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09-01-2002, 04:30 AM
Come August 20 and it's time for a trip to Vegas. But wait! First I must gamble in Calgary. And it gets off to a terrible start, as I lose at both blackjack and poker, to the tune of $250. Then on the ride back to get a good night's sleep, I proceed to blow a tire and yep, it's tilt time. However, my night's sleep calms me down, I get my new tire and peel on out. I arrive at my Grandmother's and relax for a day before zooming

on the 1700km trip to Reno to see my brother.


Unfortunately I arrive in downtown Reno at 4am, which doesn't inspire my brother to rush down and pick me up and show me where exactly he lives. "Gamble for a few hours", he snarls, almost getting the words out before I hang up and get seated in a 3-6 game at the El Dorado. Oddly, it seems that 19 hours of driving isn't the best preparation for doing this, and I rapidly lose $100. The most memorable hand comes when I limp

with KhQh, call a raise and flop the flush. The pot grows large rapidly and ends up down to me and one other guy...the guy with the ace of hearts. He catches the last heart at the end and beats me. A bit steamed, I decide to go try out double deck blackjack for the first time. I get ahead quickly, but then burn off $300 more to go through a quarter of my trip bankroll in my first 4 hours! A bit disconcerting to say the least.


A few hours sleep, a round of golf, and a visit to the Atlantis buffet later, I feel great and ready to try some more gambool. I find the poker game at the casino quite superb and win back a pile despite being run down by my own brother on a hand where I have AA and the board comes Q-x-x-x-Q and he has KQ. I then get run down a few more times before walking away up $123. I then stroll out for another try at the DD BJ game, where I manage a $95 win to start to recover from the

disaster I began on.


Another day of relaxation and golf and sleep and now I feel ok again. The next day, it's another round of golf, and some single deck blackjack. This time it goes fabulous, and I win $400 moving into the black from gambling for the trip so far. The next day, my final in Tahoe, I win another $170 playing single deck blackjack and leave for Vegas, having enjoyed a great visit and some winning gambling!


I arrive in Vegas on Monday August 26 and check into the Gold Coast. I stayed there last year when we went to Vegas and found the rooms cheap and clean and pretty much just a darn nice place to stay. About 2 miles off the strip, but with a shuttle to the strip every 15 minutes, its just about perfect for my needs.


My first gambling in Vegas is in the 8-16 at the

Bellagio. An early hand arises where I call a late position raise with AJs in the SB. The flop is T9x with one of my suit and I checkraise the checked-to button bettor. The UTG player calls and I put him on a draw. The button calls. The turn is a 7 and I bet. UTG calls and the button folds. The river is a K and I bet and am surprised to be called. UTG shows KJ and my

image as a stone bluffing maniac is official. This

image hasn't been successful for me lately and I

proceed to drop $331 in this game.


I then steam off to an 8 deck BJ game and blow off

another $200 and its looking to be a very horrific

trip. I stomp back to the Gold Coast and sit down in a double deck blackjack game for 5 hours, in which I win $530 to get back to even. I'm now officially extremely happy. At least until a pit boss approaches me with the "good news" that although I am now welcome to try any of the other casino games, blackjack is now off limits. Oh well...I broke even on my first day in Vegas and considering where I was, that's a pretty ok

place to be.


The next day (Tuesday), I stroll to the Bellagio and play some 4-8, winning $40 in a short session. I then go to the Mirage and play 3-6 and finagle a $68 win. I was going back and forth in an attempt to find either Clarkmeister, Dynasty, or the pokerbabe(unsuccessfully on this day). I then, confidence restored, go back to the 8-16 game at the Bellagio, where I go on a quick rush and win $397. Some memorable hands: I limp with QJ on the button and the flop comes J93 with two hearts. I get checkraised on the flop and I three bet. I get called, and called down, and my hand is good. I win another big pot when I come with 6h5h and flop the flush draw and open ended and make the flush on the river.


Somewhat encouraged, I go have supper and then come back to the 8-16 at the Bellagio and proceed to lose my ass. I go on a series of AJ hands; I win against A9 on a board of A8762; I win on a flop of KK9; I lose vs 55 on a flop of A53; I lose vs 75o on a board of A6436. All these hands happened within 3 orbits of the table, and I was a bit upset, and left down $360.


That was more than enough gambling for the day, and I'm still sitting around even for my trip so far, staying ahead of expenses. Wednesday is to be my trip downtown to the Horseshoe to check out the new line of WSOP videos, which I proceed to purchase en masse (7 new ones in all - one of which I'm watching while writing this trip report). I then slip into the 4 Queens and play a couple of go rounds of double deck blackjack, making $115 and paying for my videos. Excellent!


