Sidekick: Trip Report (Vegas)

[Sidekick]

Trip Report (Vegas)

According to my log report, this would mark my 6th advantage play trip over the past year. It all started with "Breaking Vegas" book from the MIT team last year when Simon came on our local radio station last July. I was hooked. That book was followed by 'Beat the Dealer' which lead me to bj21.com to 'Knockout Blackjack' to 'Burning the Tables in Vegas' to Advantage Player.com to 'Blackjack Attack 2 & 3' to the Hot Shoe DVD to CASINO VERITE FULL VERSION to 'You've Got Heat in Vegas' to 'Blackjack for Blood' to 'Theory of Blackjack' to BJRM to CBJN and finally to watching Oceans 11, Bugsy and Vegas Vacation movies as well. Throw in some Sinatra and Elvis, you have a well oiled player gearing up for Vegas a year later, which is now.

First off, I'm still a rookie as far as a counter. My bankroll is pretty tight so the odds are already against me.

Second, my Blackjack Bankroll is completely seperate from my own personal budget. This is a KEY for all beginners, do not gamble money you actually need. Lucky for me, I'm able to gain money outside from my normal.

STATS-
Bankroll $3,000
Minimum Bet: $10
Spread: $10 - $75
System: Preferred KO with a little TKO (Brett Harris) early in the shoe
DI: 5.45
ROR: 13.52%
Win/100: $8.90

KO IRC: 10
Key: 26
Pivot: 34
Insurance: 33

THE TRIP-
HOTEL: MGM GRAND (2 NIGHTS)
BANKROLL: $1,000
SPREAD: $10 - $75

MGM_1 (Session 1)
According to CBJN, the best advantage for me would be the S17 tables at the MGM (.26) with LS. I've never played with LS and was use to surrendering in BJ Tourney Games online (globalplayer.com). Sat down at the table mid-shoe with 2 other ladies. Just wanted to get a feel for the table and enviro. Bought in for $200. Note-I have to be honest, I rather stay at my bet versus immediately ramping up on higher counts including after a loss because I want to stay at the table. Sure, after a hand, I'll ramp up but again, my goal is to go unnoticed. One or two hands isn't going to hurt my EV. Anyway...both of these ladies were extremely annoying. They had no clue about BJ, kept on asking the dealer what to do. After 10 minutes, I was dead even betting only $10 and winning here and there. I thought about getting up but didn't because Popeye sat next to me and was betting $25 per hand and I said to myself: "Sidekick, this is your first time in Vegas counting, the ladies are holding up the game for you, count and practice on keeping the count and sticking to Basic Strategy." Once the new shoe came out, I was on my way. The first show got to "28" which is my book is 2 past the key count so my ramp went from $10 to $20. I find that ramping up from $10 to $20 is simple especially after winning a couple of hands and the count calls for me to ramp up, I typically say out loud, well I should progress my bet even though I know this betting scheme does not work. Some dealers have even told me its the wrong way to bet. I feel like saying yes, but damn the count is HIGH! This shoe put me ahead at $50 with my last bet being $10 because the count dropped. After playing for one (1) hour, I left the table +$250. My basic strategy was dead on but my only regret was that I should have moved to another table once the 5th person joined. The only reason why I stayed at the table was because I was winning (not bad).
WIN/LOSS: +$450

MGM_2
Bought in for $200 going 1:1 with the dealer. Count got to 32, surrendered on a couple of 15, 16 versus dealer 10. Got a couple og snappers. Nothing on my notes stating anything unusual excpet for ....during my third shoe, 2 people joined my table and the guy spilled his drink all over my cards and the table. So....MY FIRST COFFEE COMP!
Plus, the count was at "5" so I got the heck out of there with +$130.
WIN/LOSS: +$330

ATTRACTION: GAMBLERS BOOK SHOP
Wasn't interested in buying another book but wanted something here so I got a Fantasy Football Magazine and a outdated Las Vegas Map. That place is awesome. Read a couple of pages from 'Wong on Dice.'

MGM_3
Lost $5 bucks after playing for 30 minutes
WIN/LOSS: -$5

DINNER: SMITH & WOLLANSKY
Unreal! Best services and steak I've ever enjoyed, anywhere.

