See the top rated post in this thread. Click here

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123
Results 27 to 37 of 37

Thread: Handling heat....

  1. #27


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by DoubleDownSoft21 View Post
    Surveillance may watch but a good chance they are watching high limit, bacc, craps or looking for attractive women. It definitely gave me the perspective to never waste money on cover in my play.
    100% agreed, even in ultra sweaty shops like TI and Mirage in Vegas my back offs only happened when I was cashing out in the cage. my only cover play is acting rowdy when I win and ultra dramatic when I lose.

    My local store pit crew suggests the stupidest things like: not “chasing my losses” (keep the monster bets up while a high count and losing), if a player leaves, keep the spot open for a green chip and keep my monster bet so I don’t change the flow of the cards, never double down A8 or A7, always take even money... playing a good game sometimes looks like a crazy ploppy to most out crew.

  2. #28


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by Wave View Post
    Just curious, nothing malicious intended. If you feel comfortable answering...how long did you deal? Why did you stop? Is your max bet below $150-$200 a hand? Do you AP FT or PT?
    One other key point, I didn't mention earlier, in my reason for dealing was I needed to see the truth, or at least a lot more hands. I had been in an extended losing streak, and I was questioning the game. Should one blindly believe everything they read in books? After all, isn't (one of) the definition of insanity of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? 5-6 poor sessions and one may just classify it as "negative variance". You get near a 100 hour losing streak and wonder if it isn't variance, but just the way the game is. And it always came down to the same factors; dealers continuously making hands of 20 and 21, and losing in the positive counts with the big bets out.

    You know what? What I saw from the other side of the table wasn't that much different. The extended runs of drawing to 20 and 21, busting far less than 42 or 43% of the time with an upcard of 5 or 6. Generally, just crushing the players. I think I could handle the a-hole players better than most because I had experienced many tough beats myself. Granted, these were mostly unsophisticated players, many of whom didn't have a great grasp of basic strategy. Yes, there would be a shoe here and there where I would bust a lot and any player streak betting could run up a nice chunk of change. But those instances were the clear outliers. But the experience did not make me overly confident that blackjack was a good investment. After all, even if one was making money, they likely have travel; both expenses and time. I'm taking time off from playing it. I won't rule out coming back to it but even if it is just a "variance thing", who's to say I won't have to endure another 50 or 100 or 200 more hours of negative variance? At what point does one stop throwing good money after bad?

  3. #29
    Banned or Suspended
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    326


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by DoubleDownSoft21 View Post
    One other key point, I didn't mention earlier, in my reason for dealing was I needed to see the truth, or at least a lot more hands. I had been in an extended losing streak, and I was questioning the game. Should one blindly believe everything they read in books? After all, isn't (one of) the definition of insanity of doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? 5-6 poor sessions and one may just classify it as "negative variance". You get near a 100 hour losing streak and wonder if it isn't variance, but just the way the game is. And it always came down to the same factors; dealers continuously making hands of 20 and 21, and losing in the positive counts with the big bets out.

    You know what? What I saw from the other side of the table wasn't that much different. The extended runs of drawing to 20 and 21, busting far less than 42 or 43% of the time with an upcard of 5 or 6. Generally, just crushing the players. I think I could handle the a-hole players better than most because I had experienced many tough beats myself. Granted, these were mostly unsophisticated players, many of whom didn't have a great grasp of basic strategy. Yes, there would be a shoe here and there where I would bust a lot and any player streak betting could run up a nice chunk of change. But those instances were the clear outliers. But the experience did not make me overly confident that blackjack was a good investment. After all, even if one was making money, they likely have travel; both expenses and time. I'm taking time off from playing it. I won't rule out coming back to it but even if it is just a "variance thing", who's to say I won't have to endure another 50 or 100 or 200 more hours of negative variance? At what point does one stop throwing good money after bad?


    Thanks for the extra skinny...but if you are confident you are playing a +EV game, are you really throwing good money after bad? I had a brutal beat down in August, but have now dug out of that hole and am back on track. I used it as an opportunity to reevaluate my game and made a few changes that will help me in the long run.

    "We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery." --Samuel Smiles, The Lives Of George And Robert Stephenson.

    What do you think about this? I went in to pick up my weekly comp tonight at the place I'm milking and was the only person in the HL room. As soon as one of the managers came in to approve my comp, 3 suits I've never seen before came in and stood right next to my table and watched me play. I played a couple more hands and colored up. It was the first shoe I played and it was neutral, so they never saw me raise my bet or make a deviation, but I was ahead a little so I thought it was a good time to leave...which is pretty common for me at this particular location. On the way out, one of them said "Good night 'Wave', thanks for coming in tonight." I have not yet received my February comps...think they were sending me a message? I'm probably not going to go back there for 6-7 months unless I get some more comps...and when I do go back it will be on a different shift either way and will play unrated if there are no comps to pick up.
    Last edited by Wave; 01-29-2020 at 10:10 PM.

  4. #30
    Senior Member Jabberwocky's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Agharta
    Posts
    1,868


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by EyeBRollin View Post
    Acting paranoid creates more heat.
    What if I'm not acting?

  5. #31


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by Wave View Post
    Thanks for the extra skinny...but if you are confident you are playing a +EV game, are you really throwing good money after bad? I had a brutal beat down in August, but have now dug out of that hole and am back on track. I used it as an opportunity to reevaluate my game and made a few changes that will help me in the long run.

