Atlantis crab feed and dice - Reno

Another installment of dice in Reno. My gf and I have cut back on the gambling so only come up when the crab feed happens. I plan to mostly play dice and vp when the tables are dead. I've been thinking about using a trip bankroll instead of a daily loss limit. I think it probably wont make much difference in outcomes but I like the idea of pushing hard even if it means dipping deeper into the bankroll. My luck has been shitty the past year so I'm hoping it will turn around, fully aware of the gamblers fallacy.

The drive up through Sac and the Sierras was as smooth as could be expected on a Friday. The gf got off work early so we could leave around 1pm. After a quick lunch stop we made it to Reno in about 4.5 hours. The Tahoe area looked barren. Unfortunately, we've been seeing this more frequently over the years. I've been checking the weather for the past week since we've hit snow the past few years despite an overall dry season. While great for our state's water supply, snow during our drive to Reno wreaks havoc, causing extended delays or re-routing.

After arriving I grabbed a marker so the gf would have some tip money for her massage at the spa. I saw her off to the third floor and hit the dice tables. I've gone back and forth as a place and come bettor over the years. For this trip I decided to go mostly place bet. I love to bet all the box numbers and press aggressively. This doesn't usually end well. I'm going to try being less aggressive and racking the first few hits before pressing. I'll rack the first three and go to two units then four then full press every other hit. After reading the recent "help me play dice" threads, I also want to try concentrating my bets on just the 6/8. I think I saw this in Rush's responses in these threads. He goes $30 each and regresses. I dislike regression betting so will start at $18 and just rack then press.

The first table I hit was manned by Scotty, Mark, and Dale. The dice crews at the Atlantis are my favorite in Reno or Vegas. When the stick is singing I usually will have them on $5/6 place bets and pressing with each hit as each of my number keeps getting called. I buy in and start PL with $27 across. As has been the pattern recently, I grind down quickly, only hitting a pressed bet a few times. Highest I got was 4 units, but not hitting. The guy that bought in next to me was trying to get the table hyped up but you could tell he wasn't blessed with social grace or he could have been drunk. He added a "thanks man" after getting a drink from the female CW. I know in gambling towns you have to be careful to make the distinction when a person is scantily clad and "servicing" you but this was very clearly a woman. The funniest thing about the situation was the way the crew mocked him without him realizing. This is a skill of an entertaining crew. They can talk shit in such a way that the mark has no clue. Maybe that makes me a dick but I think it's what makes dice so fun. I ended the session by transitioning to betting just the 6/8. My presses go 18 to 30 to 42 then 60. I only get to the 30 level this session.

 

After leaving with a few chips, I wanted to slow down and play some vp. In the past I played mostly fp ddb but wanted try a lower volatility game and shoot for the royal. The Atlantis has a quarter progressive. These machines have job, bp, ddb. I assumed since the last 2 were fp the job was also fp. I rarely play job and saw the table showed 9/5. I opted for the bp. Immediately I hit quad 6s just a few hands apart. I went on to hit several middle hands and finally a premium quad 3s. Of course when I hit that I slapped myself for not playing ddb!

 

I get bored with vp and can't play for more than 30 minutes even though I have much better luck. I start making mistakes and take that as a signal to cash out. I never got a shot at the $1100+ royal but the guy next to me got 2 tries on his $20 buy in....

I buy in for a shirt dice session and hope to string it out until the gf finishes at the spa. I decide to just go section eight for $18 each. This session goes much the same as the last. WHY CANT I JUST STICK WITH VP! I actually texted the gf saying that I would be at the dice tables. In less than 10 minutes I text her "I'll be in the room."

She got a hot stone massage and scrub. We change and decide to have steak. I wasn't planning on it but this is the only place I eat steak. Nothing like a dry aged ribeye. I love the melt in your mouth fat!

Afterward, we head to some vp. GF plays mostly nickel triple play bp but the machines sit in a low ceiling tunnel passage and the smoke can be unbearable. She opts to play quarter bp with me. She drops a twenty and almost immediately his quad aces...twice. I hit a non premium quad and a series of flushes and full houses. I manage to lose $10 after about 30 minutes. She finishes up $140, which is huge since her bankroll is about $300.

