003:
bfbagain Hi Bryce

Sun Jul 20 21:13:52 2003:
KevinBlackwood Got your book right in front of me

Sun Jul 20 21:13:54 2003:
Lux Good evening Bryce

Sun Jul 20 21:13:57 2003:
Slippery good evening

Sun Jul 20 21:13:57 2003:
megapossum hi Bryce

Sun Jul 20 21:14:06 2003:
Lux and Blackwood

Sun Jul 20 21:14:15 2003:
NightTrain Good Evening Bryce and everyone.

Sun Jul 20 21:14:20 2003:
Bryce Hi. Looks like we've got a good turnout tonight

Sun Jul 20 21:14:28 2003:
KevinBlackwood Hi Robert

Sun Jul 20 21:14:29 2003:
Viktor Welcome Bryce! Thank you very much for hosting tonight.

Sun Jul 20 21:14:54 2003:
Bryce My pleasure, Viktor. And I want to thank you and Don for inviting me host

Sun Jul 20 21:15:17 2003:
bfbagain Lets get started then... Bryce, have you been palying recently, and if so, can you share some thoughts on current BJ conditions as a whole

Sun Jul 20 21:15:32 2003:
Bryce I thought I might be a few minutes late. I was with my Son and wife at the movies watching BB 2

Sun Jul 20 21:15:42 2003:
Lux To everyone: you have to excuse me if I might not answer. I am in the middle of a poker game as well :-)

Sun Jul 20 21:15:54 2003:
Bryce I told them I had to leave to host a "celebrity chat" and they basically just told me to "chat this"

Sun Jul 20 21:15:58 2003:
Viktor Bryce: No problem. We don't usually hit our peak attendance until about 15 after.

Sun Jul 20 21:16:17 2003:
Viktor I guess they don't appreciate you the way we do.

Sun Jul 20 21:16:41 2003:
Bryce Yeah, guess not. Seems like that's always the case

Sun Jul 20 21:17:00 2003:
Alexost good question bfbagain, I'm wondering how "beatable" bryce thinks todays ganes are as awhole compared to when he played the most.

Sun Jul 20 21:17:43 2003:
StrayFrog Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:17:44 2003:
Bryce Yes, bfbagain, as a matter of fact I played this last Thrusday and Friday in the Indian casiinos in SD.

Sun Jul 20 21:18:41 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: I also have a question regarding your published indices. There's been alot of chatter onthe concept of rounding, truncating and flooring. Can you clear this up a little

Sun Jul 20 21:18:43 2003:
Bryce The conditions there are not bad. I usually play DD, and late last Friday night I had a really sweet heads-up DD game dealt down to about a half deck

Sun Jul 20 21:19:47 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: in regards to which did you use for AOII

Sun Jul 20 21:20:17 2003:
As_Zehn Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:20:18 2003:
Lux hello

Sun Jul 20 21:20:28 2003:
As_Zehn Evening all.

Sun Jul 20 21:20:30 2003:
Bryce bfbagain, When I calculated the indices for BFJB I did not have access to really fast computers and sophisticated software like SBA, so it took me much longer to determine the proper values than it would today.

Sun Jul 20 21:21:10 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: So. When's the update going to be published?

Sun Jul 20 21:21:14 2003:
Bryce Nevertheless, when the published indices are run up against todays best computer-generated ones it is usually just about a draw, as to which set of indices performs better.

Sun Jul 20 21:21:24 2003:
bfbagain Agree

Sun Jul 20 21:21:41 2003:
KevinBlackwood Bryce, was your book self-published or was Compustar another company other than you?

Sun Jul 20 21:21:59 2003:
Bryce As to rounding, truncating or flooring, in general flooring seems to produce the best indices.

Sun Jul 20 21:23:24 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: Can you define it as you see it. As you would for yourself. I have been using AOII for 12 years.

Sun Jul 20 21:23:31 2003:
cusimalku Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:23:43 2003:
megapossum Bryce,is it true that some of your indices are risk averse?

