First time trying to count in Vegas in a week, any advice

[Banjoclan]

Hi,
I'm planning on trying to count for the first time (Note, I have counted a handful of times at my local casino joint) when I go to Vegas for a six day trip in a little over a week. I can count down a deck consistently in less than 25 secs and have BS down pat. I've also been practicing with my wife dealing me hands and trying to count while playing four hands(not as consistent there and I plan on practicing this more this week). Looking at WizardofVegas, I've made a list of low table limit games and have made a list of the casinos close to where I plan on staying that I plan to play at. Basically, I will play at the ones with the smallest house edge but still moving around quit a bit. I plan on playing for a total of about 40 hours and plan to only play for 1.5 hrs max during busy times at any 1 casino and 45 minutes if it's early in the day and there's not many customers. My rationale is this way I won't be playing at the same place and shift more than once (maybe twice). I use a Red Seven Running count and plan on leaving the table if the RC is -14 or worse with over 2 decks dealt at a 6 shoe game. I plan on spreading 5-60 or 10-80 if forced to play $10 tables.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[njrich]

Relax and do what you have been practicing but most of all Have a Great Time!

[seriousplayer]

Hi,
I'm planning on trying to count for the first time (Note, I have counted a handful of times at my local casino joint) when I go to Vegas for a six day trip in a little over a week. I can count down a deck consistently in less than 25 secs and have BS down pat. I've also been practicing with my wife dealing me hands and trying to count while playing four hands(not as consistent there and I plan on practicing this more this week). Looking at WizardofVegas, I've made a list of low table limit games and have made a list of the casinos close to where I plan on staying that I plan to play at. Basically, I will play at the ones with the smallest house edge but still moving around quit a bit. I plan on playing for a total of about 40 hours and plan to only play for 1.5 hrs max during busy times at any 1 casino and 45 minutes if it's early in the day and there's not many customers. My rationale is this way I won't be playing at the same place and shift more than once (maybe twice). I use a Red Seven Running count and plan on leaving the table if the RC is -14 or worse with over 2 decks dealt at a 6 shoe game. I plan on spreading 5-60 or 10-80 if forced to play $10 tables.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

What is the house for the games you are trying to play? It is very hard nowadays to find six deck games with good rules with low limit i.e (six deck DAS, DOA, LS, RSA). Are you planning on the Las Vegas strip or off? Be careful of 6/5 blackjack on the Las Vegas Strip casino.

[RobinHood21]

I would advise spreading a little bit more... When you play red chip level in most shops in Vegas the games will be a bit tougher... If you don't feel comfortable spreading higher then I would say save a little bit more money and play the higher limit (ie. $25, $50 and $100 tables), but better games. Most people would say that playing the dd games in Vegas is treacherous, but if your smart about things, and aware of your surroundings, you can pull it off... It sounds like your pretty well prepared.

On a side note... I try to play as aggressive as I possibly can while in Vegas. Within means of my br though. Most would advise against that strategy. But I don't frequent LV often and I feel like I have quite a bit of inside information that I use to my advantage.

Like the previous post stated it is hard to find good games at low stakes. So really pay attention to the rules being offered.


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[Exoter175]

Hi,
I'm planning on trying to count for the first time (Note, I have counted a handful of times at my local casino joint) when I go to Vegas for a six day trip in a little over a week. I can count down a deck consistently in less than 25 secs and have BS down pat. I've also been practicing with my wife dealing me hands and trying to count while playing four hands(not as consistent there and I plan on practicing this more this week). Looking at WizardofVegas, I've made a list of low table limit games and have made a list of the casinos close to where I plan on staying that I plan to play at. Basically, I will play at the ones with the smallest house edge but still moving around quit a bit. I plan on playing for a total of about 40 hours and plan to only play for 1.5 hrs max during busy times at any 1 casino and 45 minutes if it's early in the day and there's not many customers. My rationale is this way I won't be playing at the same place and shift more than once (maybe twice). I use a Red Seven Running count and plan on leaving the table if the RC is -14 or worse with over 2 decks dealt at a 6 shoe game. I plan on spreading 5-60 or 10-80 if forced to play $10 tables.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The only advice I really have to give is this, go downtown. There's a ton of DD/SD games down there with decent rules and acceptable minimum bet levels. The wonderful thing about downtown is the sheer number of casinos within walking distance of where you stay (assuming you stayed downtown). I was down there in April and it seemed like everything "cheap" or "favorable" on the strip was 6/5, with a couple "doable" 3/2's in two of the larger strip shops. Downtown though, I think I saw maybe one shop with 6/5, the rest were almost entirely 3/2 with acceptable rules.

If you feel you might be "forced" to play 10 dollar tables, don't even bother going to the strip at all, just about everything down there seems to be 10/15 min at the 7 or 8 places I played at. I did find quite a few places in Downtown offering 5 dollar mins, but the tables were few, and crowded.

I'd say plan to play 10 dollar min, and look for the DD games IMO, should have a ton of those within 2 minutes walking distance from any one spot on fremont street. I didn't know how to count at the time, still really am not confident I can do it over the longhaul, but tore fremont street up with basic strategy on the 10-25 DD games.

