Sessions Per Store Per Day

[Oneoffthecount]

I am a solo player and not backcounting, although I do rabit at 1.5. If you end a session after hitting your high rotation do you play mulitple sessions per store per day (e.g. play a session, take a break or have lunch, play a session and wait for shift change, play a session, change pits, play a session.

Just wondeering because it impacts the number of hands per month I can get in. I have five local stores but am willing to travel two or three times a month. The answer may change if you are playing a local store with good rules and pen versus out of town with moderate rules and pen, etc.

[ZeeBabar]

At the 5 local places, they will get familiar with you over time and you will be in their computers, thus changing shifts, taking a break and such means little. On you trips out of town, you could do it if the casinos are large enough, have several pits that are sufficiently far away so pit guys cannot spot your moves.

[Stealth]

It is these types of questions that illustrate how "getting away with it" is a highly important aspect of AP play. Since the question has no "correct" answer, the "depends" issue comes up. You can either (1) succumb to your paranoia and not play or (2) damn the torpedo's and full speed ahead or (3) evaluate your environment and their staff and make an informed decision. Perhaps, the answer is play two but not three session per shift or only play one session this shift and then play again next shift. All are valid answers.

In my opinion, learning to count and the associated technical skills represent about 30-40% (my guess) of what you need to be successful. The rest comes with experience, some input from others and an ability to adapt multiple styles (acts) to the required venues.

A different approach to your question might be to ask why I might not want to play multiple times on the same shift and then go about evaluating the conditions related to your answers.

If the problem is avoiding heat, then I will share an example that are actual occurrences.

Playing in west coast casino as BP entering playing two hands flat betting purple (pushing table limits but bet level had been tailored to this store). Bought in for 2K in pit where pit boss took my money then asked if I had a card and I said no and he turned and went to the other end of the pit and exhibited no concern, in fact never looked, at my style or size of play. It was not hard to make the decision to play aggressively and more in that pit. We also looked for him on subsequent visits.

In another west coast store doing the same thing, the pit boss picks up the discards as soon as I leave the table and turns them over to count them down. Now, the shoe had ended and I am not sure I believe he was going to count down the six decks but I was sure he was sending me a message. We left the casino immediately, another obvious decision that was diametrically opposed to the other example.

My point is that neither of these are unusual or predictable, they are specific to the environment. Ask your right or wrong questions to the Pro's but be mostly guided by your assessment of your environment.

Hope this helps with your thought process

[Oneoffthecount]

My point is that neither of these are unusual or predictable, they are specific to the environment. Ask your right or wrong questions to the Pro's but be mostly guided by your assessment of your environment.

Hope this helps with your thought process[/QUOTE]

Both answers center around assessing your environment and make sense. As I'm new I tread lightly, not trusting my own evaluative skills until I gain more experience. I think I need to find some distant casinos who are not critical to me and who are independents if possible and go fire away until I start to notice when I get attention. My guess is I'm more risk advers than I need to be wtih heat but better to get there slowly than burn my future at locals. I'd rather be the little piggy than the fattened piggy right now.

As a follow up to ZeeBar. Since the local places will eventually have me in the computer anyway, does it make sense to get play rated at them but not shoe my card at jointly owned casinos in other areas?

Thanks to both of you. You make me realize that the part that is art and not science is a large component of the game.

[Shadowless]

You should edit out your age and cover story in your latest post, for obvious reasons.

[ZenMaster_Flash]

Oneoffthecount,

Do not give your age. It will not actually matter, but it could,
and you really have nothing to gain by revealing personal facts.

[Oneoffthecount]

Thanks for pointing that out Shadow and Zen. Looks like I'm riding the short bus for a while still.

[ZeeBabar]

Regarding playing with card, it's an individual decision. I primarily play at 4-5 casinos, I stand out and in time, many of the pit guys know me, welcome me, and there is no point in playing unrated. I play rated, get the comps and am mostly welcomed. I converse with the pit and dealers and such. I play $10 min (6 deck) or $25 min (DD) games and keep my winnings to modest levels, ensure that I ask for a comp after losing sessions (too broke to eat, expensive meal, etc), etc. At these places, my wins range from $50 to $1200 and I usually play in timed sessions, that is let the pit know (wife is at the mall, so I dropped in or got to get home for dinner) that I plan playing no more than an hour or two.

I have followed the advice of better pros and try playing unrated on trips or play rated at one property (for possible comps) while playing unrated at others. This is at alas Vegas.

[bigplayer]

Depends on what happened in your previous session.

[moo321]

Too many factors. Just the other day I played like 8 hours in a row at a great game with a stupid crew. But if I'm playing Vegas DD, an hour a day is pushing it.