River's Casino Philly Trip Report

[xray]

I am excited to post this report from my trip to the River's Casino in Philadelphia. I have just started learning how to count over the past couple months and this was my first time doing it live at a real casino. I taught myself using Blackjack: Play Like the Pros by John Bukofsky. I use the Uston APC system, which from what I understand from some forums on this site is not worth the complexity. Anyways, it is the system taught in the book I read, so I went with it. I was in Philly for three days during the week. River’s is 8D, ASM, S17, 3:2, DD on any two cards, LS. For the most part, I had noticed solid pen throughout the time I was at River’s. Dealers usually dealt 6.5 decks and sometimes a few hands more.

I went to River’s first at night. There were about 10 BJ tables across two pits. Mostly $25 mins, two $50s, and one $15 min. I sat down at the $15 min table. Being my first time counting in a casino, I got a bit overwhelmed and quickly lost the count after about 1.5 decks were dealt. Betting the table min, I lost a couple hundred quickly before swallowing my pride and leaving.

I came back the next morning with a much calmer mindset. Between the two pits, there were about 7 tables, most at $15 min. I told myself to relax and focus on the count, even if it meant being obvious and revealing myself as an AP. I back counted one table until the count became favorable. I took a seat and started playing. The dealer had just finished training so he was nervous, dealing out the cards nice and slow as a result. I ended up playing at the table for a couple shoes. Whenever the running count went way negative, I stopped betting entirely until the count surged back up. In hindsight, this was a dead give away that I was counting, but I never seemed to receive any heat.

I came back the next day and had a similar process. All in all, after about 5-6 hours of playing, I made a couple hundred dollars. Most importantly, by the end of the trip I was able to keep the running count throughout a shoe and determine the true count as I went along.
I had two main takeaways from the trip. First is that there were only a handful of times when the true count for betting purposes went above +2, which meant for the most part, I was just betting the table minimum. Second, I realized it would be quite helpful and less time consuming to play with a team who can alert you of hot tables, instead of waiting for tables to deal a new shoe and back counting.

With my current bankroll and betting size, it doesn't make much sense for me to take expensive trips to areas where the casinos offer favorable rules and good pen. For the time being, I will continue practicing in my free time in case I happen to be in an area where I can find a good game.

All comments and advice for a first time counter are welcome.

[umbrellaman]

First is that there were only a handful of times when the true count for betting purposes went above +2, which meant for the most part, I was just betting the table minimum.

Yup. This is how card counting works. Buy CVCX and familiarize yourself with count frequencies.

So this is the old Sugarhouse? There must be 6D games there still.

[DSchles]

I am excited to post this report from my trip to the River's Casino in Philadelphia. I have just started learning how to count over the past couple months and this was my first time doing it live at a real casino. I taught myself using Blackjack: Play Like the Pros by John Bukofsky. I use the Uston APC system, which from what I understand from some forums on this site is not worth the complexity. Anyways, it is the system taught in the book I read, so I went with it. I was in Philly for three days during the week. River’s is 8D, ASM, S17, 3:2, DD on any two cards, LS. For the most part, I had noticed solid pen throughout the time I was at River’s. Dealers usually dealt 6.5 decks and sometimes a few hands more.

I went to River’s first at night. There were about 10 BJ tables across two pits. Mostly $25 mins, two $50s, and one $15 min. I sat down at the $15 min table. Being my first time counting in a casino, I got a bit overwhelmed and quickly lost the count after about 1.5 decks were dealt. Betting the table min, I lost a couple hundred quickly before swallowing my pride and leaving.

I came back the next morning with a much calmer mindset. Between the two pits, there were about 7 tables, most at $15 min. I told myself to relax and focus on the count, even if it meant being obvious and revealing myself as an AP. I back counted one table until the count became favorable. I took a seat and started playing. The dealer had just finished training so he was nervous, dealing out the cards nice and slow as a result. I ended up playing at the table for a couple shoes. Whenever the running count went way negative, I stopped betting entirely until the count surged back up. In hindsight, this was a dead give away that I was counting, but I never seemed to receive any heat.

