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The Evolution of Your Play

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by Snowbelle3, Sep 23, 2013.

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  1. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

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    I started out a table player primarily and then started to get more and more into slots when I realized the comps were in the slots. Even though I do not get many comps, I continued to play slots because I could get a lot of play for a lot less (though tables tend to keep me in the game longer). I used to play heavy roulette and the wheel but then learning about odds I switched to craps and pai gow when I do play tables. However these days, when I do play tables, I find I play BJ more.


    How has your play changed over time?
     
  2. DMSCR

    DMSCR High-Roller

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    All baccarat.

    Started out at $20/$25 tables mostly at Foxwoods, CT. An occasional trip to AC. Yet during this time I really wanted to play $10 or $15 tables but they were hard to find or if available always packed. This was 2008 to 2010. By July 2010 I upped the limit to $50 because of gaining confidence my first solo trip to Encore. By April 2011 on my last night at the Wynn upped my limit to $100. Stuck with this $100 limit until June 2012 where I tried $200/$300. From there realized $300 was too much. Tried $125 to $200. Found my Goldilocks limit. Not planning to up the limit anytime soon. Probably in two or three years. Profit goal: an iPad 2 16GB for each shoe. If not I am happy with an iPod Touch 5th gen without the camera. Stop loss: Nexus 7 16GB.

    Got to be more cautious and conservative most definitely. Because the devil doesn't come with horns and a tail. He comes in the form of everything you wanted and ever wished for. Before this baccarat whatcumacallit I avoided the casinos like the plague. Hated everything about them. From the annoying slot machine sounds all around and the second hand smoke. Yuck. Still hate them yet I realize I can avoid them especially in Vegas.
     
    Last edited: Sep 23, 2013
  3. Electroguy563

    Electroguy563 Vegas Joker

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    From strictly slots in 2005 and 2008, to slots 90% blackjack 10% in 2009. Then slots 50%, blackjack 20% roulette 30% in 2010.

    Then CRAPS :banana::woohoo::woot: 90%, no blackjack, and slots 5% and roulette 5% in 2011.

    Then CRAPS :banana::woohoo::woot: 95%, no blackjack, slots 3% and roulette 2% in 2012.

    Then CRAPS :woot::woohoo::banana: 99% sorry, blackjack... slots .5% and roulette .5% in 2013.

    So from slots I went to crap.....s!

    :evillaugh:beer::thumbsup:
     
  4. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I seldom play tables. Too much like real money!

    I did dabble at the tables (roulette, blackjack) on my first few trips back in the 1970s. Back then it was like $.50 on roulette and $1 on blackjack. Still, my money just went **POOF** at the tables. I can play forever on a $20 on the slots or VP.
     
  5. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    started playing poker cash games. a friend got me into Bacc with a foolproof system he developed. the rest is history.
     
  6. jackincols

    jackincols Guest

    Way back when, all of my play was blackjack. Didn't know about Basic Strategy or if it had even been published then. Also, table play was about the only way to get comps because slots were an afterthought and casinos didn't realize their real value yet.

    Stayed pretty much with blackjack until rules started heading south (probably mid-late 90's) and switched over to VP. Pretty much all VP since then. Just dabble a little now with 21 and maybe a large progressive slot on a whim.
     
  7. redzone

    redzone Low-Roller

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    I started playing blackjack and did not know any of the "RULES" and did pretty good and then I started to learn the proper way to play and went downhill from there. l I have not played nor have had a desire to play blackjack for years.

    I also played the ponies and again did not know how to read a forum. I just went by whatever gut feeling I had like the name of the horse or if it just had a dump before loading in the gate etc. I decided to learn to read past performances and stuff and went downhill from there.

    Right now I am into poker and tournaments but am scared sh*%&^&less to read a book or learn the proper way to play.:rolleyes2:
     
  8. Sisyphus

    Sisyphus Low-Roller

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    Table games always intimidated me, so I started with penny slots, doing only 1 line per spin instead of all 40 or 50. Yeah, I was a cheap bastard. Then I realized the payoff was much better if I did all lines, so I kicked things up accordingly. I still do a significant amount of penny slot play (love Zeus II and Ghostbusters slots!)

