Blackjack KewlJ

This is a perfect example of the crap you make up. I challenge you to quote where I ever said I was backed off 15, let alone 30 times in one year. The fact is while I don't have an exact number 30 is probably pretty close to the number for my 12 years in Vegas. it was 5 or 6 my first year or two, then dropped to 3-4 range and lately 1 or 2 a year. 3 is a bad year now. That is the way the learning process works. You learn what is tolerated and what isn't. In Las Vegas, even more so than other places backoffs are part of the cat and mouse game within the game that a player need learn to play. I have tried to help other players learn that game by sharing my experiences, but people like youmake that hard to do.

And backoffs are not permanent. No one has ever read the trespass act to me, nor I do I believe ever even used the word trespass. Maybe one strip property. I forget now if they used the word trespass, but they made it clear I was not to return. But I have.

these things, the difference trespasses and backoffs, and different levels of heat, how to avoid them and what to do on the occasions you do get Backoff'd are things I have tried to share by sharing my experiences. You obviously haven't a clue about these things. Maybe if you tried to learn from other players sharing their experiences instead of antagonizing them.

 

Go back to school. A friend of mine took his last drink 18 years ago. He is 56 now. He got his degree from the University of Cincinnati. Has an easy job working from home with all the benefits making well over $100k, profit sharing, paid insurance, 401k match. He married into wealth and his wife works for the same company.

All 3 of my kids makes well over 6 figures. One works from and that eliminates the cost of daycare and driving to working. The other parked her things at her mom's and travels the country. Flights car rentals are all paid by the company.

My son took over ethe biz and does very well. Works hard. But he is a stud so he likes hard work. His wife has a degree and works from home.

 

I don't know why I bother with you because you refuse to learn.

Hilo is not a weak count. It is perfectly adequate for most blackjack games, especially multi-deck shoe games. It's simplicity allows for few mistakes and there are some very advanced techniques a player can employ off of hi-lo that are harder to employ off so called more advanced counts. Most professional level players, and that includes not only those that play for a living but part-time or recreational players that play seriously, play hi-lo. There is a reason for that.

You seem very anxious for me to tell you what stakes I play, what spread I use with all these challenges about green chip. I play a variety of spreads, minimum bets and maximum bets. Very often my minimum wager is one or two green chips. That is my minimum wager not the wager I bet off the top at TC of zero. There is a difference. I spread both ways so my minimum wager is what I bet at TC of -1, -1.5 just before I exit. At a count of zero my wager is 3 or 4 green, maxing out at 6-8 hundred. At times I bet more than mentioned here, at times less, depending on the casino, day and time and other circumstances. Is that green chip? I don't care what you call it. My limits are about what I have determined is tolerated that day for that situation.

Spreading both ways is something I do that enhances longevity at minimal cost. One of a hundred things I have shared that you won't find in most books, but people like you make it impossible to share such experiences.

 

I think it was in a conversation with Bosox. Perhaps at WOV. I will keep looking or the hunting dawg will find it.

A back off and banning is a very intense occurrence. It's not like "bye bye everybody, I gotta go." They caught the Tater counting cards again. I will see y'all in a few weeks." NO it's more like "you're done and if you come back we will hurl your ass into the street. But please, feel free to play any of our non table games."

 

You come in here with that weak shit and start over spreading. You lose your money and your ass in the same weekend. But I guess you already know that. Reno is taylor made for guys like guys you who think you are going to come in and start pushing the limits.

Frank Galvin once told me he barely got off the plane. Sat down to play and the pit was immediately quizzing him. Simply because he was from out of town.

 

Good for your friend. Good for his wife. Good for your kids. What does any of that have to do with me? Why are you and other haters constantly telling me what to do. I am very happy where I am at the moment, what I make and working for myself.

I am not in the business of telling people what to do, but since you brought it up, YOU should take a lesson from your friend. Not going back to school, but learning new things, entering a new chapter in your life. How many times have you said this was your last shot. You were going to take one more shot at life. At 62 or 63 life isn't over. Do you know, in your late 50's or 60's you have advantages that other don't have, with kids grown and gone, maybe a wife gone (one way or another). Maybe income from retirement. That is actually the perfect time to start and do something else, and I am not just talking blackjack or gambling.

 

What it has to do with you is this glorious lifestyle you want others to buy into. Simply put, you don't play you don't get paid. And when you play the game of variance you lose your money.

There are no benefits. No insurances paid. No paid vacation time. No sick leave. Yet you think your primary responsibility is posting essays and calling out people on forums. This is no time left to play 100k hands a year. Let alone in short sessions. Been there. Done that. No thanks.

 

I don't know where or when you play or played. What you are describing sounds more like 1990's 2000's era. In Las Vegas, there is no more of that threat mentality. In large part we have my friend Mr. Nersesian to thank for that. Backoffs are polite. I had one guy this year tell me "Your done for today". And that is what he meant. Several weeks later I showed up and played on his shift and he said nothing. Granted that was a bit unusual, but if you are playing at a level for short periods that for the most part don't create situation they have to answer for, they are tolerant. Who knows what happened that day. Maybe there was a team of players in right before me. Maybe he got chewed out for something else, maybe allowing an underage player to play. Maybe he had a fight with the wife before work and was in a bad mood.

And I play other places too. I was backed off in Reno last year as you know. It was polite. No one threatened anything if I returned. What you are describing is just something from another era and has not been my experience at all.

 

No benefits, no insurance paid, no vacation, responsible for your own retirement is the way self-employment and working for yourself works...and not just gambling, any kind of working for yourself. It is not for everyone. Sounds like it is not for you.