ATTRACTIONS: M&M, oxygen for 10 minutes, ARCADE

MGM_4 (Day Two)
Bought in for another $200. The count got up to "55" which meant I should have been betting $75 or even $100, stayed at $50, shame on me. Ended up breaking even. I just cannot get myself to RAISE my damn bet because of that dam $1,000 bankroll. Dammit!
WIN/LOSS: 0

CAESARS_1
Ok. I have to admit. I've been watching Caesars 24/7 on A&E and yes, I really wanted to play here. My uncle was a pit boos back in the 70's so I thought adding Caesars into the mix would be cool for a Monday night. Well, the table minimum was $15. I honestly think that the table minimum of $15 instead of $10 did have an overall effect on my ROR after 2 hours. This is something for me to play with. Really wasn't getting anything unusual or interesting except for "My Yankee." This guy got dealt "6" 2's in a row followed by a 10 to bust. On the next round, 3rd base got a 2 and the dealer got a 2 face up.
WIN/LOSS: -$280

ATTRACTION: MonoRail is nice but was surprised to see a charge of $3. They should have put this right down the middle of the strip.

MGM_5
This would be my 10th hour of playing BJ in Vegas. Yes, don't tell me, I should have more hours in but again, this is my first time in Vegas plus I'm coming back in October.

This would be the session of sessions for me. Going into this session, my last session I was +$495.

"House always wins. Play long enought you never change the stakes, the house takes you. Unless, that perfect hand (count) comes along, and you bet big and you take the house"
- Danny Ocean

Well, went 1:1 with Sharon. Why do I remember her name and none of the other dealers? Read on...

First off, on the first show, the count shot up to "26" after 5 hands. I went from $10 to $25 instantly becuase on hand 2 I got a snapper giving me $15 back so I said, "Heck, lets parlay this sucker." Boy was I glad to push out $25 because what came down was unreal- Throw in some nice DD's versus a 5 and a 6, couple of snappers and a split of 8's versus dealer 3, after one shoe I won $425. This put me at $920. Let me stop you right now, this wasn't going through my head that I was up $920, I actually NEVER count my chips at the table. But I had to count my chips after this shoe. The second shoe was normal AND AGAIN, I didn't win or lose money on this shoe.

The third and final shoe was the best because I did something that the PROS are going to hate, I stood up, threw out my greeny on the table and "pretended" to be a Greeny betting $25 as my minimum.

Sharon was kind to me and in the end, I won another $280.
WIN/LOSS: $705

TRIP WIN/LOSS: +2100
BJRM says that I could have done 13.5% better putting me at a 1.01 sd.

LESSONS LEARNED-
1) Never Drink at the Table ( I didn't but for any newbies reading this, please understand this point)
2) Bet for what the count calls for. I would grade myself a "C" on this.
3) MGM is awesome
4) Have someone spill their drink on you, a Free Coffee Comp might be available to you
5) Finally, build your bankroll before you even think about taking Vegas. I should have been betting bigger.

Before I end this report I wanted to add in that I just lost $600 in Tahoe this past weekend. I state this because this is exactly why counters make up less than 2% of the gambling population. While walking back to my room after having a count of "55" with my max bet of $100 out there on a table with a Hard17 versus the dealer 6 and having the dealer turn over a 10 followed by a 5 for a 21, I looked up at the elevator ceiling and said to myself: Fluctuation Rules!

After I read Blackjack Attack 2, I still was so confused around Standard Deviation. I finally went to wizardofodds.com and along with BJRM and BJA3, I actualy sat down one weekend and played with a 6 deck shoe and practiced and practiced crunching numbers.

Playing blackjack as an advantage player requires balls of steel. For the ladies, it requires balls of steel and I know the ladies here have them. But it also requires common sense and the ability to gamble socially. sitting at the table with "0" expression is going to kill you. now I have no idea how fast I can count down a 52 deck. But I can tell you that I know Basic Strategy down to 100%. I also know that I can easily win $1200 or lose $1200 every trip, every session, every shoe, or EVERY HAND. If I do end of losing $1200 on a single hand, I should be a happy man because that would mean that my Bankroll is in the 6 figures which means my credit cards are paid off, college loan paid off, etc...

I hope this report was enjoyable!

Thanks,

Sideckick

[Sun Runner]

> "House always wins. Play long enought you never
> change the stakes, the house takes you. Unless, that
> perfect hand (count) comes along, and you bet big and
> you take the house" - Danny Ocean

I love that quote .. and that movie, lame as it was. BTW, I thought Oceans 12 sucked big.

You do that enough times and you have long long odds of ending up a winner. For a new guy, it sounds like to me you are pretty well adjusted, headed down the right path, and educating yourself with the right stuff.

Catching some positive variance right off the bat never hurts.

Good luck.