We decide to do a quick hit and run dice session before heading for bed. I go section eight again but just $12 each. Similar collect and press as before but in the first hand we hit a mini heater. I get my six to the $60 level before flaming out. My eight got to the $42 level. I walk a winner for the first time this trip, lessening the sting of the previous 2 losses. Despite the decent hand the gf walks a ten dollar loser. She plays a 2 point molly.

I always get up early in a gambling town and have to find ways to occupy the early hours or risk going full degenerate mode. Writing out these TRs helps pass some time. I made it 6:30 and its time for some coffee and vp! After the gf gets up we head to Peg's diner downtown for huevos rancheros, better than I can find in East Oakland. We do taco trucks really well but i can't find chilaques either.

 

Another losing bp vp session. Only highlight was a last minute quad to soften the blow just a tad. I calculates the coin in at $500. I'll have to ask the host what kind of coin is required to get back to the jacuzzi suite comps. We've come back to down just a plain room comp and it was such a luxury to take a soak.

I bought in for a hit and run dice session before breakfast and got nothing going. I went section eight $12 each, only giving myself 4 shots. I hit the first number and scored a second hit to press to $24 but couldn't hit at that level. I got to see a couple extra hands but still busted quickly.

Peg's for huevos rancheros was great as usual.

Came back for a quick vp session and lost a little with 1 quad. That's about 5 or 6 quads in about 2 hrs of play time. Seems like a lot but i guess it depends on how fast you play. I got a lot of shots at the royal which is up to $1160 now. All were 3 to the royals and never even got close.

Gf wanted play a some blackjack so we found a dd $5 game and proceeded to lose more. I gave up blackjack a couple trips ago. I had a decent run last year but all good things come to an end. More like a crash landing but that's gambling. Biggest hand was losing a pressed double down to a dealer 3. Of course he flips an 11 and draws a 21.

Licking my wounds in the room then its off to Sierra Trading Post and the Duke game at noon.

 

If you want a great video poker game at Atlantis..go up the Escaltor to the skywalk and RIGHT at the top of the escaltor, there'll be a bank of 8 slant-tops to your IMMEDIATE RIGHT. They have 9/6 Jacks-or-Better for 25c with a progressive (on each machine).
Non-smoking and full-pay, AND they earn the most comps!

Ohh and BTW: DONT PLAY FOR COMPS (On the note of you wanting to ask about the requirements of that jacuzzi suite)

 

Love reno cant wait to be there in 10 days!

 

@timspeed

I found the slant tops and the one i played accumulated comp value as if it were a dollar machine, adding one point per 2 hands. When i noticed that i freaked and made sure i was the quarter level.

I learned my lesson about chasing comps. It also causes more headache than its worth, constantly having to ask about my rating.

The gambling after the Duke game was a whirlwind. I cannot keep all the sessions straight but tthere was some losing ay quarter vp. I played a few hands of dollar bp and managed to hit a non-premium quad and walked a $100 winner!

I played several dice sessions and ended the day even. I'll post details tomorrow morning.

The crab feed was great. 3 plates of dungeness claws and a great dessert spread.

 

Yuppp, I found that trick long ago when Eden Moore was my host...
Those same machines have 99.73 NSUD for $ (that's what I used to get Platinum status)

 

I'm not sure if its a trick or the machine is just improperly setup. I can't imagine this has escaped the casino's attention. I also don't know whether it accrues tier points at a faster rate. Since I play so many short sessions I don't know how many tier points accrue in each individual session.

The first dice session was unremarkable. I managed to walk even but the gf walked a hundy lighter. I stuck with the lower $12 each section eight and did ok.

The next session was the best of the day. I try to never buy in when after the come out since I don't want to interrupt the speed of the dice moving. The guy throwing has already rolled a few numbers and as I've got my thumbs up my ass he throws a few 6s and 8s then hits the point. I buy in and start at the $18 level. He keeps hammering on my numbers and I'm up to $120 on my 8. I've got the dealers up to a $24 eight as well. I think the six got to the $60 level but plateaued there. During this run I met a guy and we were shooting the shit the entire time. It always seems to work this way that a nice little heater happens when I'm not paying attention to the dice. I stick around for a couple of PSOs and leave up $175.

