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

Retro Report #27 NYE 2013

I am dutifully packing my items My the upcoming trip to AC tomorrow. A cold and rainy day here in NY (as any of you who watched the Giants/Redskins season ender already know (and yes, I know they play in NJ but the weather was the same)). I am wondering if there will be many people in AC tomorrow as I would presume they will likely arrive on NYE instead of NYE Eve…anyone there already? My goal is to have a good time and continue the positive variance from the Vegas trip of last week.

all checked in and just had dinner - but, prior to that I played for about 2 ½ hours. Sat down at a 6D game 25min (but I played my usual black chips). The shoe started out nicely with a blackjack and 3 double downs in the first half of the shoe…at this point I was up ~700. Then the other half of the shoe dropped and I proceeded to lose 13 of 17 hands with my lowest hand total being a 19…i.e. I was dealt a natural 20 but, alas, the dealer had a blackjack - then I was dealt an Ace, 5 against a dealer 5, I doubled and was dealt a 4…too bad the dealer had a 4 under and drew an Ace for 21 - more of the same happened for those hands so I proceeded to switch tables…I jokingly asked the dealer if he would treat me better than losing 13 of 17 hands. Of course, he obliged me by only winning the first 8 hands (wherein, yet again, I had no total less than 18 on all the hands). I then switched tables again…at this point down 2k. After some back and forth for about 4 shoes, I finally hit a nice run and won the 2k back (I then took a dinner break). So, for 2 ½ hours of play time, I am even.

I Just had dinner—taking a few minutes respite then heading back down to the casino floor. Trip is Even

OK played an after-dinner session: I started even and quickly got down 500. First hand of the shoe I was dealt 8,8 versus dealer 8 - I split and received a 9 on the first 8 for 17 and a 10 on the second 8 for an 18 - Dealer flips over an Ace YUCK! Second hand of the shoe I was dealt a 5,6 versus dealer 10 - I doubled and was dealt a 7 for 18 - Dealer turns over a 3 for 13 then draws a 6 for 19 (see, I keep losing by one with good hands (yes yes I know 18 is not really a gooooood hand but it is not bad)). By the end of the shoe I Was down 800—Took a mini-break to watch some friends play at a 25 table…mid-shoe a well-dressed but obviously three sheets to the wind guy (who looked like "The Most Interesting Man in the World") slammed about 400 in greens onto the table, pointed his finger at the dealer and said to her "YOU'RE MINE!!!" - he proceeded to throw up a mess a greens totaling about 175 on the first hand and win—he then dropped down to one green and won—then up to 4 greens and won—the dealer then got a blackjack with this guy having 3 greens up—he became irate and screamed that he "can't take it anymore" while grabbing all his chips and storming off…an interesting diversion to say the least—I sat down for another shoe at a 100min. table…things were nice from the start: 1st hand blackjack; 2nd hand blackjack; hands 3 through ½ shoe were back and forth but by this time I had the 800 I was down back on my side of the table…I then got into a a couple of hands in my favor: 3,3 versus dealer 5…split the 3's - first 3 got a 4 then dealt a 9 for a 16; second 3 I got an 8 dealt a 6 for a 17 - dealer had 5, flips over a 10 then busts with a King. By the end of the shoe I was up 500 - Trip is +500

Began the day +500…Sat down to what I thought would be a leisurely pre-breakfast shoe…First hand was dealt a 9,9 versus dealer 9…I split and dealt another 9: First 9 dealt a 2, doubled down and dealt an Ace; Second 9 dealt a 10 for 19; Third 9 dealt an 8 for 17 - Dealer turned over an Ace for 20 - Lost 400. I did not fare much better on the second hand: Dealt a 6,5 versus dealer 10, Dealt a 7 for 18 - Dealer, of course, had a 20 - Lost 200. I decided to switch tables just because The first few hands were back and forth, then the dealer's assault on my chip stack began. I had no pat hands - I kept having to take hits and it didn't matter what the dealer had as they were showing an Ace or face every hand. I had lost another 900 this shoe and switched tables again…this time instead of starting +500 I was negative 1k. Things went from bad to worse as the Count got good but the dealer was the one who ended up with the face cards - Lost another 800. A buddy of mine sat down and we wished one another luck…He stayed even for the shoe and I lost another 600. The beating continued over the course of the next three shoes - losing another 600 during that time. At this point in the late afternoon I was now down 3k. down…but not out. I sat down loaded for bear and began making some key doubles and splits and, within ½ shoe, I had already regained 1k. I took a break for a late lunch (Italian sausage and bread) and then commenced playing again with a lovely Jamaican woman who informed me she was currently down 15k since Saturday. I wished her well and we began playing. I was dealt two naturals out of the gate…won a double…won a split…up and down and back up again and by the end of the shoe I had regained another 1k. Into each life a little rain must fall and the next shoe was not so kind as I lost 500 back. The sun began to shine again as I had a good Count and this time the face cards came my way and I was able to press. By the end of the shoe I had regained another 2300. So, as I got ready for the gala NYE event…I regained 2800 of the 3k I was down - Trip is now -200.