[Ouchez]

[Hollywood]

> Trip Report (Vegas)

> According to my log report, this would mark my 6th
> advantage play trip over the past year. It all started
> with "Breaking Vegas" book from the MIT team
> last year when Simon came on our local radio station
> last July. I was hooked. That book was followed by
> 'Beat the Dealer' which lead me to bj21.com to
> 'Knockout Blackjack' to 'Burning the Tables in Vegas'
> to Advantage Player.com to 'Blackjack Attack 2 &
> 3' to the Hot Shoe DVD to CASINO VERITE FULL VERSION
> to 'You've Got Heat in Vegas' to 'Blackjack for Blood'
> to 'Theory of Blackjack' to BJRM to CBJN and finally
> to watching Oceans 11, Bugsy and Vegas Vacation movies
> as well. Throw in some Sinatra and Elvis, you have a
> well oiled player gearing up for Vegas a year later,
> which is now.

> First off, I'm still a rookie as far as a counter. My
> bankroll is pretty tight so the odds are already
> against me.

> Second, my Blackjack Bankroll is completely seperate
> from my own personal budget. This is a KEY for all
> beginners, do not gamble money you actually need.
> Lucky for me, I'm able to gain money outside from my
> normal.

> STATS-
> Bankroll $3,000
> Minimum Bet: $10
> Spread: $10 - $75
> System: Preferred KO with a little TKO (Brett Harris)
> early in the shoe
> DI: 5.45
> ROR: 13.52%
> Win/100: $8.90

> KO IRC: 10
> Key: 26
> Pivot: 34
> Insurance: 33

> THE TRIP-
> HOTEL: MGM GRAND (2 NIGHTS)
> BANKROLL: $1,000
> SPREAD: $10 - $75

> MGM_1 (Session 1)
> According to CBJN, the best advantage for me would be
> the S17 tables at the MGM (.26) with LS. I've never
> played with LS and was use to surrendering in BJ
> Tourney Games online (globalplayer.com). Sat down at
> the table mid-shoe with 2 other ladies. Just wanted to
> get a feel for the table and enviro. Bought in for
> $200. Note-I have to be honest, I rather stay at my
> bet versus immediately ramping up on higher counts
> including after a loss because I want to stay at the
> table. Sure, after a hand, I'll ramp up but again, my
> goal is to go unnoticed. One or two hands isn't going
> to hurt my EV. Anyway...both of these ladies were
> extremely annoying. They had no clue about BJ, kept on
> asking the dealer what to do. After 10 minutes, I was
> dead even betting only $10 and winning here and there.
> I thought about getting up but didn't because Popeye
> sat next to me and was betting $25 per hand and I said
> to myself: "Sidekick, this is your first time in
> Vegas counting, the ladies are holding up the game for
> you, count and practice on keeping the count and
> sticking to Basic Strategy." Once the new shoe
> came out, I was on my way. The first show got to
> "28" which is my book is 2 past the key
> count so my ramp went from $10 to $20. I find that
> ramping up from $10 to $20 is simple especially after
> winning a couple of hands and the count calls for me
> to ramp up, I typically say out loud, well I should
> progress my bet even though I know this betting scheme
> does not work. Some dealers have even told me its the
> wrong way to bet. I feel like saying yes, but damn the
> count is HIGH! This shoe put me ahead at $50 with my
> last bet being $10 because the count dropped. After
> playing for one (1) hour, I left the table +$250. My
> basic strategy was dead on but my only regret was that
> I should have moved to another table once the 5th
> person joined. The only reason why I stayed at the
> table was because I was winning (not bad).
> WIN/LOSS: +$450

> MGM_2
> Bought in for $200 going 1:1 with the dealer. Count
> got to 32, surrendered on a couple of 15, 16 versus
> dealer 10. Got a couple og snappers. Nothing on my
> notes stating anything unusual excpet for ....during
> my third shoe, 2 people joined my table and the guy
> spilled his drink all over my cards and the table.
> So....MY FIRST COFFEE COMP!
> Plus, the count was at "5" so I got the heck
> out of there with +$130.
> WIN/LOSS: +$330

> ATTRACTION: GAMBLERS BOOK SHOP
> Wasn't interested in buying another book but wanted
> something here so I got a Fantasy Football Magazine
> and a outdated Las Vegas Map. That place is awesome.
> Read a couple of pages from 'Wong on Dice.'

> MGM_3
> Lost $5 bucks after playing for 30 minutes
> WIN/LOSS: -$5

> DINNER: SMITH & WOLLANSKY
> Unreal! Best services and steak I've ever enjoyed,
> anywhere.