Sun Jul 20 21:23:52 2003:
Bryce Kevin, at the time I wrote BJFB I owned and operated a microcomputer sales and marketing company called CompuStar, Inc., so I merely set up a small publishing subsididary (CompuStar Press) to publish BJFB

Sun Jul 20 21:24:15 2003:
KevinBlackwood Well, I enjoyed your book and it has held up well to the test of time

Sun Jul 20 21:24:32 2003:
bfbagain Bryce"correction 11 and change that is

Sun Jul 20 21:24:43 2003:
Bryce megappossum, Yes, the indices for BJFB are risk averse. And to my knowledge they are the first ones published for a commercial strategy that incorporated that feature.

Sun Jul 20 21:25:30 2003:
megapossum Bryce, thought I had read or heard that some time or another.

Sun Jul 20 21:26:15 2003:
Bryce Logout:

Sun Jul 20 21:26:18 2003:
Bryce Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:26:39 2003:
Bryce Are we still online? My chat screen just went blank

Sun Jul 20 21:26:47 2003:
Alexost bryce, how has the average blackjack game changed since you played the most; is the average game still beatable in your opinion.

Sun Jul 20 21:27:04 2003:
Slippery Yes we are - you were booted off for a minute.

Sun Jul 20 21:27:54 2003:
Bryce Alexost, Unfortunately, the game is continuing to deteriorate. We see this almost every month across the nation. That's the bad news. The good news is that there are still lots of beatable games, but you do have to look harder to find them.

Sun Jul 20 21:28:14 2003:
Alexost thanks.

Sun Jul 20 21:28:20 2003:
megapossum Bryce, do you agree that the avg. pen is being reduced and how do you cope with it?

Sun Jul 20 21:28:22 2003:
Bryce One of the things that is helping in this regard it the opening up of new venues like the Indian Casinos.

Sun Jul 20 21:28:47 2003:
KevinBlackwood I think it goes in cycles

Sun Jul 20 21:29:08 2003:
KevinBlackwood I thought the game had dried up in the late 80's and then with the riverboats and INdian casinos, it was great again in the 90's

Sun Jul 20 21:29:46 2003:
Bryce megapossum, The casinos do seem to be more paranoid about counters than ever, and this is reflected in a general decline in pen, as well as other factors.

Sun Jul 20 21:29:47 2003:
megapossum I don't feel as comfortable playing in the Indian Casinos as the state regulated ones.

Sun Jul 20 21:30:41 2003:
Bryce But, if you look hard you can still find good pen. For instance the DD game I was playing Thursday and Friday had great pen and great rules. So, these games are out there, but you have to look for them

Sun Jul 20 21:30:54 2003:
Slippery Bryce - what is your opinion about playing internationally - is it worth the time or are there too many problems like money exchange, poor legal systems etc.

Sun Jul 20 21:31:26 2003:
normw Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:31:36 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: of indian casinos and DD, can you give your thoughts on cheating?

Sun Jul 20 21:31:53 2003:
bfbagain hi Norm

Sun Jul 20 21:31:58 2003:
megapossum Bryce, I agree. Do you use any tactics other than straight counting such as ST or sequencing now?

Sun Jul 20 21:32:00 2003:
normw morning

Sun Jul 20 21:32:07 2003:
Alexost thanks for the input Bryce and Kevin.

Sun Jul 20 21:32:10 2003:
Bryce Slippery, At one time there were so many good games in Asia and elsewhere around the world that it was fun and fairly easy to play internationally and return home with a fat profit. It's harder today.

Sun Jul 20 21:32:39 2003:
KevinBlackwood I have to go Bryce, thanks again for your valuable input to the BJ community

Sun Jul 20 21:32:52 2003:
Bryce You can certainly find beatable games here and there, but they are scarcer than before, and the clubs are much more paranoid about counters and particularly Americans than they used to be.

Sun Jul 20 21:33:00 2003:
NightTrain Bryce: If my memory serves me correct, you followed the principal of keeping sessions short. Do you still go this route?

Sun Jul 20 21:33:21 2003:
KevinBlackwood Logout:

Sun Jul 20 21:33:27 2003:
Bryce Also, Griffin is big in Europe. If you are not careful you can lose a couple of *countries* in a single barring.

Sun Jul 20 21:35:01 2003:
megapossum Bryce, do you still play with a female companion?

Sun Jul 20 21:35:32 2003:
Bryce Hi Night Train, Yeah, playing short sessions of hit and split is definitely the best way to go. But there are exceptions. For example one Indian casino in SD is independent and does not seem to have a clue; so, I sometimes drive there for the day..;.

