Casino The Adventures of MDawg

I am in a couple of very large Baccarat tournaments shortly (am in Vegas now).

I have been in both Blackjack and Baccarat tournaments.

All have been free entry (complimentary based on prior sufficient action at the real dollar tables). Based on my level of prior play at the real dollar tables, in some of the tournaments I am advanced automatically to the second round, sometimes even to the quarter or semi finals such as advancing simply ONE MORE ROUND puts me in the guaranteed money.

In some of the tournaments, there are Wild Card drawings that advance you to anywhere from somewhere in the quarter or semi finals, to directly to the final winner's (big money) table. In some tournaments, entry into the Wild Card drawing is complimentary simply for being in the tournament. In others, to get a Wild Card drawing entry, you must put in some actual play at the real dollar tables during the time period that the tournament is going on - the more real dollar play at the regular tables during the tournament, the more Wild Card entries. At some, the Wild Card drawing is a sort of hybrid, with say, 1 entry complimentary simply for being in the tournament, but additional entries in the Wild Card drawing based on real dollar play.

The actual tournaments work like this:

Most involve 5 or 6 prizes (almost always paid in promo chips, so not a reportable event - winnings are not reported to the government) given to the final participants who make it to the final table. Along the way, with an average of 5 or 6 players per table, anywhere from 1 to 4 of the players advance. Generally, the closer you get to the final "money" table, the less persons per table move on. The one(s) who move on per table move on based on having the highest chip total after the final hand.

There are a couple "winner take all" tournaments per year in Vegas, where the final prize is a cool million - just one winner. There are generally at least several hundred participants in such a tournament, but even so, a say 1/450 chance of winning a million is not bad at all.

As far as the tournaments where 5 or 6 final players win something, I've been in such tournaments where there are as few as forty entrants, or as many as a hundred or so. Still not bad odds. These are all high end tournaments only for bigger players.

For each round of the tournament, the order of play is determined by a single die roll before play is commenced, and the final hand is sometimes secret (you write down your final hand choice and amount on a slip of paper that is revealed only after everyone has turned in his slip), sometimes last hand is not blind. The secret bet aspect eliminates the advantage of betting last on the final round. Typically there are anywhere from 9 to 14 hands dealt per round of a tournament.

When I play a blackjack tournament, obviously I am counting the deck as best possible given that we will never get past a dozen or so hands, but also tournament strategy is different from regular play, and you will see people, especially on the final hand, doing crazy things like splitting tens, doubling down on a hard hand even on a hard 16, doubling on a blackjack, and so on - it depends a lot on how aggressive they are, and how behind they might be, especially on that last hand.

In a Baccarat tournament sometimes I will employ a strategy of simply betting against everyone if all or most of the players are on one side, and other times I will just go with the direction the shoe (and everyone else) has been taking and not try to be tournament clever.

Obviously no matter what betting or other skill you might bring to the table, you also need some luck in order to win.

The four tournaments I have won have all been Baccarat. Have not won a Blackjack tournament yet.


I have had some crazy Blackjack tournament hands where I was the chip leader and would have advanced either to the semi finals or all the way to the final table, where the only reasons I didn't advance are that my opponent got a blackjack, or doubled down on a hard hand and didn't bust and then the dealer busted, just blind luck absurd bad odds bets that somehow paid off for my opponents when everything was in my favor.

 

You know - like those poker hands where you're holding two aces and the flop includes another ace, and some clown called your huge pre-flop raise with a crappy pair of nothing non suited non connected cards, hung in there as you kept raising, but somehow ended up with a straight and beat you.

 

I have advantage play that I use at both Baccarat and Blackjack. Neither involves use of any external device - just my brain.

But is the use of computers lasers assisted devices legal in casinos?

The answer is - maybe.