Also, if its your first time, I cannot stress this enough, GO TO THE CAGE AND GET A CARD. Most of those shops on fremont have crazy perks flying out the wazoo with match plays, free aces, free dinners, etc. with minimal table play and/or slot play, if not right out of the gate free for signing up. On day 1, I played 25 hands of Blackjack (was with family casino hopping) at 6 different joints. Used 10 promotions and risked a grand total of 325 dollars. I walked away from those 25 hands with 24 wins(10 promo wins) 1 loss, and somewhere around 725 dollars +/- a few for dealer tips. Of which, I took 200 over to a slot machine pay-by progressive and hit it within about 30 minutes which earned me some super special promos and comps at this one shop, where I basically ate 2 dinners for free for my entire family that was there.

This of course was my first time in Vegas as I'm a younger guy, my mother had been trying to get me there for years since I turned 21 and this year we finally went with some family, it was amazing. The most important thing I can say is to enjoy yourself. I had the time of my life down there, and when it was all said and done, I ended up paying for the entire family's trip, and came home ahead ~1400 on the bankroll and basically ate for free for 3 days 4 nights, except for breakfast for some reason lol.

[seriousplayer]

I didn't know how to count at the time, still really am not confident I can do it over the longhaul, but tore fremont street up with basic strategy on the 10-25 DD games.
The most important thing I can say is to enjoy yourself. I had the time of my life down there, and when it was all said and done, I ended up paying for the entire family's trip, and came home ahead ~1400 on the bankroll and basically ate for free for 3 days 4 nights, except for breakfast for some reason lol.

It is remarkable that you are ahead 1400 on bankroll using prefect basic strategy. Playing prefect basic strategy does help you win in the short run.

[Exoter175]

It is remarkable that you are ahead 1400 on bankroll using prefect basic strategy. Playing prefect basic strategy does help you win in the short run.

I suppose it is pretty remarkable, slot winnings aside. 24/25 hands on the first night with 10-0 promo winnings was pretty epic IMO. To be honest though, the 1400 after the trip being paid wasn't all blackjack, as I had mentioned I had steamrolled a pay-by progressive on night 1 which net me about +780 on that slot. I think All in all, Night 1 was about ~+1300 between slots and BJ tables. Rest of the week for the most part was pretty up and down with the tables, night 2 and night 3 were pretty neutral days, at best up ~200 each night. Night 4 wasn't too bad thanks to a 1 in a million slot pull and a rainman streak on a 25 dollar table lol.

To be honest, I chalked the winnings on that trip solely on being on the right side of variance at the right time.

[Banjoclan]

Thanks for the replies. I actually have plenty of cash so I could play higher if I want to, I just thought it would be a good idea to play low for the first time. (I'm planning on bringing $5000). Also, just to clarify, I've been going to Vegas a couple times a year for the past 15 years but in the past have only played poker and hardly ever anything else. Staying downtown is out as my wife hates it there. The house edge on the 6 deck games I'm talking about range from .48% to .57%. You can go to the wizardofvegas to see the rules.

[Exoter175]

Thanks for the replies. I actually have plenty of cash so I could play higher if I want to, I just thought it would be a good idea to play low for the first time. (I'm planning on bringing $5000). Also, just to clarify, I've been going to Vegas a couple times a year for the past 15 years but in the past have only played poker and hardly ever anything else. Staying downtown is out as my wife hates it there. The house edge on the 6 deck games I'm talking about range from .48% to .57%. You can go to the wizardofvegas to see the rules.

Well, if you're on/near the strip, I'd suggest not counting where you sleep, seems to be a kind of cardinal rule around here for vegas guys.

[bigplayer]

If your top bet is around 2@$100 this is a good time for you to just focus on playing the off-strip casinos. That level of action flys really well at Station Casinos. Spread 1x$10 to 2x$100 on shoes and 2x$25 to 2x$100 down to 1x$25 on double deck. Play 60 to 90 minutes in each place or until you win $1,500 or so and move onto the next place.

[Banjoclan]

Thanks, I had planned on not playing in the particular casino I was staying at.

[privador81]

If your top bet is around 2@$100 this is a good time for you to just focus on playing the off-strip casinos. That level of action flys really well at Station Casinos. Spread 1x$10 to 2x$100 on shoes and 2x$25 to 2x$100 down to 1x$25 on double deck. Play 60 to 90 minutes in each place or until you win $1,500 or so and move onto the next place.

I wonder how much to you lose EV if u start with 2x25 to 2x100 ending 1*25 compared with 10 to 100

[Three]

Bigplayer: "If your top bet is around 2@$100 this is a good time for you to just focus on playing the off-strip casinos. That level of action flys really well at Station Casinos. Spread 1x$10 to 2x$100 on shoes and 2x$25 to 2x$100 down to 1x$25 on double deck. Play 60 to 90 minutes in each place or until you win $1,500 or so and move onto the next place".

I wonder how much to you lose EV if u start with 2x25 to 2x100 ending 1*25 compared with 10 to 100

Bigplayer's plan has you hitting them each day all week. Your suggestion gets you booted after 1 or 2 visits. I was wondering how much EV you would lose using your plan as most of your trip and all trips thereafter you would have to play worse games. EV in the casino overtime is a lot different than EV on the computer.