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Table Games Blackjack players

Discussion in 'Table Games' started by critchtc21, Mar 4, 2013.

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  1. critchtc21

    critchtc21 Low-Roller

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    I am mainly a blackjack player. I put 90 percent of my bank roll towards blackjack in Vegas. What are some of your favorite spots for blackjack.

    Where pays the best. Would like to find 3/2 S17 rules. On strip only. I understand this will be mainly higher table minimums. I may stay at Flamingo or Harrah's. I actually liked gambling at Harrah's, maybe since I won big there once. But it is still hard to find good paying game.

    Also, what are some betting structures you guys use? I strictly use a progressive betting style.
     
  2. USCHawks

    USCHawks High-Roller

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    I can't help you with the s17 games because I usually only play $10-$15 tables. As for betting strategies, I'll start out at $10-$15 and add $5 to my bet after every win. Once I get into the 30-40 dollar range I'll add $10 per bet. If I lose, I start back at the beginning all over again. It's nice when you get the streaks of 5-10 wins in a row but you can lose it quicker if the table is choppy.
     
  3. critchtc21

    critchtc21 Low-Roller

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    Ya. Pretty much same betting strategy. I have seen some people do very well with this strategy. You are taking profits on win streaks while increasing the bet. And you are minimizing losses on bad streaks. Really don't understand some of the other strategies as they would only seem to work with a choppy table.
     
  4. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    3:2 S17 tables...MGM or Mirage are the two that come to mind, $25 minimum.

    You won't find it at a CET property at less than $100.
     
  5. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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  6. USCHawks

    USCHawks High-Roller

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    When you're on a hot table it's great. I just recently started doing this, before I would usually just flat bet $5-$15 at the local casino. I was at the casino two weeks ago at a $10 table and bought in with $100. I lost 7 of my first 8 hands and was down to $35. I then proceeded to go on a run of I believe 12 wins in a row and got up to a $100 bet before I lost. Ended up cashing out a short time after with $825. For some that may not seem like much but for a low roller like me that was the most I've won. Doubling down when you have $75 out there is a totally different feeling than with a $10 bet knowing you could lose $150 just like that.

    And yes, I know this doesn't always work. When I was in Vegas a month ago I only had one winning session out of my four day trip.
     
  7. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    in the high limit room at harrahs and flamingo the 6 dech stops on all 17s and the price changes from 25 to 100 a hand depending on time of day and how packed there,
    i belive all double deck at cet properties hit on soft 17 and 8 deck only there 6 deck stop at soft 17
     
  8. Tubbs

    Tubbs High-Roller

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    From Flamingo or Harrah's, your best bet is Mirage. They have a DD S17 game outside the high limit lounge where the minimum is usually $25. There is also a 6 deck S17 table that backs on to the DD table. That game might have $25 minimum.

    Bellagio is next best. S17 in the pit on the right past the Baccarat Bar. Mix of DD & 6 deck. More likely to find $25 minimum on the 6 deck games, and probably only during the day.

    Further afield, Aria and MGM will have a $25 6 deck S17 game during quieter periods.
     
    Last edited: Mar 5, 2013
  9. eksantirik

    eksantirik High-Roller

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    I also spend most of my time on blackjack, it's a lot of fun and has the lowest house edge in a casino.

    First of all, if you're not a counter, memorize basic strategy (with all the variations as strategy slightly differs with the rules). Memorize it using the sources like wizardofodds.com or blackjackinfo.com. Gift shop basic strategy cards are not always accurate (they're printed by the House, don't forget!).

    If you want to play just for fun, play the table minimum at all times. If it's a $10 game, and you play a 6D H17 game with surrender, you'll lose on average $3.50/hour ($10 x 60 hands x 0.58%). You'll get it back via free drinks. This is basically what I do.

    If you want to play for comps, play $25 games, as most strip properties won't rate you if you play less than $25. In that case, you're playing a 6D S17 game with surrender, which will make your average hourly loss $5.40 ($25 x 60 hands x 0.36%). However, based on casino's comp calculation system, you'll probably earn $9.00 worth of comps ($25 x 60 hands x 2% x 30%), excluding the free drinks.

    So, if you can stomach the big swings with a $25 game (if you have enough bankroll to avoid the risk of ruin), play an S17 game at $25 at all times and ask to be rated.

    Progression bets don't earn you much as the pit boss might not recognize your bet increases all the time. Now, if you can trick the pit to showing that you've been playing higher stakes than you really are, then you are entitled to more comps. Other than that, stick to flat betting.

    As far as places are concerned, I love all mid-range MGM props for blackjack. 3:2 games with surrender, they offer some of the best for low-stakes blackjack on strip. Mirage, MGM, NYNY, Monte Carlo, Mandalay Bay, Luxor are all great. My favorites are Mirage and Monte Carlo. I was also able to find $10 games with the same rules at Venetian at times.
     
  10. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    This calculation isn't right. No place is going to give you cash comps worth more than your theoretical loss. If your theoretical hourly loss is $5.40, the best you'll probably get in comps is 30% of that, or $1.62. They aren't going to credit you with a 2.0% house edge in their calculation on a game that has a 0.36% house edge.