I came back the next day and had a similar process. All in all, after about 5-6 hours of playing, I made a couple hundred dollars. Most importantly, by the end of the trip I was able to keep the running count throughout a shoe and determine the true count as I went along.
I had two main takeaways from the trip. First is that there were only a handful of times when the true count for betting purposes went above +2, which meant for the most part, I was just betting the table minimum. Second, I realized it would be quite helpful and less time consuming to play with a team who can alert you of hot tables, instead of waiting for tables to deal a new shoe and back counting.

With my current bankroll and betting size, it doesn't make much sense for me to take expensive trips to areas where the casinos offer favorable rules and good pen. For the time being, I will continue practicing in my free time in case I happen to be in an area where I can find a good game.

All comments and advice for a first time counter are welcome.

The Uston APC is the last count a beginner should be using! And, you saw how you were overwhelmed at the outset. You say that you got better in a couple of days, but you have no way at all to know if you were, indeed, playing accurately. You might want to consider learning Hi-Lo, which is much easier to use. Are you going to tell me that you also had to side count aces for betting accuracy??

You might want to read this carefully: https://www.countingedge.com/card-counting/uston-apc/

Good luck.

Don

[ZeeBabar]

“With my current bankroll and betting size, it doesn't make much sense for me to take expensive trips to areas where the casinos offer favorable rules and good pen. For the time being, I will continue practicing in my free time in case I happen to be in an area where I can find a good game.”

Dont say “for the time being”, say for the next couple of years! Maybe take a small trip, now and then and if you do, go to places where they offer DD or 6 deck games.

[Meistro123]

Sounds like a decent game actually, between the pretty liberal rules and the acceptable penetration.

[21forme]

PA has the best rules in the country in all casinos. State law requires them to have 3:2, S17, DAS, LS on all BJ games. And sum of revenues of PA casinos is second only to NV, which has many more casinos. That says something about how revenue-producing all the shit rules most casinos offer are.

[Counting_Is_Fun]

PA has the best rules in the country in all casinos. State law requires them to have 3:2, S17, DAS, LS on all BJ games. And sum of revenues of PA casinos is second only to NV, which has many more casinos. That says something about how revenue-producing all the shit rules most casinos offer are.

Good insight. Does PA really have the 2nd best revenues? That is surprising to me.

[21forme]

Good insight. Does PA really have the 2nd best revenues? That is surprising to me.

Last time I read about it (a year ago), yes. Surprised me, too, but there are a number of large population centers in PA and nearby within an hour or two drive, particularly NYC and NNJ.

[ZeeBabar]

Last time I read about it (a year ago), yes. Surprised me, too, but there are a number of large population centers in PA and nearby within an hour or two drive, particularly NYC and NNJ.

Its unfortunate that casinos are not near each other much and traffic is heavy. For the red chipper, get there and tables be full sometimes. If one went to play there (I did a few years ago), which city would we fly into, Philly? If car rentals were as cheap and casinos close to each other, might be more inclined to travel there. It’s too far by car, flight, rooms and rental cars more expensive...

[xray]

I'll definitely check out CVCX. And yes, this is the old Sugarhouse. The $25 and $15 min tables were all 8D. I didn't even bother checking what the $50 min tables were. Also, they have a high limit room I noticed on the last day but didnt even bother going in.

[xray]

Thanks for the tips, Don. Indeed, I have found the process of concentrating on the running count and then recalling the ace count every time one is dealt quite difficult.

[EyeBRollin]

PA has great games. Typically the casinos are crowded and Smokey. They’re also ruthless toward card counters.

[21forme]

which city would we fly into, Philly?

Yes. The airport isn't too far from Rivers and Harrahs Chester. Combine the trip with some historic sightseeing. There's a of of history in Phila and most of it is in a fairly compact area. And Atlantic City is only an hour away by car (shittier games, but more casinos in close proximity to each other).