Sun Jul 20 21:36:04 2003:
Bryce ... and play for 6 or 7 hours straight. So far, without any problem at all. But that is for sure the exception.

Sun Jul 20 21:36:57 2003:
NightTrain Super! It's nice when you find a spot like that :-)

Sun Jul 20 21:37:36 2003:
Bryce magapossum, Playing with an attractive female partner is a good distraction. It's probably not quite as effective as it once was, because today a lot of the heat comes from the eye, rather than the pit. But, hey, I imagine those guys upstairs have...

Sun Jul 20 21:37:44 2003:
Bryce ... a hell of a view ;-)

Sun Jul 20 21:37:49 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: as seems to happen with alot of BJ authors, authorities etc. where they once may have played high stakes, now they don't; Do you still play high stakes?

Sun Jul 20 21:38:09 2003:
Slippery Now you are going to have us all running around SD looking for this game

Sun Jul 20 21:39:10 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Yes, I have noticed that as well. Personally, I play as much high-stakes BJ now as I ever did. Many pros eventually just burn out with the game. Stanford Wong, for instance has mentioned several times that he finds playing kind of boring...

Sun Jul 20 21:39:56 2003:
megapossum Bryce, especially as the cameras show more than meets the eye!

Sun Jul 20 21:40:07 2003:
Bryce ... Somehow for me, it just never gets boring. I really do love the game, and there is something about beating the casinos at their own game that has just stuck with me

Sun Jul 20 21:40:33 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: Thank you. I was waiting on pins and needles hoping that was your answer. After all, it it was good enough before...and so it should continue

Sun Jul 20 21:41:59 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Yeah, BJ can be a great and profitable avocation. However, as a full-time gig, I think it is a young man's game. Once you settle down I think a traditional career is a better deal, with BJ as a wonderful sideline

Sun Jul 20 21:42:19 2003:
NightTrain amen

Sun Jul 20 21:42:24 2003:
StrayFrog Logout:

Sun Jul 20 21:42:31 2003:
Alexost Bryce: Would you recommend Advanced AOII for shoes as well as SD and DD? or do think it gets more difficult to correlate the bets with a non-ace reckoned count such as AOII.

Sun Jul 20 21:42:40 2003:
bfbagain Bryce:agree

Sun Jul 20 21:42:58 2003:
normw Maybe young and old with some time in-between to take a bit less risk

Sun Jul 20 21:43:11 2003:
cusimalku Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:44:07 2003:
Sengir Vampire Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:44:16 2003:
bfbagain Thats good Norm

Sun Jul 20 21:44:25 2003:
Bryce Alexost, That's a good game. Personally I do play AO2 w/a side of Aces in six-deck games and it has never been a problem for me. However some players do have some difficulty...

Sun Jul 20 21:45:02 2003:
bfbagain Same here Alex...

Sun Jul 20 21:45:12 2003:
Alexost thanks.

Sun Jul 20 21:45:21 2003:
Bryce ... with a side count of Aces in 6-deck games. For these players, I have suggested swapping the values of the Ace and 9 when they play in such games...

Sun Jul 20 21:45:40 2003:
Alexost I've heard this, play zen in shoes.

Sun Jul 20 21:46:59 2003:
Bryce ...So, the Ace would be valued as -1 and the 9 would be valued as zero. The regulare AO2 playing indices work fine, and this avoids any side count at only a small loss in power. I call this little twist the Zomega 2 system, because the card tags come...

Sun Jul 20 21:47:05 2003:
Bryce ... from Arnold's Zen count.

Sun Jul 20 21:47:43 2003:
Slippery Bryce - when you play long hours at one joint do you use much cameo in your play and betting style or do you go for the highest EV you can obtain?

Sun Jul 20 21:48:55 2003:
Bryce Slippery, Of course, i do use camou, but I am careful not to give very much ev away. That is one reason why I prefer the hit and split approach: it allows me to play a very strong game and get out before any heat comes down.

Sun Jul 20 21:49:57 2003:
Bryce Also, there is one camou technique that I use that is not in BJFB that I have never published that is both simple and very powerful. I am sure it has saved my butt on many occassions.