After dinner I bought in for more than usual expecting to play for a few hours. The table ate through the buy in so quickly I thought it best to yield and beg for mercy. After dropping about half I went to play a short vp session.

I usually try dollar 8/5 bp once a trip, either with a small portion of my BR or any free play. I hit a steady stream of two pairs to keep my head above water then start the slide. At about $25 down I get dealt quad 6s! I cash out $100 to the good.

I wander back to the last dice session of the night and the table is manned by my favorite crew. These guys are fun even without the snarky mocking, just genuine nice guys. Right after buying in, it's my turn at the dice. This entire trip I haven't managed even a lukewarm hand. I finally get a mini heater that gets my 6 up to $90 level. I even stopped and racked a hit at $42 which I don't usually do. The dice move and a guy at the far end starts up and just hurls them to my end. He is banging the inside and I get one of my numbers up to the $60 level. Despite these 2 decent hands, I walk only up $15. I stayed too long and gave my ~$100 profit back.

All in all I was happy with how the dice rolled today. I didn't do the exact math but so far I'm only down about a third of my BR. We are planning to leave after an early lunch so don't have much gambling left. I have to decide if I want to go hard and go for broke with the rest. I could go with $36 section eight and go PL with full 5x odds. That would put me at about $60 in action. Or maybe I'll try a real session of dollar bp vp.

Heading down now to see strikes my fancy.

Edit: I forgot to mention this crazy lady during the first dice session. Almost every roll during one hand she bet $10 crap check and horn. She also bet the hopping hardways and turning 10 or 9s. She was racking chips like mad. The best hit was a $25 bet across all the hoppers and hitting the hard 10. After she left the dealer turned to me and said you cant make money like that. When it works it works but it usually doesnt work. The proof came from another table. The Atlantis has a leader board tracking the five longest rolls of the past 24 hours. There was a 50 hand roll that happened at the table before I got there. For you non dice players, you should making multiples of your entire buy in with that kind of hand. Apparently, the shooter loved the really bad prop bets and he actually LOST money on this monster. His saving grace was a last $200 hi lo he hit for $2900.

 

200 hi low would be nuts i get pumped when i hit a 20 dollar horn lol

 

Whole lot of losing. Started on dice with a few other low rollers. I went went with $24 action on six and eight with pass and 1 come for 4 numbers per shooter. I had a mini heater but it wasn't enough to avoid the general cold trend of the table. I think I played 3 different sessions this morning and they are all running together. I dont think I ever got higher than a $60 bet and those were infrequent. I eventually transitioned to pass with $44 inside. Still kept losing.

The most memorable thing to happen was the guy who hit the $200 hi lo yesterday bought in for $200. He started with quarter hardways and hi lo. This fucker hit everything. Biggest hit was a $50 hi lo for $600 after keeping the rest of his prop action up. He finished in under thirty minutes and colored over $2000.

I totaled almost 4 hours on dice between 6:30 and noon. I managed to drop the rest of my bankroll. I continue to be amazed at my terrible luck. After reading all these comeback stories in the trip reports, I must have the worst luck in the world. I've hit my bankroll limit plenty of times so I'm used to the losing. It's trips like this that remind me why I decided to cut back on the trips. While I enjoy the action, losing still sucks.

On a brighter note, the gf booked a solid win, doubling her trip bankroll. She has had even worse luck than me so I was glad to see her win.

We had a pastrami reuben before leaving town. Last minute bonus since I wasn't planning on having pastrami this trip. Making good time to the Bay Area and stopping for quick hit and run at the outlets.

Thanks for following along on the lengthy trip report.

 

Don't take it personal...I played dice in Reno quite a lot and I can honestly say, I never won (and I play "smart", like you, no props)

 

If I had major regrets, I'd probably stop posting these TRs. I deal with these losses by just going less often. I went through and calculated my gambling losses last year and it probably was the worst year in the 10 that I've gambled. I think I took about 6 or 7 trips last year. This year I'm probably only doing 2 or 3 trips.