What glorious lifestyle? I have averaged 100k about 80k of that from blackjack during my 12 years in Vegas. 100k and as you point out: No benefits, no insurance or paid vacation. Responsible for my own retirement. So what glorious lifestyle? I make a comfortable average living, doing something I like.

 

The final thing I will say here today is another thing you frequently have wrong or make up is that I don't have time to play. I used to need to average about 300 rounds a day to accumulate the EV necessary to earn what I want to earn annually. About 1300-1500 rounds a week.

Past couple years, in part because I bumped up in stakes at times, in part due to some other things I employ, that number is down to 800-1000 rounds a week. 200 rounds a day, 4-5 days a week, will easily do it. Somedays if I get a good heads up game I can hit that in an hour. I usually won't play that many rounds at one location in one session, but it can happen with heads up play. Other days it may take 4 hours and 4 casinos to get 200 rounds.

One of the few good things to come out of the last couple years and covid and all is I have become more efficient, getting in my required play in less time.

So don't give me this crap about no time to play. I have plenty of time to play and post on forums if that is what I want to do. Now whether I should be posting as much.....that is a whole different argument. (and one I hear alot)

 

I didn't need the money. No way could I have raised my family on blackjack income. Being in biz is either sink or swim every friggin day. Now that is where I made a ton of money. As a time addition to my other endeavors blackjack was a good fit and did the job.

In biZ. No great idea. Just a novel approach I was forced into. And wham. Took off like a rocket.

 

1000 rounds a week is 50k a year. And you making $100k with all the dips, dives, and miraculous comebacks at a green chip table?

Come on man. Who are you kidding? Besides yourself. All anyone has to do is review your forum posts. No time to play. No brain power left. 1000 a week in short sessions 4-5 hours a day and 4-5 days a week. Table selection cannot be a priority in such a brief period of time devoted to blackjack.

 

Good for you. Seriously, if you were in business for yourself and made good money and raised a family good for you. I don't know what you want from me?

Advantage play is a special thing to do for a living....you know "professionally", because of the variance. And blackjack probably worse than most games variance-wise. It seems better suited for people like me that don't have a family and kids. If you have a spouse or get married, it is still sort of that single, no kids obligation lifestyle.

I have known only a handful of players that did so while raising a family. And it is not just the financial responsibility of kids, but softball and baseball games, cubs scouts, girls scouts, school plays and dances. That doesn't work all that well with someone that travels frequently as many AP's do.

One benefit is a working spouse that has a steady income, maybe with benefits, to offset those times when lady variance is slapping an AP around a bit. But overall AP for a living works better with a no family type situation. That is not to say it can't be done, because I know a few AP's that have done so, but it seems like a difficult career to mix with traditional family obligations.

 

My point was that being in biz is much like being an AP. Except everyone depends on you. In my case, even other families.

You don't go to work you don't get paid. You don't close the deal you don't get paid. You screw up an order? It cuts directly into your profit margin. People used to ask me why I wouldn't let up. Simple answer. I didn't like the other side.

 

Where do you get that? My EV used to be about $1.20 to $1.25 a round. It really was about $1 a round for 6 deck games and $1.75-$2.00 a round for double deck and since I play more shoe games averaged about $1.25.

Over the last couple years my EV is now about $1.75 a round. It is still about $1.75 to $2.00 a round for double deck as my approach on that hasn't changed much, but my shoe game EV has risen to almost the same amount $1.75 amount mostly due to higher stakes played at times.

So re-do your math there, fella.

 

KJ writes: As far as not getting backoffs, 86ings and heat...rubbish. I have also shared that. My first several years in Vegas I got 5-7 backoffs a year. You learn from each and every one, what is tolerated and accepted and what isn't and adjust your game. Now I get 1 it 2 a year.

Tater says: That was tough to find. You post so damn much. Alot of sifting. First "several" years. I figure 5 years is 30 to 35 backoffs. Thus the question where was there left to play? Plus OSN data participants. But I guess pit bosses have bad memories in Vegas. Yes, I'm sure you treated somewhat nicely in Reno. Not always if you happen to catch the eye of the meanest fucker in the building. Try going back and we'll see how "nice" they are.

 

$1.75 is extremely high. You don't duck. You roll with the punches. So you're getting punched in the face constantly. Which you call variance. That doesn't bother you. But Mdawg winds you up like a chatty Cathy doll. Just pull your string and away you go for hours, days, and weeks.

I'd have to see this $1.75 ev return you claim to get at a green chip table. Of course that won't happen with anyone.

 

Thank you for making my point. I said "5-7 backoffs a year for my first year or two. Now I get 1-2".

From that yesterday you wrote 30 backoffs a year and today you have halved that to 15 per year. It is just dishonest dude. I mean people like you and Mdawg will lie and say whatever you want, but people can see your lies and dishonesty. Your lies aren't fooling anyone.

 

If you play 1000 rounds a week in 4 to 5 hours a day. Table selection is clearly not a priority. It takes time to park, walk win, and walk out. Sometimes one has to decide to watch for a table or move on to the next casino. 300 hands a day and I'm exhausted and frustrated.

If you play 50 weeks a year which you don't. That's 50,000 rounds a year.

 

Well you are right about that! Why on earth would you think I should show you or anyone anything? Why would you even think you have the right to request that? I can just imagine someone like James Grosjean, laughing hysterically if someone on a message board said he should show them his play to prove what he does. You people are nuts!