    "We learn wisdom from failure much more than from success. We often discover what will do, by finding out what will not do; and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery." --Samuel Smiles, The Lives Of George And Robert Stephenson.

    What do you think about this? I went in to pick up my weekly comp tonight at the place I'm milking and was the only person in the HL room. As soon as one of the managers came in to approve my comp, 3 suits I've never seen before came in and stood right next to my table and watched me play. I played a couple more hands and colored up. It was the first shoe I played and it was neutral, so they never saw me raise my bet or make a deviation, but I was ahead a little so I thought it was a good time to leave...which is pretty common for me at this particular location. On the way out, one of them said "Good night 'Wave', thanks for coming in tonight." I have not yet received my February comps...think they were sending me a message? I'm probably not going to go back there for 6-7 months unless I get some more comps...and when I do go back it will be on a different shift either way and will play unrated if there are no comps to pick up.
    Sorry I didn't get to respond earlier, but everything is different in High Limit. There's only a few people in surveillance so they are going to watch where the big money is going. Somebody betting, say $500 (or more) a hand is going to be closely watched. Hell, even if one wasn't counting and was betting like that, they (or the results) would be watched closely. The pit is always monitoring black and purple, so even a ploppy whale could put a short term hurt on. But it probably isn't a bad idea to lay low there for awhile.

    You are probably right re: the comment re: throwing good money after bad. I just needed a little time off to mend mentally. Unlike some, I DO feel bad sessions.

  6. #32
    Banned or Suspended
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    326


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    @DDS21: Thank you for your insight. No February comps yet and today is the 13th, so they're probably cutting me off. I'll go back in 6 months, play unrated on a different shift, change my appearance, and move them out of the "milking play" category and into my "optimal play" rotation (note @ BoSox: I know that will appease your ire). I'll miss milking them, they were so close to home!

    It is never easy to accept losses, but personally I've been very fortunate to climb out of the hole after several good sessions and have yet to experience an extended losing streak, thankfully...hope I didn't just jinx myself!

  7. #33


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by DoubleDownSoft21 View Post
    Sorry I didn't get to respond earlier, but everything is different in High Limit. There's only a few people in surveillance so they are going to watch where the big money is going. Somebody betting, say $500 (or more) a hand is going to be closely watched. Hell, even if one wasn't counting and was betting like that, they (or the results) would be watched closely. The pit is always monitoring black and purple, so even a ploppy whale could put a short term hurt on. But it probably isn't a bad idea to lay low there for awhile.

    You are probably right re: the comment re: throwing good money after bad. I just needed a little time off to mend mentally. Unlike some, I DO feel bad sessions.
    unless i end up playing for huge stakes some day i have no intention of ever playing in high limit again and i'd still want the room to be very busy.

  8. #34


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by Wave View Post
    @DDS21: Thank you for your insight. No February comps yet and today is the 13th, so they're probably cutting me off. I'll go back in 6 months, play unrated on a different shift, change my appearance, and move them out of the "milking play" category and into my "optimal play" rotation (note @ BoSox: I know that will appease your ire). I'll miss milking them, they were so close to home!
    Wave sorry if I appear to be overbearing and pushy at times. Everyone plays somewhat different in style and play, and all of us play under different financial situations that should dictate to each their own choices in life. Hopefully, we all learn something in the process.

  9. #35


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Yea you’ll be surprised. Sometimes when you take a break... you come back way stronger. With more energy. Let your mind incubate ideas.

    Also with many skills....For example, you spoke Spanish and stopped for years. You’ll definitely lose some if you take too much time off.
    Last edited by Bricklayer; 02-14-2020 at 06:16 AM.

  10. #36
    Banned or Suspended
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    326


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by BoSox View Post
    Wave sorry if I appear to be overbearing and pushy at times. Everyone plays somewhat different in style and play, and all of us play under different financial situations that should dictate to each their own choices in life. Hopefully, we all learn something in the process.
    Agreed.

  11. #37
    Senior Member MJGolf's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2014
    Location
    Sooner State
    Posts
    1,477


    Did you find this post helpful? Yes | No
    Quote Originally Posted by Jabberwocky View Post
    What if I'm not acting?
    To pervert the old saying, I wouldn't be so paranoid IF all the dealers, pit bosses, and suits and surveillance weren't out to get me
    "Women and cats will do as they please, and Men and dogs should just relax and get used to the idea" --- Robert A. Heinlein

Page 3 of 3 FirstFirst 123

Similar Threads

  1. Back offs and countermeasures, need help handling them..
    By ZeeBabar in forum General Blackjack Forum
    Replies: 83
    Last Post: 11-25-2018, 01:57 PM
  2. Handling a winning streak
    By mickeymouse in forum General Blackjack Forum
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 03-29-2015, 02:35 PM
  3. Handling REKO Full
    By Blitzkrieg in forum General Blackjack Forum
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 02-14-2014, 01:25 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  

About Blackjack: The Forum

BJTF is an advantage player site based on the principles of comity. That is, civil and considerate behavior for the mutual benefit of all involved. The goal of advantage play is the legal extraction of funds from gaming establishments by gaining a mathematic advantage and developing the skills required to use that advantage. To maximize our success, it is important to understand that we are all on the same side. Personal conflicts simply get in the way of our goals.