Sun Jul 20 21:50:54 2003:
Bryce Logout:

Sun Jul 20 21:50:55 2003:
Bryce Login:

Sun Jul 20 21:51:04 2003:
Alexost Bryce: Do you use all of the indices published in BJFB, or just a certain range?

Sun Jul 20 21:51:06 2003:
Bryce Bounced and back...

Sun Jul 20 21:51:11 2003:
NightTrain Logout:

Sun Jul 20 21:52:14 2003:
Sengir Vampire Can you tell us the camou technique thats not in your book

Sun Jul 20 21:52:14 2003:
Bryce Alexost, Actually, I do use all of the indices. When I spend the time to learn all of the indices (first for Revere's APC and later AO2) I did not really appreciate the fact that a rather small subset would get most of the money...

Sun Jul 20 21:52:49 2003:
Bryce ...so, I just learned them all. Then, as the games got tougher, I figured, hey, I need every possible edge I can get here, so I stay sharp with all of them.

Sun Jul 20 21:53:45 2003:
Alexost thanks.

Sun Jul 20 21:54:13 2003:
Bryce Sengir Vampire... Okay, I am willing to do that but it will take a bit of writing to do it. Are you guys willing to let me get a little long-winded?

Sun Jul 20 21:54:29 2003:
Slippery absolutely

Sun Jul 20 21:54:32 2003:
Alexost yep.

Sun Jul 20 21:54:32 2003:
Sengir Vampire ya sure

Sun Jul 20 21:54:34 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: knock your socks off

Sun Jul 20 21:54:37 2003:
Bryce Okay, here goes...

Sun Jul 20 21:55:37 2003:
Bryce If you play long enough, and for high enough stakes, you are sure to get backed off occassionally. Such occasional back-offs are just a cost of doing business...

Sun Jul 20 21:56:29 2003:
Bryce ... However, the trick is to minimize the damage, so you don't lose casinos for good. Here's a little trick that really works well in that regard that I've never revealed before...

Sun Jul 20 21:57:20 2003:
Bryce ... even in BJFB: When I sit down to play, sooner or later someone -- usually a pit boss -- is sure to ask me what i do for a living. When that happens, I respond with a job description...

Sun Jul 20 21:58:24 2003:
Bryce ... that makes them a little, shall we say, uneasy about barring me or backing me off from play. This is important, because if a casino, instead of simply backing you off, will first...

Sun Jul 20 21:59:18 2003:
Bryce ... take the time to send you a little non-threatening message that it's time to leave -- such as, say, pointedly moving up the cut card -- it allows you to take the hint...

Sun Jul 20 22:00:38 2003:
Bryce ... and get out before the hammer comes down and the cameras start clicking. Little things like that can really make a big difference in your overall career longevity...

Sun Jul 20 22:01:19 2003:
Bryce ... What do I tell them I do for a living? I'd tell you guys, but then, of course, I'd hav ta kill ya ;-)

Sun Jul 20 22:01:24 2003:
normw I love it. Tort lawyer, hit man, drug dealer, enforcer, consigleire

Sun Jul 20 22:01:46 2003:
Alexost haha.

Sun Jul 20 22:01:59 2003:
Sengir Vampire thanks Bryce

Sun Jul 20 22:02:12 2003:
Alexost funny.

Sun Jul 20 22:02:41 2003:
Alexost i liked the profit sharing joke in the book also.

Sun Jul 20 22:03:19 2003:
megapossum Think I'll start saying I own an Escort Service!

Sun Jul 20 22:03:24 2003:
Bryce I told you it was a simple little strategy. But since I stumbled on it, I practically never get backed off any more. And, even more importantly, my picture isn't being faxed all over town either.

Sun Jul 20 22:04:11 2003:
bfbagain Bryce:there's also alot that has happened since 9/11, especially regarding identities. Care to comment?

Sun Jul 20 22:04:25 2003:
Lux Logout:

Sun Jul 20 22:04:28 2003:
bfbagain As much as you can

Sun Jul 20 22:04:41 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Can you be a little more specific?

Sun Jul 20 22:05:22 2003:
bfbagain I'm not sure, general impressions relayers cards etc.