On the ride back to the Strip, I get caught in rush hour traffic, which I find odd, given that it's something like 3 in the afternoon. The cab driver reminds me that this coincides with the dealer shift change; one of those odd things about Vegas that you don't really think about.


Anyways, the good news is that I've hooked up with Clark and Dynasty and I'm meeting them at 5 at the Mirage poker room. I get there about an hour early and sit in the 10-20 game at the Mirage, the highest limit I've played so far. The very first hand, I come in with a pair of tens and get caught by someone who flops a full house, and lose a hundred bucks on the first hand. However, I catch a nice run of cards, including

aces twice in a row (one win, one loss, when 44 flops a set), followed by AK (read about this hand in the small stakes forum) and get slightly

ahead. Then I catch a run of marginal hands where I hit the flop nicely and win some pots (read about one of these hands in my post "Four river decisions before I start driving").


One example comes when it's folded to the SB who

raises, not noticing that its heads up and apologizes. I say its ok and call him with KJ. The flop comes J-6-6 and I call his bet. The turn is an 8 and I call him. The river is a J and he checks. Well, if he hadn't bet the flop and turn, I give him a break here, but now I have to pummel him and I bet into what turns out to be his KK. This sends him out the door.


I win a couple more hands and end up ahead $535 on the session. I then go for supper with the internet poker guys and then we sit to play LL poker. I decide its time for some excitement and start raising every hand and go on a fast monster rush and win $160 in 4-8 with a variety of extremely ridiculous hands. Meanwhile, a

porn star convention is going on in the ballroom

beside the poker room which is causing us some major distractions (I am not making this up). The most memorable hand of this session to me is a hand where it goes 5 bets preflop and I have 92o. The flop is A96, turn is a 9, and the river is a 2. I am severely beaten down by AA as expected! I then decide its time to pick on the guy who beat me, noting that I can't believe I lost with a full house over and over again. I tire of this and then repeatedly call the houseman over to ask if he can turn down the lights since one of the players is clearly bothered by the lights since

he is wearing sunglasses. Anyways, after all this fun, I drop $160 and go off to make it back playing blackjack. I quickly do so, making $195, and then go back to the poker room to play normally.


I get a great run of starting cards and quickly get well up but then a hand comes up. I am on the button with 99 and raise 2 limpers. Tighty McMikey reraises me and we are heads up to the flop, which is QJ5. He checks, I check, knowing his proclivity for checkraising flops. The turn however is a 9. Ho ho ho, this sucker checked his AQ or KK or whatever on the flop and now I'm going to take him to the cleaners! He bets and I raise. Then he reraises! Ruh roh Raggy! I call him and the river completes the flush draw on

board. He checks and I mock him mercilessly for being a big chicken before checking to see his QQ and an extremely inexpensive set under set confrontation. I get it all back a little later on a standard but painfully rare hand. It gets 3 bet preflop with me having KK, and the flop comes AKx, and I proceed to give AK the reaming of a lifetime. He bets the flop, I raise, he reraises and I just call. He bets the turn and I raise, and then I bet the river and he calls. I end the day up 195 from blackjack and up 470 from poker.


The next day was to be my last in Vegas. I was going to the Gambler's book store with Clark, Dynasty and Mikey, and met up with them after dropping $100 in the 3-6 at the Mirage while we waited for Mikey to cheer on his beloved Browns. I manage to only blow $350 at the book store, picking up 3 Brier books, and a couple of BJ

books, and yes, two more poker videos. We then went to play some more 4-8 and I only managed one memorable hand. I call a late position raise in the blinds with 88 and the flop comes A84. I check, planning to checkraise the expected button bet. He crosses me up by checking. I bet the Jack on the turn and he calls. The river is a 9 and I bet and get raised and call. He turns over JJ, for my second set under set in two days. I end up dropping another $160 in this game, but then win $300 at BJ at the Bellagio and decide to call it a trip.


The drive home is not unlike this email... incredibly long and boring. The end. It was great to meet Clark, Dynasty, pokerbabe, and Mikey and I think I learned quite a bit playing with them. The games in Vegas were actually fairly good, both the 8-16 and the 10-20 I sat in had plenty of bad players. Overall, I came out ahead on the trip, and that's better than last year, so I count it a success. Great meeting you guys and see you again soon.

09-01-2002, 05:08 AM

09-01-2002, 06:16 AM
which BJ books did you get?


b

09-01-2002, 12:47 PM
"a 1700km trip"


Listen up. We don't use those units in this country.


Did you take your anti-CIFOSI pills before you went home? I hope you make a speedy recovery.


