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Thread: Counting advice - El Cortez

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    Counting advice - El Cortez

    Hello,

    long story so I will try to make it short as possible...although I have been a visitor to downtown Las Vegas for about 20 years I am very much a novice when it comes to counting. The last 3 years I have been visiting the Golden Nugget. I started playing Super Fun 21 using hi-opt 1 and even though I was winning more than losing (not getting rich by any means, but not losing), I got CRUSHED on this board.

    so....simply put, I am heading to Vegas in January and am going to try my luck by staying at the El Cortez. Since I was told my last strategy was wrong I have decided I will start from scratch. So I am reaching out to ask since I will be staying at El Cortez,what strategy would anyone suggest? I have the Casino Verite software and will begin practicing. I bankroll about 5k for a 3-day trip...I have a base bet of $25...I play about 14-hours a day.

    i know I am a novice so I appreciate any help/advice. If I left out any pertinent info please let me know.

    thanks!!!!

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    Lower your base bet. A 25 min could wipe out 5K in a very short time.

    Green chip min will also make you stick out like a sore thumb in that store.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 88butter88 View Post
    I have a base bet of $25
    I've heard that even red chip players can get heat and get backed off at that place.

    I play about 14-hours a day.
    You better spend over 90% of that time outside the Cortez.

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    Senior Member DBJT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hitthat16 View Post
    Green chip min will also make you stick out like a sore thumb in that store.
    El Cortez actually calls out "Checks Play!" for green. Srsly.

    -DBJT

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    At El Cortez-

    DD game- spread $5-$25. Perfect play will yield around $6-$8 an hour.

    You probably won't last an hour, though.

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    An associate visited the el Cortez. First time he raised his bet at DD the discard tray was counted down. Maybe the fastest barring ever.

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    Senior Member DBJT's Avatar
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    Sweaty Spaniard

    Oh, you CAN play longer than that at the good ol' EC "sweaty spaniard"... but you certainly CANNOT just walk in the door and "play it straight".

    Ya gotta be more clever than that.

    If you expect to just grab a seat and count down their single deck (dealt out of a shoe, srsly) and range your bets according to the true count, um, nosiree bob, nope you ain't gonna last too long.

    But just think a little more creatively, try and think about what THEY want to see in you as a "typical tourist gambler" player. How can you get them to accept your presence, sitting there, FIRST, so that you can play a profitable game on 'em... SECOND?

    -DBJT

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    Sure you can use all kinds of cover at El C and last a while, but why bother?

    Just go play somewhere else and make money. Using cover to make min wage (or less) is nuts.

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    Senior Member DBJT's Avatar
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    Doesn't have to be grinding out minimum wage... I've spread red to BLACK there for short bursts after getting 'em to believe I'm a "chasing" gambler loser... and they've bought the act. Really. LOL

    But, yeah, can't do it too much. If I lived in LV it would wear thin fast, but for yearly visits or so... can work

    -DBJT

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    dbjt- sadly, my game (or my act) is not at that level yet.

    No doubt, a truly skilled player can get away with a lot.

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    I played two hours spreading from 1-4 green on their double deck. I was the only one at the table and I would alternate between starting a shoe at 2 units or 1 so I wasn't so robotic. The first time I jumped from 1 to 4 units, dealer called checks play and the PB came over to ask me if I had a players card. I said no but gave my ID because I knew I was leaving soon. Last hand, had a 6 unit bet which is what I usually spread to at other stores... split once and two double downs. Won all four max bets and colored up. Pit boss came over and handed me my new players card and told me thanks for playing. Definitely felt the heat but luckily the shoes were unevenful until the very end.

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    Quote Originally Posted by HowMany View Post
    dbjt- sadly, my game (or my act) is not at that level yet. No doubt, a truly skilled player can get away with a lot.


    Well yeah, true for *everywhere*... not just Cortez.

    But, I dunno why, I just particularly like putting it over on 'em there, any chance I get. Doesn't always work, they DO still back off irrationally anyway out of the blue sometimes, LOL

    Maybe it's just because they have SUCH a famous reputation as a counter-hating sweatshop that I can never resist trying again

    But, anyway, back to original poster... for sure don't "depend" only on playing EC for long. Plan to move around a lot to other stores too on your trip, for sure... and actually if you're STAYING at EC (for cheap room) maybe DON'T play there, really, after all. You don't want 'em to kick you out of the room.

    If you want a cheap room and to be able to PLAY at Cortez, get one of the nice simple $20 rooms at Golden Gate, for example. Their blackjack sucks (but the "stripper dealers" are nice to look at) so no great loss not playing THERE, and that will free you up to go back and HIT El Cortez with no fear of them tossing you out of the hotel at 3 am ...

    -DBJT
    Last edited by DBJT; 10-18-2013 at 06:53 PM.

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    Hi,

    original poster here. First, thank you to everyone. I had absolutely no idea el cortez was like that so thank you very much.
    So please allow me to change the question...since I like staying at the Golden Nugget...are there any suggestions where I should play downtown? Keep in mind I have time to learn a new counting system. Any advice on where and what game would be much appreciated.

    Again, thank you all very much for the help....I hope I am not over-reaching but I really want to learn the best possible way.

    thanks!!!

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