Sun Jul 20 22:05:53 2003:
bfbagain anonymous play. which is more my style

Sun Jul 20 22:06:48 2003:
Bryce Well, I prefer the anonymous approach. Ian Andersen and I agree about many aspects of camouflage, but I do not agree that it is a good idea to give up anonymity.

Sun Jul 20 22:07:42 2003:
Bryce ... And I don't think it is necessary, either. Now, it is true that if you want to max comps you are going to have to either set up alternate AKA's or give up anonymity...

Sun Jul 20 22:08:26 2003:
Bryce ... Personally, I prefer to compromise on comps, rather than on remaining anonymous. And I still end up with more "casual" comps than i know what to do with.

Sun Jul 20 22:08:46 2003:
bfbagain Bryce:Is it safe to say that your approach has maintained a relative consistency throughout the years?

Sun Jul 20 22:10:40 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Yes, I would say so. Now, I certainly have refined my technique over the years; that's for sure. But my basic approach of hit and split, laying down enough camou to fly under radar, and remaining more or less anonymous has not changed.

Sun Jul 20 22:12:26 2003:
Bryce Also, speaking of basic camouflage, here is another little pearl that goes a long way toward good camouflage: A lot of good players fine tune their bets with the count...

Sun Jul 20 22:13:02 2003:
megapossum Bryce, I've used your "Profit Sharing" line repeatly over the years since I got your book, Had forgotten where I 'd gotten it until it was mentioned earlier.

Sun Jul 20 22:13:04 2003:
Bryce ... this is a big mistake, because it makes it very hard to put across the idea that you are any kind of hunch or progression player. A much better approach...

Sun Jul 20 22:13:57 2003:
Bryce ... is to not change your bet unless there is a good reason to. For instance, suppose that I bet $100, I lose, and the count drops a bit. A lot of players would drop their bet to say, $75...

Sun Jul 20 22:14:48 2003:
Bryce ... I don't do that. I leave it alone (at $100). In other words I do NOT look for small reasons to change my bet. It is much easier to mimick a pseudo-progression or hunch betting style if you...

Sun Jul 20 22:15:42 2003:
Bryce ... forgo this bet fine-tuning so many players are fond of.

Sun Jul 20 22:16:57 2003:
Bryce magapossum, Yeah, that's really a good ice-breaker with dealers isn't it?

Sun Jul 20 22:18:07 2003:
Alexost Bryce: what percentage of blackjacks that you get correlate with having wagered a max bet using the AOII?

Sun Jul 20 22:18:18 2003:
megapossum Bryce, it sure is, I've been flipping thru your book while we're doing this and just came to the Profit Sharing lines and I had them Highlighted.

Sun Jul 20 22:18:49 2003:
bfbagain Bryce:speaking of fine tuning and your profir sharing line, there's any number of variations off that theme that can be used as effectively.

Sun Jul 20 22:18:53 2003:
Bryce Living in Southern California, I find myself playing more and more in the San Diego Indian casinos. There are quite a few good games there, and if you lose one club, you lose one club -- rather than half a town. Where do you guys prefer to play these days

Sun Jul 20 22:19:11 2003:
As_Zehn Logout:

Sun Jul 20 22:20:04 2003:
megapossum Bryce, not adjusting your bet after the count goes south is easier with a count system like AOII that has a high playing eff.!

Sun Jul 20 22:20:05 2003:
Slippery I still enjoy going to Vegas, however I have found a couple of interesting games in Palm Springs

Sun Jul 20 22:20:39 2003:
normw Logout:

Sun Jul 20 22:21:39 2003:
Alexost Bryce: how is the anonanimity factor in Vegas for you? Can you still play there?

Sun Jul 20 22:21:54 2003:
Bryce Alexost, AO2 w/ a side of Aces has a very high betting correlation (0.99), so it can almost be embarrassing how many times I parlay my bet to max and, bam, blackjack. Of many blackjacks happen with smaller bets, as well. I remember last Friday night...

Sun Jul 20 22:22:34 2003:
Bryce ... for instance, I got two blackjack in a row, then a miss, then another blackjack. And all three blackjacks were with *minimum* bets. Disgusting.

Sun Jul 20 22:23:21 2003:
bfbagain I hate when that happens.

Sun Jul 20 22:24:02 2003:
Bryce Alexost, Oh yeah, I play virtually every month in Las Vegas. There are a few clubs where I have to keep is short, but, in general, I have never had...

