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Welcome to my blog. Herein, I document my adventures in various casinos. Hope you have a nice stay!

Retro Report #8 Labor Day 2012

AC

Session #1:

Played 20 hands +1k

Pre-breakfast session: I sat down, the cards were washed and shuffled and I proceeded to lose the first two hands, recuperated winning the next two, then more of the same for the next two shoes…finally, in the 4th shoe, got a small small small positive count and ran it to +$500 - so, for this trip, +$1500 (still need another $1,500 to get back what I put in last week)

Post-breakfast session: I picked up another $500 in half a shoe and then took a break for lunch – which actually ended up being a 3 hour nap as I still am a bit under the weather.

I sat down after dinner to play and was up and down then lost a few hands to be down $500 BUT, the count went high based on those 5 hands lost in a row…I put up $300 and was dealt 8,8 versus dealer up card 5 and split the 8’s and dealt another 8 for three 8’s on the table at $300 each - I was dealt a 3 on the first hand double down got a K for a 20 then dealt a 2 on the second hand double down go a 10 for a 20 and then dealt a 10 on the last hand for an 18. The dealer flipped over a 6 for a dealer 11 then dealer dealt a 3 for 14 then dealer dealt an A for 15 then dealer dealt an A for 16 then dealer dealt YUP, you guessed it, a 5 for a 21…so, instead of being back to even I am now down $2k ($1,500 on that one hand). You have got to be kidding me!

Ok – I then took a walk to clear my head and got back in the swing of things by winning $1k and walking away – heading to bed minus $4k for the past two weeks (-$1k for this trip)

Pre-breakfast session: I sat down with a fun dealer and pit boss and proceeded to win the first 8 hands of the shoe then proceeded to lose the next 8 hands then proceeded to win the next 8 hands resulting in +$1k for the morning.

Now even for this trip and down $3k from last tripI have been playing and playing up and down, down and up, then got utterly destroyed!!!

Highlights/lowlights: 5 double downs with $200 up (total $400 for doubles) with 11’s versus dealer upcards of 4, 4, 4, 7, 5 where I ended up with 17, 19, 20, 20, 19 and was beaten by 1 each time with $250 up I split 4’s against a dealer deuce 1st hand being 4,7 double down draw a 3…second hand being 4, K … you can all figure out where that went the one highlight of each shoe was the END of the shoe!Now down $2k for the trip (and $5k total counting last week)

In other casino news: A big wig from the Mickey Mouse company has been here over a week – gets a $50k credit line each time he sits at a table…each time he switches tables means he has lost the $50k…in just the one hour I was in the high limit room last night he lost $150k (betting 3 hands at a time $2k per hand)…this afternoon the same thing occurred - I wondered if he was up or down for the week…but his antics upon losing (i.e. kicking water bottles across the room and screaming at himself) are a sight to behold…on the other end of the anger spectrum, guy sat down with his entourage (everyone 60years+), asked for a $100k marker, and regaled anyone within earshot with great stories and would laugh any losses away——-Very bad experience at Eagles concert – was in 2nd row with my mom and dad – older, drunk, 200 pound women in first row decided they would be the star of the show and stand up, didn’t listen to security – my mom is 5′ tall with a bad hip so she couldn’t stand – lots of people arguing and fighting .It truly tries my patience when people believe they are not a part of society – they feel they are the stars of their own show. Including the woman behind me with an “I Joe Walsh” t-shirt on who, instead of listening to Joe when he sang his hits, decided a loud, primal scream would serve the audience better than to hear the band.

I played last night – got back to even, started betting into a great count and dealer got 5 blackjack’s in a row. Got some back this morning – still have til tomorrow so I am staying positive.

Well I am now down $5k for this trip…I did not win one of my double downs the entire day. I did not win one of my splits the entire day. Lady variance now wears a strap-on!  Luckily, there was a KY box by the elevator late last night though…hmmmmmm. Riding through negative variance is getting old…I fell asleep early last night, shortly after I had $1k up in a good count, dealt an 11, double down against a dealer 4 - got my double card face down, dealer turns over a 3 then a ten for a 17 - my double card was a 5 -good night!

Fast forward to this morning, i am refreshed and awake and ready to grab some of my chips back!!! Who’s with me!!!

First session of the brand new day:

Played for an hour and got $1k back ($4k til even for the trip).

Slow and steady wins the race…Charles Barkley arrived yesterday with an alleged $2 million credit line (apparently he was taking photos and having a great time with everyone…of course, I was asleep at 8:30pm so I missed it). Charles Barkley side note – despite earlier rumors of a $2 million credit line, Sir Charles was refused a line of credit (based on his prior actions with Wynn in Vegas), bought in for $100k and left with $12k from the table.

I am in a drawing today for a Range Rover (alternate prize is $50k cash) and I have 194 entries…must be present to win (9 minutes to claim prize once name is called) – I have no idea what the EV is on this as I am sure the guys with the $1 mil to $2 mil credit lines playing this weekend all have 100x more entries than I do

Session update: I got another $500 back then hit the hottest dealer on the planet, lost $1k of the $1,500 back then climbed back with three key double downs. I am playing small sessions with $500 goals each time. I have $2500 out of $5k back. Highlight of the shoe was splitting 6’s against a dealer up card 6 - dealt another 6 split - dealt another 6 split:

First hand: 16

Second hand: 16

Third hand: 14

Fourth hand: 14

Dealer turns over a 4 for 10, then deals himself a 5 for 15, then busts!!!

Talk about the hard way! I was almost back to even for the trip, had a good count, started betting heavier and the walls came crashing down!!! WAY DOWN!!!I am in quite the depressed state at the moment – although I realize losses occur and variance rules the day, it is tough doing that horrifically in a good countI will spare you all the gory details – suffice it to say, it was a bloodbath with the casino forcing me to raise the white flag before it all was lost.Lack of sleep and lack of eating did me inI became my own worst enemyI became a “gambler” and played with emotions rather than logic. Perhaps it was a lesson I needed to learn ( having been only playing with a “slight edge” for a few years” ) the casino environment got to me – I succumbed to the excitement of being there. I endeavor to not make this mistake again and I ask for all of your tough love to make it through!  I will have to move around town in AC and try different places. I really threw myself under the bus staying way too long and getting too much involved in the social activity of “gambling” as I really was having “good time”

Retro Report #9 Signs

Rant/Retro Report #7 August 2012