    My first foray into table games was Pai Gow because I liked that you could play for a while on the same amount of money. Constantly pushing got old fast, so I switched to Blackjack, which is where I've stayed since; however, now that I've been reading up on the game play I might try Craps during my trip in December.
     
  9. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    most of the time I play craps. I started out playing machines but it got boring (maybe I have ADD or something). I do put in $20 in the VP machines once and a while and will play bj once and a while to kill time but usually I gravitate to the crap tables. I do try to play the megabucks once a day at least (put in $21 - $30) to give me a chance so I can retire (soon hopefully, lol) and I play the quarter WOF but lately the WOF has been tight with spins and wins. :Þ

    I guess what turns me off with the vp and machines is that my $20 doesn't go a long way anymore. I remember over 10 - 15 years ago I could put in $20 and it seemed to last for hours. Now I will be lucky if my $20 lasts more than 10 minutes. part of the problem is that the machines now go faster and so you are playing quicker and with the option to play more games at one time. It surprised me when I played the penny machines and played max bet....it turned out that max bet was over $3 per play! so much for penny machines, unless you play one penny at a time they are not much better than nickel, quarter or dollar machines IMHO.

    I stopped playing for comps decades ago when I realized that for the amount of play (and losses) required to get comps I could probably just pay for the comp myself and still come out ahead. I now play for fun and don't worry about ratings or how much I put down, I usually start out with red chips on the craps table and if the table is cold then I move to the next table or casino.
     
  10. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

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    All of this is so interesting. Dmr, you have to tell me how you make $20 last! lol Baccarat is a fun game but I just feel more "out of control" with it then I do with BJ. With BJ, even though it still is a game of chance, using strategy makes me feel like I am controlling my game. I did not realize there were systems for Baccarat...or even strategy. I would like to get on that video baccarat.

    When you fall in love with craps, you fall hard. Craps is one of the most exciting games for me in the casino but I am crazy about the side bets most of all particularly the field, which requires me monitoring the game before I join. Pai gow is also fun but slow like a tortoise. I bet you though that playing pai gow often enough probably keeps you mentally agile and sharp as you make several 5-second strategic decisions on 7 cards(or is it less?). I had no idea table games used to be comped more.

    LOL redzone maybe you most enjoy the feeling and euphoria of chance!





    I recently had to learn/internalize this! Good stuff.
     
  11. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    I used to only play BJ....basic strategy w/ the occaisional non textbook move on a hunch...hey, it's gambling right?

    One day it donned on me that I never bet more than $50 max on a hand of BJ and always grind it out for a small win or more often grind it until my $300+/- buy in was gone.

    I played w/ Roulette and PGP and still do those once in a while when I want the fun of being at a table but what I stumbled onto about 8 yrs ago that I really enjoy (in a sick way..:poke:LOL) is VP. I love the shot at a larger jackpot w/ my smaller bet although it's a decieving game as the hands go by quickly once you know the correct holds and you can blow thru some money fast if you don't hit something

    Started out w/ only qtrs and then played a few 50 cent machines. Now I play all $1 ($5 max bet) and $2 ($10 max bet) VP with a shot at $4K or $8K RF's and all kinds of 4OAK combo's depending if you're playing BP, DDB or TDB (my 3 games of choice).

    I have tried the $5 ($25/hand) VP a few times but it's short lived as I don't bring that kind of money to play that 4-5 hours a day for 6 days. It's fun though and if you hit a 4OAK that can be a nice hit and run.

    I also tried Craps for a while because the tables looked fun and it was fun but seemed like I got caught w/ a lot of numbers and odds out there more often than I got in on a long roll so I decided it looked fun but still rarely if ever a big win w/o putting up the big bet.
     
  12. Happygirl21

    Happygirl21 VIP Whale

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    DM,
    Can I ask ( probably a dumb ?) when you are saying BP,DDB &TDB what is it? I know the basics of VP "hands" but that's it.

    Thanks
     
  13. Joe

    Joe VIP Whale

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    Used to be 90% craps and 10% VP to sit by my wife. Quarters back then on VP. Now it's 95%, dollar VP and usually DDB. I'm not sure if I even played craps on the last two trips.

    I just enjoy sitting at the bar and usually near the CW station at MSS, chatting with them and the bartenders. MSS is like our Cheers (TV reference) and I'm like Norm and everyone knows our name.