Sun Jul 20 22:24:37 2003:
Alexost Thats the best when you hit a max bet blackjack in the casino, thats what its all about.

Sun Jul 20 22:24:42 2003:
Bryce ... the problem of a town closing in on me. Even with Griffin, there are just so many clubs, and so much change going on in Las Vegas that I think even a very strong...

Sun Jul 20 22:25:16 2003:
Bryce ... player can play more or less indefinitely, if they are careful about it, and use the proper camouflage approach.

Sun Jul 20 22:25:42 2003:
Slippery Bryce - have you come across many counters in the SD games?

Sun Jul 20 22:27:28 2003:
Bryce Slippery, Of course, the few good single-deck games in Las Vegas (LV Club, El Cortez,Bininons, etc.) are more or less counter traps. I play in those clubs, but I do not play for really high stakes. I generally just spread $25 to $100 and leave...

Sun Jul 20 22:27:45 2003:
Bryce ... after 45 min or so, or if I get up about a $1,000.

Sun Jul 20 22:28:56 2003:
Bryce Speaking of single-deck games, Reno can sometimes be kind of interesting. Reno still has a few independent small store-front casinos, and if you play it right you can really control these games...

Sun Jul 20 22:29:29 2003:
Slippery I should have spelled San Diego out - do you come across many players down there?

Sun Jul 20 22:30:05 2003:
Bryce ... I remember a session I had at one of these clubs a couple of years ago. They were dealing a D10, SD game w/ins down to about 13 cards. I sat down and played $25 to $100 very conservatively...

Sun Jul 20 22:30:42 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: You've travelled to Macau, and Asia etc. Have you read any of BJTraveler's reports on world casinos/conditions and do they concur with your own experiences?

Sun Jul 20 22:30:52 2003:
Bryce ... until, by chance fluctuation, I got hot and went up a little over $1,000. Now, usually, i would leave in a situation like that. But in these little "throwaway" clubs I sometimes play it differently...

Sun Jul 20 22:31:26 2003:
Bryce ... so, anyway, in this case, after getting up about a thou, i decided to really show it to them and started betting $50 to $250, and spreading to two hands when the count was right...

Sun Jul 20 22:32:02 2003:
Alexost ah, Bryce is going for the jugular.

Sun Jul 20 22:32:25 2003:
Bryce ... this went on for a few minutes, and then the dealer started dealing less than half a deck and shuffling. So, i said to him "hey, Bob, you're slowing down the game. Come on watching you shuffle is boring." He just...

Sun Jul 20 22:33:35 2003:
Bryce ... nodded and kept on doing it, so I called over the pit boss and said "Hey Jim, your dealer Bob here is really slowing this game to a crawl, can you ask him to deal it down?" Otherwise I gunna have to leave; this is to slow a game...

Sun Jul 20 22:34:28 2003:
Bryce ... Well, for a little club a $1,000 is a lot of money, and they did NOT want me to leave. In other words I had really set the hook; so, the pit gave the nod to dealer Bob and the game resumed as before...

Sun Jul 20 22:35:16 2003:
Bryce ... I continued to win. And after another half hour I was up almost $2,500 and decided it was time to move on. How swee it that? With little clubs, if you play it right, you can really call the shots.

Sun Jul 20 22:36:03 2003:
Alexost great story, did they say goodbye to you?

Sun Jul 20 22:38:07 2003:
Bryce ;-)) Oh yeah. You could have cut the gloom with knife. When I went to the cage to cash out the jaded middle-aged cashier glanced into the pit and said to me "Well, I see Jim just bit the stem off his pipe." How funny is that?

Sun Jul 20 22:38:54 2003:
Alexost thats funny, did you ever go back and see the same people?

Sun Jul 20 22:39:10 2003:
megapossum Got to go. Enjoyed the chat Bryce. Good night all.

Sun Jul 20 22:39:27 2003:
Alexost bye.

Sun Jul 20 22:39:37 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Oh, okay, San Diego. Yeah I do occasionally see counters there, especially at the DD games. There was one counter at [beep] that played with me for over two hours. That is the exception, however, The SD players tend to be even worse...

Sun Jul 20 22:39:43 2003:
Bryce ... than the ploppies in LV.