The NYE party was great—they held it in Ovation Hall and the theme was "Winter Wonderland"…everything decorated in white with beautiful table decorations. My parents, some fellow gambler friends and other strangers who then became friends were all at the table.Surf and turf followed by chocolate lava cake YUM YUM YUMMY

I left the gala around 11pm just in time to play 1 shoe and get all the way back to even for the trip before the clock struck 12 - HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone!!! Trip is now even and play resumes again in the morning.

Here we go, New Year's Day 2014 welcomed me by kicking my A$$:

Shoe 1: I lost so fast I almost got whiplash -1k

Shoe 2: This one only went half as fast but with similar results -900

Break time to collect my thoughts

Shoe 3: Does anything go right for me at the game of blackjack? 8,3 double down versus dealer 3...draw the Ace…lose to 17; Split 2,2 versus dealer 6…dealt another 2…re-split…dealt another deuce (plenty of faces to come): First 2 draw a 7…double down get another 7 FUN FUN FUN; Second 2 draw a 9…double down get a 4 EVEN MORE FUN; Third 2 draw a 5…hit and get a 9 Ughhhhhhhh; Fourth 2 draw a 3…hit and get a King GREAT, here come the 10's - Of course, with all the low cards out there, the dealer joined in the fun by having a 3 underneath…she then drew a Queen for 18, thereby wiping me out on that hand. I thought the faces would come out in my favor with all the lows and the Count going well so I pressed and, as seemed to be the case in 2014 up until then, the dealer was the only beneficiary of the positive count. I lost 1200 that shoe.

At this point in the late afternoon…I was now down 3100 and a Dinner break/mental health break called my name.

I waited for the 8pm shift to begin and began playing again…So, when the 8pm shift entered the casino to take their stations at the blackjack tables, I was down 3100…what was to come in the year 2014…2013 was positive, would 2014 continue in the negative as it already was…? I sat down at a 100min. 6D table (now, it seems to me that I get rated better when I sit at a 100min. table than when I sit at a 25min. table—even though I buy in for all black chips—is this just my paranoia?) My stop loss at this point was 4k (so, I bought in for my last 900 I was willing to risk on this trip)

Shoe 1: ho-hum nothing to write home about other than winning 200 by the end of the shoe thanks to last hand of the shoe double down: 9,2 versus dealer 6 - I drew a 10 and dealer had an Ace underneath for 17 (Isn't that the way it's supposed to go? LOL) At this point -2900

Shoe 2: the 200 was gone on the first two hands as the dealer had blackjack followed by another blackjack. However, the Count soon rose to epic levels…by the end of the shoe I had pressed up to 500 and had now lifted myself up by my own bootstraps, winning back 1650 in the shoe. At this point -1450.

Shoes 3 and 4: even for the shoes — nothing of note - Still -1450

Shoe 5: Count comes alive!!! On a 200 hand…I Was dealt the following: 4,4, versus dealer 6 - Split the 4's for another 4: First 4 dealt a 7—double get a 10 for 21; Second 4 dealt a 5—double get a 7 for 16; Third 4 dealt a 5—double get a 10 for 19 - Dealer has a 6 turns over a 2 (Ughhh) for 8 - Dealer draws a 3 (UGHHHHHH!) for 11 - Dealer draws a 2 for a 13 - Dealer draws an Ace for 14 - Dealer draws and Ace for 15 - Dealer draws a King for 25 YES!!! 1200 back on that hand. shoe was up and down the rest of the way and I was now only negative 250

Shoe 6: even for the whole shoe then got a blackjack on the last hand. now only negative 100.

I thought to myself…should I quit only down 100 or should I play and see if I can get even or maybe a little bit of profit in the New Year…?-----------------------------ONWARD!

Shoe 7: Murphy's Law! I lost every double down (3 of them) and by the end of the shoe I was now down 700 instead of 100

Shoe 8: please be great!!! Started off with a blackjack NICE! Plenty of pushes to follow - Trip now -550

Shoe 9: please be fine! After a few hands, I had regained another 200 but it was a hand in the middle of the shoe that would become a make or break for the trip as I was getting tired and had an early drive the next morning in an effort to beat Snow Storm Hercules home. I had been dealt 2,2 versus dealer 7 (I ridiculously blurted out "Deuces never loses"). Apropos, I got dealt another 2, then another (I love how I get these 4-way splits-very nerve wracking): First 2 dealt 7…hit then 9 for 18; Second 2 dealt 8…doubled then 10 for 20; Third 2 dealt 6…hit then Jack for 18; Fourth 2 dealt 9…doubled then 6 for 17 - Dealer turns over an 8 for 15 (nail biting) - Draws an Ace (really…really…?!?) for 16 - Draws a Jack for 26 - The trip was now +50 and the Count was good. With about 10 hands left in the shoe…I played on and pressed on…I ended the trip +500

Happy New Year!!!

Retro Report #28 Jan. 2014

Retro Report #26 $1million BJ Tourn