2007 Trip 4
I spent more time at home than I had intended and this trip is only going to be a short one due to other commitments. I’m gratified that when I go to the first casino, the reaction I find is generally one of “long time no see”. Which is good since it hasn’t been all that long and I won a lot of money from them last time so this may indicate that they have forgotten, or at least are not worried about it. I’m fairly tired from the flight so I only play a couple of hours but have a decent win.
Day Two
I go to a different casino, let’s call it casino A. They also seem pleased to see me despite my large win last time. Disconcertingly I see a dealer who I believe used to be at a casino that has since barred me, but if she was, she doesn’t recognise me. That’s the problem with the mobility of staff between casinos. No such luck on the table however, I lose double the amount I won last night.
Day Four
I’ve been flitting between the two casinos I play most here. The bigger (and richer) one (let’s call it casino B) has the best game if the conditions are right but they frequently are not, sometimes due to the cut varying between dealers but more often because of crowded tables so it’s a case of picking and choosing your times. I get in there early evening and open up a table. At that limit I’ll probably get a couple of hours on my own. I end up with one of the most unenthusiastic dealers I’ve ever played against, she really does not care about what she’s doing or the customers. She isn’t hostile, merely uninterested. One particular shoe I lose several hands in a row. Over the sound system comes a song called “You win again”. “Very appropriate song for this shoe” I say. The response is deadpan: “I’m not playing, I’m working”. Later we chat about somewhere else in the city she used to work. I remark that this place is much nicer (quite truthfully, as the place where she used to work is a dump), at which she shrugs her shoulders and says “It’s all the same to me”. Happy in her work then.
Day Five
Well, one figure of note tonight- my biggest ever single hand win. I lose $6000 in the first half hour, then I start to claw some back. On one shoe the count goes up very much, very quickly. I have $250 on and I split my pictures against a six. Picture, picture. I split them again, 7, picture. Again, 8,picture. Again : 9 picture. The count has gone down a bit but I still have more than enough to keep splitting. Now a small crowd mainly of those from the other blackjack table has gathered to watch. Once more, picture, picture. Again, 2, 8. 7,8 on the next one. Onto the second pair of tens I had when I originally split: 9,7. dealer draws: Picture.. 9. A nine unit win on the one hand.
I break for dinner just $1500 down. That big hand with the split tens certainly limited the damage.
I get a lot back in the first hour. The conditions turn worse as the next dealer has a poor cut. Still, that very nice run has halved the deficit accrued over the previous two nights. I break for dinner and consider trying the other casino but one of the best dealers is at a table with no players so I play there. I can do nothing right and after another hour I’ve lost all the money I had won plus another $1000. Then the place gets crowded and I decide to head across to the other when which will probably have more tables open. I may come back later.
I manage to get a solo game at this casino. Players keep jumping in and out, which isn’t ideal, especially since a lot of them are quite inebriated and slow the game down considerably, but most of the time I’m on my own. I have 3 good shoes in a row and leave with a good win. I leave it there as far as this casino is concerned as I was already up against them here. I’ve lost my solo game again and it’s probably worth looking in on the other one especially since they have now won the last three sessions against me. I do find a decent game and in another hour get another $5000 back. Between the two establishments I have recovered three quarters of the last two nights’ losses. I can now see break-even!
Day Seven
Tonight brings a small win from casino A. I try casino B but it’s too crowded. One of the managers comes over and has a chat. “So you got a nice win last night,” he says. I’m slightly surprised they noticed as I played for only a short time and on many different tables, so that no one table took a big hit from me, but it is said in a very casual and friendly way so unless it is a test of how I react (I don’t think so) they don’t seem to worried about me in this place.
Day Eight
Last night brought a small win from Casino A so I now have my nose in front. I leave tomorrow so it has come down to one night to determine if this will be a winning or losing trip. Of course, in the grand scheme of things whether I win or lose tonight will have no more significance than on any other night. There is no mystical cut-off at the end of any trip that will influence how the cards will go in the future. It still feels better to end on a win though. And it does, as it turns out. I go to casino A, have a good start then drop back only slightly. I have abandoned any pretence of playing other games there now. They accept me as (a losing) bj player even though I’m still well up against them despite this week’s reversal. It has been a tale of two casinos: I’ve taken a lot from one and (as things stand) given most of it to the other. Conditions deteriorate so I go to casino B.
I have missed the peak hours there now. So it proves, I get a solo game although not much action, I remain slightly either one side of even or the other for a couple of hours and it is now rather late and I have an early flight, now only a few hours away. I decide to play two more shoes maximum and then go back to my room for a few hours sleep. I have a $3000 winning shoe the next one. That will do for this trip. I’ve won where I’ve played many fewer hours and lost quite badly at the other one where I’ve camped out, but happily I’ve taken a decent cut for transferring the money from one place to the other. Also, so far as one can be happy about losing, I’m glad that it as to casino A as I took a lot from them on the previous two trips to this city and it isn’t as big or wealthy as the other one I’ve played so the public relations benefit of a loss has had a greater impact the way it’s turned out and the exposure a win brings is less noticeable than it may be against a casino which has many more high rollers.
I spent more time at home than I had intended and this trip is only going to be a short one due to other commitments. I’m gratified that when I go to the first casino, the reaction I find is generally one of “long time no see”. Which is good since it hasn’t been all that long and I won a lot of money from them last time so this may indicate that they have forgotten, or at least are not worried about it. I’m fairly tired from the flight so I only play a couple of hours but have a decent win.
Day Two
I go to a different casino, let’s call it casino A. They also seem pleased to see me despite my large win last time. Disconcertingly I see a dealer who I believe used to be at a casino that has since barred me, but if she was, she doesn’t recognise me. That’s the problem with the mobility of staff between casinos. No such luck on the table however, I lose double the amount I won last night.
Day Four
I’ve been flitting between the two casinos I play most here. The bigger (and richer) one (let’s call it casino B) has the best game if the conditions are right but they frequently are not, sometimes due to the cut varying between dealers but more often because of crowded tables so it’s a case of picking and choosing your times. I get in there early evening and open up a table. At that limit I’ll probably get a couple of hours on my own. I end up with one of the most unenthusiastic dealers I’ve ever played against, she really does not care about what she’s doing or the customers. She isn’t hostile, merely uninterested. One particular shoe I lose several hands in a row. Over the sound system comes a song called “You win again”. “Very appropriate song for this shoe” I say. The response is deadpan: “I’m not playing, I’m working”. Later we chat about somewhere else in the city she used to work. I remark that this place is much nicer (quite truthfully, as the place where she used to work is a dump), at which she shrugs her shoulders and says “It’s all the same to me”. Happy in her work then.
Day Five
Well, one figure of note tonight- my biggest ever single hand win. I lose $6000 in the first half hour, then I start to claw some back. On one shoe the count goes up very much, very quickly. I have $250 on and I split my pictures against a six. Picture, picture. I split them again, 7, picture. Again, 8,picture. Again : 9 picture. The count has gone down a bit but I still have more than enough to keep splitting. Now a small crowd mainly of those from the other blackjack table has gathered to watch. Once more, picture, picture. Again, 2, 8. 7,8 on the next one. Onto the second pair of tens I had when I originally split: 9,7. dealer draws: Picture.. 9. A nine unit win on the one hand.
I break for dinner just $1500 down. That big hand with the split tens certainly limited the damage.
I get a lot back in the first hour. The conditions turn worse as the next dealer has a poor cut. Still, that very nice run has halved the deficit accrued over the previous two nights. I break for dinner and consider trying the other casino but one of the best dealers is at a table with no players so I play there. I can do nothing right and after another hour I’ve lost all the money I had won plus another $1000. Then the place gets crowded and I decide to head across to the other when which will probably have more tables open. I may come back later.
I manage to get a solo game at this casino. Players keep jumping in and out, which isn’t ideal, especially since a lot of them are quite inebriated and slow the game down considerably, but most of the time I’m on my own. I have 3 good shoes in a row and leave with a good win. I leave it there as far as this casino is concerned as I was already up against them here. I’ve lost my solo game again and it’s probably worth looking in on the other one especially since they have now won the last three sessions against me. I do find a decent game and in another hour get another $5000 back. Between the two establishments I have recovered three quarters of the last two nights’ losses. I can now see break-even!
Day Seven
Tonight brings a small win from casino A. I try casino B but it’s too crowded. One of the managers comes over and has a chat. “So you got a nice win last night,” he says. I’m slightly surprised they noticed as I played for only a short time and on many different tables, so that no one table took a big hit from me, but it is said in a very casual and friendly way so unless it is a test of how I react (I don’t think so) they don’t seem to worried about me in this place.
Day Eight
Last night brought a small win from Casino A so I now have my nose in front. I leave tomorrow so it has come down to one night to determine if this will be a winning or losing trip. Of course, in the grand scheme of things whether I win or lose tonight will have no more significance than on any other night. There is no mystical cut-off at the end of any trip that will influence how the cards will go in the future. It still feels better to end on a win though. And it does, as it turns out. I go to casino A, have a good start then drop back only slightly. I have abandoned any pretence of playing other games there now. They accept me as (a losing) bj player even though I’m still well up against them despite this week’s reversal. It has been a tale of two casinos: I’ve taken a lot from one and (as things stand) given most of it to the other. Conditions deteriorate so I go to casino B.
I have missed the peak hours there now. So it proves, I get a solo game although not much action, I remain slightly either one side of even or the other for a couple of hours and it is now rather late and I have an early flight, now only a few hours away. I decide to play two more shoes maximum and then go back to my room for a few hours sleep. I have a $3000 winning shoe the next one. That will do for this trip. I’ve won where I’ve played many fewer hours and lost quite badly at the other one where I’ve camped out, but happily I’ve taken a decent cut for transferring the money from one place to the other. Also, so far as one can be happy about losing, I’m glad that it as to casino A as I took a lot from them on the previous two trips to this city and it isn’t as big or wealthy as the other one I’ve played so the public relations benefit of a loss has had a greater impact the way it’s turned out and the exposure a win brings is less noticeable than it may be against a casino which has many more high rollers.
posted by The Jugador at 7:05 AM
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