HOLLYWOOD: It's amazing, I just finish posting

[HOLLYWOOD]

in the free room the other day regarding the fact that I don't like alot of the indices after the 18 because I feel some of them attract to much attention.

This is of particular interest to me because of the high dollar amounts I pull in comps each week.

Well, last night in AC this is what happens.
I have an excellent count. A very large bet out. And I get a soft 19 against a dealer 6.
I double.
The dealer YELLS out "DOUBLING 19". No real response from the pit boss and this time by name (changed to protect the innocent) "Murphy DOUBLING 19".
By the time I got that card 17,296 people knew about my double. Not to mention every cleaning person. Every bathroom attendent and lets not forget the people who parked my car.
This only made me feel stronger about about what I feel.
Unless you are playing hit and run and no one knows who you are, many indices that are additions to the 18 I find a bit dangerous.
I'll bet if I had split 10's, prior to giving me the card they would have come over and given me a polygraph.
This soft 19 double really bummed me out. It's not just about winning and losing. Comps add up to very big $.
Anyway I thought it was just ironic that this happened right after the other free room post.

Regards,

Hollywood

[Don Schlesinger]

Carry a SINGLE-DECK BS card with you. When they make a comment about doubling A,8 v. 6, whip out the card and ask, innocently, "Is this card wrong? It says that's the proper play? What's the big deal?"

By the way, plays like this -- hell, even surrender -- are often called out simply so that everyone understands that you're doing something and that there is no mistake. Since there's no hand signal for surrender, often it is called out so that you can't say later that you didn't mean to do it. When doubling on A,8, they may just want to be safe in pointing out that, indeed, you really said you did want to double.

Don

[Mister M]

The splitting of 10's and doubling A9v5/6 are indeed justifiable on occasion if speaking purely from scores obtained through simulation.
However IMHO these plays are too risky if you want the welcome mat laid out.

[Mr. Lucky]

I agree the primary reason for a dealer to call out plays is so that players can't say they didn't want to play it that way. I often use it as a conversation piece with the PCs when calls keep coming from the next table over. Quite often it turns into a running joke between the dealers and PCs such as a call for splitting queens: "Siegfried and Roy are getting a divorce!"

However, it can sometimes be to identify a possible counter which is the case with Hollywood. Just calling it out loudly once doesn't necessarily indicate this. Stopping play and waiting for a PC to respond is a strong indicator. Calling the player out by name or seat position, "Murphy doubling!" it's definitely to call out a possible counter. So is "Doubling a soft 19 like he knows what he is doing!" as Stanford Wong tells in one of his books.

[Bettie]

> Since there's no hand signal for surrender,
> often it is called out so that you can't say
> later that you didn't mean to do it.

At Texas Station, you can't just say you want to surrender, you have to draw a line behind the cards with your finger for the cameras.

This move isn't valid everywhere, though, and most places, such as MGM make you say you want to surrender. Better safe than sorry, no matter where you are!

Bettie

[Geoff Hall]

> At Texas Station, you can't just say you
> want to surrender, you have to draw a line
> behind the cards with your finger for the
> cameras.

> This move isn't valid everywhere, though,
> and most places, such as MGM make you say
> you want to surrender. Better safe than
> sorry, no matter where you are!

I've seen that hand signal of drawing a line behind the cards, in several casinos that offer surrender. I'm sure that the Mirage use that hand signal as well.

Best regards

Geoff

> Bettie

[MathProf]

If the dealer yells out the name of the player "Murphy doubling Soft 19" it is a bad sign.

Once your known at a casino, and your in the "Watch this guy" category bosses will often tell the dealers "There is a counter at your table." "Let me know when that guy does ?." Usually it is "..Bets Big", but it could be other things.

I thought Hollywood played at the same casinos in AC on a regular basis. And bets fairly big. It is likely that he has been noticed, and being watched.

> I agree the primary reason for a dealer to
> call out plays is so that players can't say
> they didn't want to play it that way. I
> often use it as a conversation piece with
> the PCs when calls keep coming from the next
> table over. Quite often it turns into a
> running joke between the dealers and PCs
> such as a call for splitting queens:
> "Siegfried and Roy are getting a
> divorce!"

> However, it can sometimes be to identify a
> possible counter which is the case with
> Hollywood. Just calling it out loudly once
> doesn't necessarily indicate this. Stopping
> play and waiting for a PC to respond is a
> strong indicator. Calling the player out by
> name or seat position, "Murphy
> doubling!" it's definitely to call out
> a possible counter. So is "Doubling a
> soft 19 like he knows what he is
> doing!" as Stanford Wong tells in one
> of his books.

[HOLLYWOOD]

> The splitting of 10's and doubling A9v5/6
> are indeed justifiable on occasion if
> speaking purely from scores obtained through
> simulation.
> However IMHO these plays are too risky if
> you want the welcome mat laid out.

a good line once. He was responding to an email I sent him.

He said "A TOURIST WOULDN'T DO THAT"

Hollywood

[Don Schlesinger]

> I've seen that hand signal of drawing a line
> behind the cards, in several casinos that
> offer surrender. I'm sure that the Mirage
> use that hand signal as well.

Moving your finger that way is an Asian custom. But, in my view, it is very dangerous. It can be confused with EITHER the hit signal (pointing to the cards) or the stand signal (waving the hand horizontally near the cards).

Unless REQUIRED by the casino to do so (where they are accustomed to looking for this particular hand gesture), I would strongly advise AGAINST giving any hand signal for surrender. Sooner or later, you're going to regret it.

Don

[Norm Wattenberger]

I believe drawing a horizontal line to the left is a very old sign to stand. It means next player. I'd agree not to use a sign to Surrender as there are a lot of signs. For a stand I sometimes just outstretch my fingers. Or, quickly stretch and then clench. I always look away from the hand on a stand and often that's all I do. An unmistakable Surrender sign is to put half the bet up to the left of the circle. But not all places like that.