The Ritz Laser Cheaters: Using Technology to Legally Beat Roulette | OnlineRouletteSites.org.uk

In the United Kingdom, a group of roulette players using a laser pointer and computer beat the Ritz to the tune of 1.2 million pounds, and got away with it. They were arrested, but all charges were later dropped and the casino had to return all profits to them.

The supreme court in Spain recently ruled against a casino that was trying to ban a father and son, both of whom claimed to have won millions by forecasting roulette.

And now someone is offering to sell - for 1000 pounds - a device that may be used to do the same.

For sale for £1,000: gadget that means you'll never lose at roulette again | UK news | The Guardian

So far, the gaming commission in the U.K. has advised against casinos' arresting anyone using the devices, but has advised casinos to refuse to payout to anyone determined to have used the devices.

The laws as to this sort of thing vary in other jurisdictions.

HIGH-TECH CASINO ADVANTAGE PLAY: LEGISLATIVE APPROACHES TO THE THREAT OF PREDICTIVE DEVICES

 

As far as these tournaments, While the general strategy for all tournaments is to bet low until the final 5 or so hands, this doesn't always work, and sometimes leaves you so far behind some more early aggressive player that you can't catch up no matter what at the end. The other general strategy of mirror your opponent's bet placement and amount if you are ahead, bet opposite your opponent's bet placement and amount if behind, do work in general, but of course, not always.

 

Thanks for good post
Interesting we have a similar format here also, the junket high rollers ( mostly Asian) get the preference treatment as per your post. No complaints from me , as I would do the same if I was in their position. Etc.

How refreshing to have a post from a credible player, citing real world experience, real world information and providing practical real world tips in the next few posts before my reply this thread.

How refreshing to have a non trolled page for a change

How refreshing being able to read a thread on a subject I ENJOY by a poster of expertise as opposed to the constant interruptions and harassment by “whoever the fuck it decided to be today after a wild nite of anal” troll marionette ..

Thanks for sharing. Cheers

 

The die roll is done on the Blackjack tournaments. If there are less than 6 participants, and a 6 comes up, the die is rolled again. With the Baccarat tournaments your spot on the table based on picking randomly your entry slip sometimes is all they use to assign the order, with the order going 1 - X on the table for the first hand.

 

I did not win either tournament BUT I have done well at the tables, other than a big spill on one day. I'm up in the over all neighborhood of 13K for four days of play.

 

Day 5 play.

Baccarat.

Somewhat long session, pretty slow and steady.

+11000

 

Nice work, 11k good effort.
It’s quite amazing really knowing you don’t have to fictitiously scurry around under the “radar” for $25 per hour blackjack wins as these hard working honest to god you have to believe me AP blackjack card counters claim .

The advantage of open baccarat play is comfortable profit in a relaxed environment.
Enjoy
Nice.

 

On one of the recent sessions, I was down...mmm, about -75K. I rallied, quickly at first, then gradually, to end the session at +55K. Easier somehow to do when you have to!

And that entire 130K came from just...20K.

 

It's always good hitting the casinos up for smash!

 

This latest Vegas trip was concluded successfully. I even won something in a free drawing.

I started playing more DD Blackjack too, which requires more concentration, harder to win large sums at, takes more time, but still quite doable.

 

D D blackjack?
Two decks? Double deck

 

Yes double deck blackjack. The table I play at STANDS on soft 17, and allows me to resplit aces, which makes it one of the lowest house edge blackjack tables in Vegas.

 

Cheers

 

It's really not that hard to jack the bet up and win more often than not on Advantage hands whatever the table game. Just a question of whether you are willing to do it, and have the bankroll to maintain the play long enough to reap the inevitable benefit.

 

Do know what passive income is all about

 

Lot of drawings and tournaments coming up! in Vegas. Free entry for big players, odds of winning something could be as good as 1/10. So far in the drawings I've participated in over the past few years I am batting 100%. With tournaments, I've won about several been in many.

 

Chilling the most in Vegas.

 

Heard the rumor that the Downtown Grand is now offering a weekly open black-jack tournament, hey hey.