Had a blast, was great to meet my fellow 2+2 LAG.

09-01-2002, 01:41 PM
Million Dollar Blackjack by Uston and Professional Blackjack by Wong

09-01-2002, 01:42 PM
I can't help it if your country is backwards from everywhere else in the world!


For you, a product of the US education system....1700km = 1120 miles.


And luckily, we have socialized medicine so I was able to get my pills cheap ;p

09-01-2002, 01:51 PM
good books...million dollar is good for the stories, and it will show why team play isnt so great...


what other ones do you have?

i hope your not just starting with wong's pro BJ.


sorry, it got my blood pumping a little for my old game. /images/wink.gif


if you can find it, try ian andersons, 'turning the tables'

great book thats out of print. actually i think its a collectors item now. but it will get ya pumped a little. its a classic. he has another one, but i havent read that one yet.


are ya just getting into the game seriously? im guessing from your post that you are.


it's cat and mouse yknow....but fun


b

09-01-2002, 01:56 PM
I mostly learned on the net, started by learning BS, then I started reading bj21.com. I practice BS on www.hitorstand.net (http://www.hitorstand.net) and I practice other stuff on www.robtougher.com (http://www.robtougher.com). I've been playing for about 5 months. The only other book I have is Sklansky on Blackjack.


I know what you mean about cat and mouse. When I sat down to play at the 4 Queens, it was a bit of a rush to almost feel like I was doing something illegal.

09-01-2002, 04:29 PM
"I know what you mean about cat and mouse. When I sat down to play at the 4 Queens, it was a bit of a rush to almost feel like I was doing something illegal"


illegal to the casino, but not prosecutable by law. they dont welcome counters with open arms...as you found out. so leave the shirt and hat that says 'counters do it by the numbers' at home...haha


once you get BS down, which you probably already do, it gets a little easier. since their are only really 16 deviations from it that really help. there are 2 others, the illustrious 16, but unless the conditions are extremely right, i wouldnt do em.


one thing about BJ books, if you get even 1 or 2 ideas, it can be worth it. after awhile youll be skipping about 100 pages in each. you can only read so much on BS and the kelly criterion. its the inbetween stuff that can have the nuggets...though i do check the BS of the new book against wongs...not a bad idea. wong took much of his from braun's book, but made it better.


also, if theyre published or written in newjersey, theyre usually crap books.


here's some other books that are great...


wongs'basic BJ.....in case you have holes...fill em now before counting...a very complete book


the worlds greatest BJ book. humble/cooper?....lots of shit in this one...


BJ secrets...another wong


arnold snyder stuff....real good...


BJ for blood... has some good stuff


BJ diary , stu perry...good read if you get it, try and find the flaw he had. he doesnt mention it, but i found it...


that should be good...


if you have alot of BJ rooms by your place, try wongs BJ newsletter. it lists table conditions around the globe. a MUST if your going to play in nevada. it will save you tons of time and be well worth its price. his special mailings are also good. if you need a strategy for any rule, he has it.


unless times have changed...ala patterson, the jerk, if your getting into BJ, get into wong.


for other reviews, a good book is Dalton's BJ: a professional reference. along with great reviews, its got some other good stuff too. wish id have found this one earlier...


man, i havent talked BJ in so long....i need a cold shower...haha


have fun..


b

09-01-2002, 05:50 PM
I don't think you need a whole library of bj books (unless you they're just for fun). you just need a counting system that works. I definitely recommend the omega II strategy -- blackjack for blood by bryce carlson. the strategy works well and is designed for single and double deck games.

bernie
09-02-2002, 02:41 AM
once you read a few, your right, there really isnt much more. but there usually is something in some book thats worth reading. as a person told me way back, if your going to learn a game, learn all you can and take all the information available. know it 'til you know it inside and out...

you can also have different angles on concepts that may not register the way one book explains it...

btw...the omega is a 4 level count system isnt it? it can be a bitch. as ian anderson said, all the counts work, it's which one is easier to 'act' for you that you want to use. if you can keep a 4 level count, vary your bets, and keep the pit from suspicion...by all means do it. but the benefits/mistakes work on a smaller margin for error. it's also much tougher, thus could be easier to detect from the cameras...

something to think about...

b

johnb
09-03-2002, 12:19 AM
Davids post that 'there was a porn star convention going on in the ballroom next to the poker room' and everyone wants to know what blackjac book he bought....

09-03-2002, 02:51 AM
Hey! Don't dis Patterson's books! The man knows his blackjack! You should never split 88 against a dealer's 10!!! And everyone knows you can win long-term at craps, too!