Sun Jul 20 22:39:52 2003:
bfbagain Good nite MP

Sun Jul 20 22:40:09 2003:
megapossum Logout:

Sun Jul 20 22:40:38 2003:
Bryce Alexost, "Going for the jugular." Exactly. Hey, I did call it BJ for BLOOD ;-).

Sun Jul 20 22:40:59 2003:
Alexost

Sun Jul 20 22:41:13 2003:
Bryce Night magapossum

Sun Jul 20 22:41:38 2003:
Sengir Vampire Do you ever play on a team

Sun Jul 20 22:42:40 2003:
Bryce Sengir Vampire, Oh yeah, I have played on teams. In BJFB I describe the team approach I have used most frequently.

Sun Jul 20 22:43:44 2003:
Alexost Bryce: What do you play mostly SD, DD playall. HIt and split shoes at positive counts? Which would you say is most profitable in todays casinos?

Sun Jul 20 22:44:07 2003:
Bryce Have any of you guys found any particularly interesting (read profitable) games lately?

Sun Jul 20 22:44:16 2003:
bfbagain Yes

Sun Jul 20 22:44:53 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Without being too specific, of course, could you tell us a little bit more?

Sun Jul 20 22:45:48 2003:
bfbagain I'm a little reluctant to state them here, as this will be posted on the archives, as well it should, right Viktor. Thanks for having Bryce, and thanks to you Bryce.

Sun Jul 20 22:45:58 2003:
bfbagain If you would like to email me..

Sun Jul 20 22:46:20 2003:
Viktor True. But I can also edit stuff out if you email me.

Sun Jul 20 22:46:26 2003:
Bryce Alexost, I play mostly DD games (usually in LV and San Diego), and to a lesser extent SD in the Reno area and I also wong well-cut 6-deck games.

Sun Jul 20 22:46:43 2003:
Alexost thanks.

Sun Jul 20 22:46:45 2003:
bfbagain please do so [email address removed] and I'd be happy to tell you

Sun Jul 20 22:47:27 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, I understand completely.

Sun Jul 20 22:47:32 2003:
Slippery Viktor - bfbagain has a good point - make sure you take out the reference to [beep] above

Sun Jul 20 22:47:40 2003:
Alexost oh yeah, do you playall the DD games? Bryce.

Sun Jul 20 22:48:19 2003:
Viktor Edit [beep]...check.

Sun Jul 20 22:49:19 2003:
Bryce Alexost, Yes I play a lot of double deck. You can get good DD games for dark green to light black action in a number of venues around the country.

Sun Jul 20 22:50:10 2003:
Bryce Viktor, Yes, best to take out the reference to [beep], though there game has been going downhill for the last few months. You never know, it might experience a renaissance.

Sun Jul 20 22:51:05 2003:
Viktor You got it.

Sun Jul 20 22:51:40 2003:
Bryce Alexost, Yes, with DD I use the play all approach. AO2 w/a side of Aces and the full complement of indices is very strong. If I can get 55% pen with decent rules and an effective 1 to 6 spread I can definitely get the money.

Sun Jul 20 22:52:01 2003:
Slippery Bryce - do you shuffle track?

Sun Jul 20 22:53:50 2003:
Bryce Slippery, Yes, but I would not consider myself a virtuoso at shuffle tracking. When I find a relatively simple shuffle that I can map without too much effort I do track and play it. A lot of times I just track the cut-offs...

Sun Jul 20 22:53:59 2003:
Bryce ... if they don't break them into more than three slugs.

Sun Jul 20 22:54:45 2003:
Slippery you may want to take a look around in Indio

Sun Jul 20 22:55:08 2003:
bfbagain Bryce" I asked a question earlier that may have been lost while you were bounced.. Will you/are you going to publish an update to BJFB? And if so, when?

Sun Jul 20 22:56:03 2003:
Bryce Slippery, Thanks for the tip. I will definitely do that. The games in the Palm Springs area have not been as good as those in San Diego, so that's still pretty much virgin country for me.

Sun Jul 20 22:57:33 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: one more thing, do you/will you take personal questions via email? And if so, what is the email address to contact you. Thanks

Sun Jul 20 22:58:02 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, BJFB is now in it's 11th or 12th printing, I can't remember which, but, anyway, with each new printing I add a few things and fine tune the manuscript...

