Training my wife for cover.

[mofungoo]

It's good that you two are starting with REKO for your first gambling trip. Treat the first trip or two as learning experiences, play 3:2 single and double deck games for low stakes. The places on the Boulder Highway are good for low stakes play and practicing your act. I would skip shoe games entirely until you get more experience - 1D and 2D games are easier to beat and you won't have to keep the count for as long.

[Slacker13]

I'm guessing the op's wife is not a counter. So, have her play hands at flat bet until you realize an edge. Then you jump in when it is good and bet whatever you want to bet. As a couple, you can play it off as tourists/drunks easily. Go for it.

[ohbehave]

I'm guessing the op's wife is not a counter. So, have her play hands at flat bet until you realize an edge. Then you jump in when it is good and bet whatever you want to bet. As a couple, you can play it off as tourists/drunks easily. Go for it.

+1

As long as you don't camp out at one table/casino you should be able to pull this off for quite some time.

[Skull]

It's good that you two are starting with REKO for your first gambling trip. Treat the first trip or two as learning experiences, play 3:2 single and double deck games for low stakes. The places on the Boulder Highway are good for low stakes play and practicing your act. I would skip shoe games entirely until you get more experience - 1D and 2D games are easier to beat and you won't have to keep the count for as long.

Thanks for the advice about Boulder Highway! I willl check it out for sure, but in truth I was thinking of mainly keeping it to my hotel (a major strip one), being rated, aiming for comps and to create a good relation with casino personnel, in the lines of what Ian Andersen teaches us in Burning the Tables.

Specially, since BJ will mainly be a hollyday thing for me (unless I get really crazy about it!), I would like to learn how to find a good game and stick with it for hours. That's why I am so concerned about a good act and cover.

And I must admit I wasn't thinking too much about single or double deck games. It seems that they are very hard to find with good rules and low stakes, specially in big hotels. But I will definitely check Boulevard now that you mentioned the good games there. This will enhance my Vegas learning experience for sure.

Best!

[Skull]

I'm guessing the op's wife is not a counter. So, have her play hands at flat bet until you realize an edge. Then you jump in when it is good and bet whatever you want to bet. As a couple, you can play it off as tourists/drunks easily. Go for it.

You mean just stay behind her counting while she plays alone and then jumping in when the count is good? I would have to think of some good cover act, wouldn't I? Or am I too paranoid because of the book I just read (Burning the Tables)?

Otherwise, I can just act Yogi... if they ask me if I am a counter I can just say: "you mean now?"

[Skull]

+1

As long as you don't camp out at one table/casino you should be able to pull this off for quite some time.

Hopefully!
And to increase my cover, and possibly longevity, whenever I really have time to practice (which is on weekends), I drink a lot of beers while practicing
I have been taking records of my training and I always right down if I am drinking or if it is in the morning, etc... I am actually way better drinking at night than I am sober in the morning!
Or maybe I am just messing up with the records because of the beer

Best!

[Slacker13]

You mean just stay behind her counting while she plays alone and then jumping in when the count is good? I would have to think of some good cover act, wouldn't I? Or am I too paranoid because of the book I just read (Burning the Tables)?

Otherwise, I can just act Yogi... if they ask me if I am a counter I can just say: "you mean now?"

Yep, just jump in . Make some dumb comment like "*****z be trippin" and I'll show u how it is

[Skull]

Yep, just jump in . Make some dumb comment like "*****z be trippin" and I'll show u how it is

Got it! Thanks Slacker!

[RS]

Use your wife for card-eating. For example, she plays 2 hands of $5, while you play 1 hand of $25 (min) and a max of $150 [or w/e your max is]. Imagine playing a full table w/ 4 other players, and whenever the count goes positive, they all jump out and let you play the positive rounds for yourself. Your wife is acting like "the 4 other players" (except only 2 hands) and she is jumping out in positive counts to let you spread. You aren't worried about her $5 minimum bets losing during the negative counts. She won't have to count at all. When the count gets positive, you give her a signal and she drops from 2 hands to 1 hand (or just drops out all together to 0 hands).

An EXAMPLE spread would be:

TC <= 0 : $25, $5, $5 (Your $25, 2 hands of $5 for her)
TC = 1 : $50, $5 (Your $50, her 1 hand of $5)
TC = 2 : $100, $5 (Your $100, her 1 hand of $5)
TC => 3 : $150 (Your hand of $150, she plays no hands)

That's what I'd think for HiLo -- not sure how to translate it to REKO, though.

[Skull]

Use your wife for card-eating. For example, she plays 2 hands of $5, while you play 1 hand of $25 (min) and a max of $150 [or w/e your max is]. Imagine playing a full table w/ 4 other players, and whenever the count goes positive, they all jump out and let you play the positive rounds for yourself. Your wife is acting like "the 4 other players" (except only 2 hands) and she is jumping out in positive counts to let you spread. You aren't worried about her $5 minimum bets losing during the negative counts. She won't have to count at all. When the count gets positive, you give her a signal and she drops from 2 hands to 1 hand (or just drops out all together to 0 hands).

An EXAMPLE spread would be:

TC <= 0 : $25, $5, $5 (Your $25, 2 hands of $5 for her)
TC = 1 : $50, $5 (Your $50, her 1 hand of $5)
TC = 2 : $100, $5 (Your $100, her 1 hand of $5)
TC => 3 : $150 (Your hand of $150, she plays no hands)

That's what I'd think for HiLo -- not sure how to translate it to REKO, though.

Now I got it! Thanks for the detailed explanation RollingStoned, I appreciated!
Very interesting, and I think the signal itself could be me increasing my bets, don't you think? She would see it and drop from 2 to 1 or to zero hands immediately.
Out of my complete casino ignorance, the only think I am concerned is: is it normal for a lady to be playing like that with her husband?
I mean, playing multiple hands while he is not? I guess every tactic like this will necessarily need an accompanying act, won't it?

Best!

[Slacker13]

Out of my complete casino ignorance, the only think I am concerned is: is it normal for a lady to be playing like that with her husband?
I mean, playing multiple hands while he is not? I guess every tactic like this will necessarily need an accompanying act, won't it?

Best!

I don't think you should be concerned about this. Watch other people, this kind of stuff happens all the time.

[Skull]

I don't think you should be concerned about this. Watch other people, this kind of stuff happens all the time.

Thanks Slacker! Yeah, I guess I need to see the real thing in order to put things into perspective. I am reading so much and practicing "so much", that I will be killing myself by the middle of the year to see real action. Everything is very abstract for me right now I guess... that's exactly what I need - "watch other people" - but I have no one to watch!! The nearest casino is in another country!! Or maybe a boat....


P.S.: The quotes in "so much" is because I am having a hard time squeezing some practice time in my day. Today at 5:30 a.m., I was working out and doing counting drills with CV app in my cell phone in between sets!! Crazy....

[jbuck]

Great thread Skull! My wife has shown interest and has played with me betting small red *once* and she actually liked it except for the speed dealer that came in when they thought I was counting. I plan on using her for cover this coming weekend by playing the complete neophyte and sucking up cards when the count goes negative.