    They MAY use a number somewhat larger than the actual house edge in their calculations on skill-based games, (assuming you will play less than optimal), but nothing like 0.36% to 2.00%.
     
  11. DonnyC

    DonnyC VIP Whale

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    Going to play some black jack with my brother (decided to use use the full word as 'BJ' and 'brother' should never be in the same sentence!)

    If I'm going to buy in for both of us - my money, can I get rated on our total bet? Eg) if we play at a $10 min table and I play $15 and him $10, can I get rated for $25? How do I know they are doing rating me for sure? (Otherwise we might just as well play $5, or both $10).
     
  12. WrongWayWade

    WrongWayWade VIP Whale

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    No, they'll only rate one player spot on one card. All your brother need to do is get his own card, and you usually can 'link' the two cards to combine the comps. (At least I know that works with wife/husband accounts).

    Many people will tell you they won't rate anything below $25/hand, but I don't think that really true, and I know it's not true everywhere.

    When you leave the table, ask the pit boss how much he had you rated for. He'll tell you the average bet size he put down and how long you were there. He won't tell you any more of the comp calculation beyond that, though.

    It's also easy to stick your card in a slot machine before your session and after your session (wait 15 minutes or so), and you'll see the change in your comp points.
     
  13. eksantirik

    eksantirik High-Roller

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    I see your point, but the 2% I used was kind of the consensus on many blackjack message boards I've been lurking on. As 99% of the blackjack players play randomly, superstitiously, or unknowingly; the average house edge is estimated to be around 2%. Some play at 0.36%, while some play at 5% (I've seen people standing at 5-4), and the average is around 2%.

    Unless the casino can rate your skill level, they comp you of off that average house edge. Once they notice you're the perfect basic strategy player, then they adjust your comp accordingly. However, as I said, I don't get rated much, especially at MGM props. They almost always refused to rate me when they saw me playing $10/hand. So, I cannot 100% be sure about which casino uses what as the average house edge for their game. I just used the information I've read on the web.

    And also that $9 comp is not all cash, it includes your comp total, some portion is express comps, some portion is soft comps like hotel room, and meals.
     
  14. Rheuma-Kai

    Rheuma-Kai Newbie

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    So you say the casino rates me depending on my skill level? Isn´t that too much of a tracking? Does that mean i should change Tables/Casinos more often, so they dont get known my play and my skill to good? Cause its quite a swing from 2% to 0,36%.

    If seen 99% of the people play BS (for Bullshit Strategy), stand on 13 against a 10, double down a 8 against a four, split 10s, and so one, so they keep track of the 1% that beat the 2% and get the 0,36%? Do u know that for sure??
     
  15. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    eksantirk's general point is correct but his 2% number is just high. None of us know for sure what HA they use for ratings but some have calculated backwards and found it to be around 1%. Another poster got his theo and total time played on a double deck game at an MGM prop that has an optimal HA of 0.27% and backing out his numbers the HA they used for his theo was about 0.70%....though we had to guesstimate the number of hands per hour they used.

    As far as them rating your skill that's been discussed here before as well and no one could say for a fact if they do or don't but consensus was they don't because of the human time involved. That being said the systems they use do allow for skill to be tracked. I've seen it myself at Caesars in AC right on their computers where they had a drop down box for skill. However it looked like default was "Average" and they didn't change it. If you look online at the table rating systems from companies like IGT you'll see this listed as one of the features as well.
     
  16. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    I'm not sure I understand you Wade, but if I do, then I don't think you're right. I get rated playing two spots all the time, and they rate the total bet, not just one spot.
     
  17. Rheuma-Kai

    Rheuma-Kai Newbie

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    Stupid question from a naive gambling greenhorn from germany. Shouldn´t there be some ex or actual pit bosses out there, that can confirm anonymous how it works? Never read something about it, but im quite sure there should be some of them in retirement, couldn´t be that the casinos "disposes" all of them.

    And second, does it make sense to switch tables more often, so the get not common with my skill?
     
  18. DonnyC

    DonnyC VIP Whale

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    I thought in the past I was getting rated for both spots.

    We were playing 3-card and at the party pit and the dealer told the pit boss that I bought in for both of us.


    I don't want to link the cards because then my brother would have to be present each time - if I wanted to use a comp right, or no? (Is it like when we used both our cards to get a better room rate, but then had to both be there? Or is it that either of us could use the comp room future offers?)

     
  19. tringlomane

    tringlomane STP Addicted Beer Snob

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    You're one person though. Not two. The pitboss may refuse Donny's request that he comp the bets that his brother makes with Donny's money. How does the pit know it's his brother? Other than checking IDs obv.

    The simplest solution to that is that his brother get his own card.

    Yeah, unfortunately I really dunno how all that really works. :(
     
  20. JDinTN

    JDinTN MIA

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    I remember once when my wife was sitting next to me giving me bad luck as usual I give her some chips and had her play and I asked the pit boss who said he would add her play in with my rating. I know we've done this in Vegas but can't tell you exactly which casinos but it was probably at Wynn or Bellagio. So I think they can combine you guys as long as you tell them its all your money and your brother is just playing your second hand.
     
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