Sun Jul 20 22:59:05 2003:
Bryce ... Based on its continued success, and the feedback I get from readers, I think BJFB has fulfilled my goal of creating a comprehenisve guide for serious players even beyond what I hoped for...

Sun Jul 20 22:59:21 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: really! I still the '92 printing, the first I believe. I thumbed through a copy at GBC last month but didn't notice anything really different. Is there an errata page somewhere

Sun Jul 20 22:59:52 2003:
Bryce ... However, no one book can ever really be all things to all people, so some subjects such as, say, shuffle tracking, are still treated in a somewhat abriged manner...

Sun Jul 20 23:00:26 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: Oh absolutely, as I was asking the question I was thinking the same thing. It really is the best IHO.

Sun Jul 20 23:00:31 2003:
Bryce ... So, it is very possible that someday i may very well expand on certain topics to make the book more complete and relevant to today's game.

Sun Jul 20 23:01:27 2003:
bfbagain Thats my humble opinion.. One day I'll learn to type

Sun Jul 20 23:01:42 2003:
Slippery Does that make my first edition a collectors item

Sun Jul 20 23:01:57 2003:
Bryce bjbagain, Although the 2001 printing of BJFB has the same number of pages as the 1992 there are many changes, though a lot of them are minor.

Sun Jul 20 23:02:42 2003:
bfbagain OK, I'll have to look at a friends copy as it's the latest printing

Sun Jul 20 23:03:28 2003:
Bryce Slippery, Oh yeah, I'm sure it's worth the big bucks;-). I'll tell you what might be a real colletor's item though, and that is the original manuscript which i sent to Stanford Wong for his review. He made a number of suggestions, and returned...

Sun Jul 20 23:04:08 2003:
Bryce ... the manuscript with hand-written annotations on many of the papes. Someday, I might auction that one off for charity or something.

Sun Jul 20 23:05:19 2003:
Slippery I need to run thanks Bryce

Sun Jul 20 23:05:33 2003:
Bryce My pleasure, Slippery, night.

Sun Jul 20 23:05:37 2003:
Slippery Logout:

Sun Jul 20 23:07:09 2003:
Bryce This has been a lot of fun for me guys. I want to thank you all for dropping by, and asking such stimulating questions.

Sun Jul 20 23:07:28 2003:
Viktor And thanks again for taking the time to host tonight. It was great!

Sun Jul 20 23:07:46 2003:
Viktor We'll be putting BJFB on sale in your honor.

Sun Jul 20 23:07:53 2003:
bfbagain You've been great, and don't forget to write... I will have info for you

Sun Jul 20 23:07:54 2003:
Sengir Vampire Bryce is there a way we could e-mail you with questions

Sun Jul 20 23:07:55 2003:
Bryce Viktor, Yeah, it sure was.

Sun Jul 20 23:08:02 2003:
Alexost thanks Bryce!

Sun Jul 20 23:08:54 2003:
Bryce Sengir Vampire, My e.mail address is [email address removed]. I don't read it every day, but I will try to respond as soon as I can.

Sun Jul 20 23:09:45 2003:
Sengir Vampire Thank you

Sun Jul 20 23:10:00 2003:
Bryce Well, guys, my wife is clamoring for attention, so I'm reluctantly going to have to sign off. Any last questions?

Sun Jul 20 23:10:15 2003:
bfbagain Bryce: that's an interesting address and I'll tell you why when you write.

Sun Jul 20 23:10:21 2003:
bfbagain Thanks again

Sun Jul 20 23:11:18 2003:
Viktor I concur again, much thanks. And have a great night.

Sun Jul 20 23:11:25 2003:
Bryce It's been a real pleasure guys, and thanks again to Viktor and Don for inviting me. Good night all.

Sun Jul 20 23:11:28 2003:
Bryce Logout:

Sun Jul 20 23:11:43 2003:
cusimalku Logout:

Sun Jul 20 23:12:57 2003:
bfbagain Logout:

Sun Jul 20 23:13:26 2003:
Viktor Logout:

Sun Jul 20 23:35:21 2003:
Sengir Vampire Logout:

Sun Jul 20 23:36:03 2003:
Alexost Logout: