Vegas Casinos seeing red

For that, I would prefer one-on-one

 

It'll burn me one day. I know this to be a fact. Trying to win 2 units in a session vs losing 40 or 50.

 

Back in my younger days, I was one of the sad regulars at the casino for about a year. Played a lot of Blackjack. A LOT. Had some 24-hour plus sessions. Never had the concentration to count cards for any length of time, but I did get a good feel for the rhythm of the game. If you hang in long enough, about once an hour, maybe once every two hours, you'll get what I call "the good shoe." It's a run of cards that you absolutely cannot lose at -- and if you do, it's not more than one hand -- and it'll last for 15-20 hands.
The hard part, assuming you're not counting cards, is spotting it. It was more instinct than science for me. I'd get a hint we were on it a few hands in and then slowly up my bet. Playing at a $5 table, for example, if I was feeling it I'd up it to $10, then $15, then $20 and finally $25 after each win, and repeat the process or keep pushing after a loss. That way, if I'm wrong, I minimized my losses.
The dicey part, for someone who was a low-stakes degenerate, was getting to that $25 hand and winding up with a pair of 3s. Next thing you know you've split and doubled down twice, have $100 on the table and you're hoping a couple of 18s hold up. I had more than one potentially great session swing the wrong way when they didn't.

 

$5 tables fucking blow. They're always crowded, you only get a few hands out of a shoe, and odds are you'll have multiple morons at the tale, hitting on 16 with the dealer showing 5.

Single deck, $25 minimum, 4 a.m. That's ideal.

 

I did enjoy some single- and double-deck, but I always liked the $5 tables in case I sit down and the dealer is Helga the Unlaughing Hungarian Blackjack Machine and her Stacked Shoe of Death. If I'm getting cleaned out in under 10 minutes, I at least want to minimize my losses. I figured, too, that being able to only bet $5 helps me manage things a little bit better. I can always bet more if the cards get hot, but no matter what your bankroll it's harder to weather the storm when they go cold at a higher-limit table.
Finding a $5 pitch table was like finding the Holy Grail. Best of both worlds. Usually the limits were at least $10 on those, though, even at off-peak hours.

 

Hey, big spender...

 

Eddie Mush!

Eddie Montanaro owned a deli on 187th Street, in the Arthur Avenue (Belmont) section of the Bronx, where the movie was set (though it was filmed in Brooklyn).

De Niro cast a bunch of locals in the movie, including Eddie.

Eddie would hang out at the Pizza place down the block most nights and get drunk. I was a regular at this place around 1991, and he'd be there nearly very night, drinking draft beer. He was very proud of the De Niro signed cast jacket that he wore.

Nice guy, but kind of the sad neighborhood drunk.

 

The best way to do Vegas is in the company of a high roller. You share the comps. If he wins big, it's great. If he looses, NBD.

And, they've got to spend time at the tables to justify their comps, so you've got plenty of time on your own.

 

When I was in law school, we would take the 10 pm Greyhound to AC from NYC on a Friday or Saturday night. The bus was free with a coupon and they would give you $15-20 in quarters. By regulation at the time, the casinos had to have a certain number of $5 tables open. We would pool our money and have one guy play for 3-4 of us. Play until the 6:30 bus home. Good times.

 

I got to play BJ at an Indian Casino last year with a big roller (former NBAer). While I was playing my $25/hand, he started in with the $500 and was playing 2 handed. Luckily, I was treading water. After about 20 mins, he requests a limit raise to $1000 and its okay'd. Another 30 mins later, he wants another table limit raise and they say no. An hour later, he walked out with $15,000 and had the decency to ask me how I did ($75, better than losing.) All we got was some drinks.

 

Maybe they can keep the lights on another week.

Las Vegas wins as Clemson backdoors Alabama on late TD, flips millions