neptune: a taj tale......

[neptune]

i had an interesting sunday @ the taj in a.c.

i went with a simple plan... 8 deck game, wong out @ tc < -1, increasing my bet by no more that a parlay and spreading 15/150.

of course, the first table i sat down at, the count went right through the roof and i couldn't win a hand dropping $500 in about 5 minutes :-) :-) :-) i felt like i walked face first into a buzz-saw.

things got better and i started to grind it slowly back with the counts never getting too high for the next few shoes.

then, i caught a nice shoe where the count got real good with about a deck left to be played. the last 3 hands with $150 out i drew 20, 20 and a natural for 3 winners.

all the while at the different tables i sat at, they were cutting a barely playable game 2-2.5 decks cut off. none of the other players were raising their bets with the count.

after the shuffle i left the $150 out, but the dealer cut the pack in half !!!!! 4 decks cut off!!! i could only imagine they were trying to "flush" me out, so i left the $150 bet out and won the first 2 hands of the shoe !!!

with the count slightly positive after i lost the 3rd hand, i decreased to $75, $25 and $15 on successive hands and flat bet the rest of the shoe, excepting i pressed up to $30 on slightly negative counts to try to throw them off the scent.

after that shoe, the dealer went back to the "normal" 2-2.5 deck cut off.

i cannot imagine any other reason for the dealer to cut 4 decks off other than they suspected someone (me) counting.

did i do the right thing.....

[Brick]

You called the dealers bluff,way to go.

> i had an interesting sunday @ the taj in
> a.c.

> i went with a simple plan... 8 deck game,
> wong out @ tc of course, the first table i
> sat down at, the count went right through
> the roof and i couldn't win a hand dropping
> $500 in about 5 minutes :-) :-) :-) i felt
> like i walked face first into a buzz-saw.

> things got better and i started to grind it
> slowly back with the counts never getting
> too high for the next few shoes.

> then, i caught a nice shoe where the count
> got real good with about a deck left to be
> played. the last 3 hands with $150 out i
> drew 20, 20 and a natural for 3 winners.

> all the while at the different tables i sat
> at, they were cutting a barely playable game
> 2-2.5 decks cut off. none of the other
> players were raising their bets with the
> count.

> after the shuffle i left the $150 out, but
> the dealer cut the pack in half !!!!! 4
> decks cut off!!! i could only imagine they
> were trying to "flush" me out, so
> i left the $150 bet out and won the first 2
> hands of the shoe !!!

> with the count slightly positive after i
> lost the 3rd hand, i decreased to $75, $25
> and $15 on successive hands and flat bet the
> rest of the shoe, excepting i pressed up to
> $30 on slightly negative counts to try to
> throw them off the scent.

> after that shoe, the dealer went back to the
> "normal" 2-2.5 deck cut off.

> i cannot imagine any other reason for the
> dealer to cut 4 decks off other than they
> suspected someone (me) counting.

> did i do the right thing.....

[Sun Runner]

Winning two max bets off the top .. how sweet that really is.

Did the dealer cut off on his own or did someone tell him to?

Why did you have the max bet out anyway -were you feeling some heat already?

[neptune]

> Winning two max bets off the top .. how
> sweet that really is.

> Did the dealer cut off on his own or did
> someone tell him to?

>>>>neptune

i didn't notice a suit, but i really wasn't paying attention til i saw the 'cut'. i was busy chatting up the other players at the table

> Why did you have the max bet out anyway
> -were you feeling some heat already?

>>>>neptune

nope... i always use 4 forms of 'very mild cover': same first bet as closing bet (costs less than a buck) , never raise bet more than a parlay (no matter the increase in count), change count system from hi-lo to ko every other shoe (if a boss or eye are counting along with me , by changing systems they depart from basic strategy at slightly differing points muddling the issue) and no ten splitting.

other than that, no misplays and 1llustrious 18.

[Geoff Hall]

> Did the dealer cut off on his own or did
> someone tell him to?

It's unlikely that the dealer will take it upon himself to cut the shoe in half. More likely the instructions came from either the pit or above.

Best regards

Geoff

[Brick]

Some dealers can be pricks,trust me.

> It's unlikely that the dealer will take it
> upon himself to cut the shoe in half. More
> likely the instructions came from either the
> pit or above.

> Best regards

> Geoff

[Moose]

> Some dealers can be pricks,trust me.

First time I ever played in Vegas, at the Circus Circus - the day after I first met my dear Donna, in fact - I was at the 1 deck table, back when naturals payed 3:2.

I thought the guy I was with was counting, but wasn't sure, until this new dealer comes, deals the first round with a new RC (no aces or tens out), and loudly proclaims "Wow, we better shuffle that bad luck away", just because we lost.

At this point, the guy besides me is in near shock, and loudly exclaims "you fat f*ck!" to the dealer, and storms off. Hmmm, guess he was a counter after all.

Yes, some dealers do like "busting counters", for ego gratification probably. Usually, I try and work the dealer on to my side with comments like "hey, you're right, looks like we're both smarter than the suits around here, eh?" - occasionally, knowing that they're "in on it" is all that these dealers want.

Or, sometimes they really are just plain old fat f*cks..

M.

[Brick]

If I didn't know better I'd think you might of been one of them at one time,is this correct?

[Moose]

> If I didn't know better I'd think you might
> of been one of them at one time,is this
> correct?

Been a dealer, you mean? I was indeed, and I gave out the best game in town. >5.5/6 on the $25-$500 H17 DOA DAS ES10 game.

I was one of the dealers who enjoyed figuring out who the counters were, but being as I was getting into it myself then, I knew enough about how little exposure they wanted to realize that cutting off 1/3 of a deck with a wink would be enough to let them know I was in on it. I just hated dealing to superstituous idiots.. which explains why I had trouble staying in the casino business.

M.