> ATTRACTIONS: M&M, oxygen for 10 minutes, ARCADE

> MGM_4 (Day Two)
> Bought in for another $200. The count got up to
> "55" which meant I should have been betting
> $75 or even $100, stayed at $50, shame on me. Ended up
> breaking even. I just cannot get myself to RAISE my
> damn bet because of that dam $1,000 bankroll. Dammit!
> WIN/LOSS: 0

> CAESARS_1
> Ok. I have to admit. I've been watching Caesars 24/7
> on A&E and yes, I really wanted to play here. My uncle
> was a pit boos back in the 70's so I thought adding
> Caesars into the mix would be cool for a Monday night.
> Well, the table minimum was $15. I honestly think that
> the table minimum of $15 instead of $10 did have an
> overall effect on my ROR after 2 hours. This is
> something for me to play with. Really wasn't getting
> anything unusual or interesting except for "My
> Yankee." This guy got dealt "6" 2's in
> a row followed by a 10 to bust. On the next round, 3rd
> base got a 2 and the dealer got a 2 face up.
> WIN/LOSS: -$280

> ATTRACTION: MonoRail is nice but was surprised to see
> a charge of $3. They should have put this right down
> the middle of the strip.

> MGM_5
> This would be my 10th hour of playing BJ in Vegas.
> Yes, don't tell me, I should have more hours in but
> again, this is my first time in Vegas plus I'm coming
> back in October.

> This would be the session of sessions for me. Going
> into this session, my last session I was +$495.

> "House always wins. Play long enought you never
> change the stakes, the house takes you. Unless, that
> perfect hand (count) comes along, and you bet big and
> you take the house"
> - Danny Ocean

> Well, went 1:1 with Sharon. Why do I remember her name
> and none of the other dealers? Read on...

> First off, on the first show, the count shot up to
> "26" after 5 hands. I went from $10 to $25
> instantly becuase on hand 2 I got a snapper giving me
> $15 back so I said, "Heck, lets parlay this
> sucker." Boy was I glad to push out $25 because
> what came down was unreal- Throw in some nice DD's
> versus a 5 and a 6, couple of snappers and a split of
> 8's versus dealer 3, after one shoe I won $425. This
> put me at $920. Let me stop you right now, this wasn't
> going through my head that I was up $920, I actually
> NEVER count my chips at the table. But I had to count
> my chips after this shoe. The second shoe was normal
> AND AGAIN, I didn't win or lose money on this shoe.

> The third and final shoe was the best because I did
> something that the PROS are going to hate, I stood up,
> threw out my greeny on the table and
> "pretended" to be a Greeny betting $25 as my
> minimum.

> Sharon was kind to me and in the end, I won another
> $280.
> WIN/LOSS: $705

> TRIP WIN/LOSS: +2100
> BJRM says that I could have done 13.5% better putting
> me at a 1.01 sd.

> LESSONS LEARNED-
> 1) Never Drink at the Table ( I didn't but for any
> newbies reading this, please understand this point)
> 2) Bet for what the count calls for. I would grade
> myself a "C" on this.
> 3) MGM is awesome
> 4) Have someone spill their drink on you, a Free
> Coffee Comp might be available to you
> 5) Finally, build your bankroll before you even think
> about taking Vegas. I should have been betting bigger.

> Before I end this report I wanted to add in that I
> just lost $600 in Tahoe this past weekend. I state
> this because this is exactly why counters make up less
> than 2% of the gambling population. While walking back
> to my room after having a count of "55" with
> my max bet of $100 out there on a table with a Hard17
> versus the dealer 6 and having the dealer turn over a
> 10 followed by a 5 for a 21, I looked up at the
> elevator ceiling and said to myself: Fluctuation
> Rules!

> After I read Blackjack Attack 2, I still was so
> confused around Standard Deviation. I finally went to
> wizardofodds.com and along with BJRM and BJA3, I
> actualy sat down one weekend and played with a 6 deck
> shoe and practiced and practiced crunching numbers.

> Playing blackjack as an advantage player requires
> balls of steel. For the ladies, it requires balls of
> steel and I know the ladies here have them. But it
> also requires common sense and the ability to gamble
> socially. sitting at the table with "0"
> expression is going to kill you. now I have no idea
> how fast I can count down a 52 deck. But I can tell
> you that I know Basic Strategy down to 100%. I also
> know that I can easily win $1200 or lose $1200 every
> trip, every session, every shoe, or EVERY HAND. If I
> do end of losing $1200 on a single hand, I should be a
> happy man because that would mean that my Bankroll is
> in the 6 figures which means my credit cards are paid
> off, college loan paid off, etc...

> I hope this report was enjoyable!

> Thanks,

> Sideckick

Nice Job. I enjoyed the read.

Hollywood

[Sun Runner]

Hollywood -

Generally, in AC, are you playing 6D or 8D games?

Thanks.