    I do tend to play a little more craps when we wander down Fremont and do hit and run at the casinos.

    Since my first trip in 1973, my budget has also changed drastically.
     
  14. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Double posted....sorry Sonya:wave:
     
  15. thecarve

    thecarve Misanthrope

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    I started off playing mostly BJ with some roulette and carny games mixed in for a change of pace.

    The losses at roulette and the carnies started to get annoying so I ditched those and added poker.

    Poker got too boring. I just don't have the patience to wait for what seems like days to get a hand worth playing. Plus, I'd have to dedicate a bunch of time and energy to ever get good enough to play for stakes that get my blood flowing. And I just don't enjoy the game enough to actually put forth effort.

    Once I got tired of poker, I decided I needed something else besides BJ, so I took a stab at craps. While I don't enjoy the game enough to play hours and hours at a time, I still like to play a few short sessions each trip.

    At the same time I was starting to play craps, I tried some mini/midi baccarat as well. I actually had some decent luck with it. But, like poker, it's just too slow a game to keep my attention. I probably haven't played in over a year.

    Over the past year or two, I've slowly added more and more VP to my repertoire. And I've found I'm addicted to DDB. Now it's a big (probably the biggest) part of my gambling.


    So...today my gambling is probably 50% VP, 40% BJ and 10% craps. This changes a bit each trip depending on what's "working" or where I'm playing.

    I guess I always throw down a few sports bets, but I never dedicate a significant amount of time or money to it.
     
  16. Dean Martin

    Dean Martin VIP Whale

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    Not a dumb question at all...I see other acronyms for games I don't play and don't recognize those either so it's all what you get used to. You'll see these used on the board all the time when people talk about VP.

    BP is Bonus poker, that game is a lot like JOB and still pays you 10 credits for two pair but ups the 4 OAK payouts for Aces, 2's, 3's & 4's and makes up for it by shorting you just a bit on the Full House. DDB is Double Double Bounus and this game shorts you on the 2 pair pay off and pays only 5 credits (the same as 1 pr of J or better) but it pays substantially higher for 4OAK Aces, 2's, 3's & 4's if they have the A, 2, 3 or 4 "kicker" and also pays 250 credits for all other 4OAK (5-K) where BP and JOB pays 125. TDB is Triple Double Bonus and like DDB it shorts you the 2 pair pay off and this one also only pays 10 credits for 3OAK where the other 2 games pay 15. TDB pays the same as a Royal Flush (4000 credits) if you get 4 Aces and a 2,3, or 4 kicker and also has high pay offs for 4OAK 2's, 3's & 4's w/ the kicker (A,2,3,or 4).

    I hope that all makes sense...it's easier to see when you're looking at the different games on a machine or practice software and you can compare the paytables.

    Beause of the different payoff's the correct holds are also very different, especially from BP to DDB or TDB.
     
  17. flysrb

    flysrb Hey Now!

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    Hey Now!!!!

    When I first started playing, it was 90% BJ, 10% slots. It was in AC, and it was easy to find $5-$10 S-17 tables. Then that went south, almost everything in AC is H-17. On my first Vegas trip, I found bartop VP, and started researching proper strategy, as I had with BJ. Now I play 80% VP, 10% solts, and 10% BJ in Vegas. It's about 90% VP and 10% slots in AC, but I sometimes sneak in a shoe or 2 of BJ.
     
  18. AlwaysVegas

    AlwaysVegas Now it's mostly Reno.

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    Up until about 10 years ago I was about 95% slots/5% video poker. Now I'm about 98% video poker/2% slots. Knowing that I'm getting 99%+ payback on video poker (with proper strategy) vs 90% or less on slots makes it near impossible for me to enjoy slots anymore, though the slot graphics do look great.
     
  19. Happygirl21

    Happygirl21 VIP Whale

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    DM
    Thanks so much, yes makes sense. Maybe I'll have to toss a few bucks in a vp machine for s#*$s and giggles and if I'm lucky I'll get lucky:beer:
    Thanks again!
     
    Last edited: Sep 24, 2013
  20. Royal Flusher

    Royal Flusher Savvy Gambler

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    I started as a degenerate Vegas-whore gambler.

    Now I'm a savvy Vegas-whore gambler.
     
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