Casino Visit #1000 and Gambler’s Book Club Podcast Interview

Those of you who read my book know it chronicles 864 of my casino visits during the period from January 2001 to June 2008. Last weekend, I experienced the 1000th visit during a trip to Las Vegas. Here are some of the highlights and lowlights from the trip:

HIGH: On the flight to Vegas, I finished reading Arnold Snyder’s novel, “Risk of Ruin.” It was superb! I’ve never been sadder to be on the last page of a book. I plan to write a complete review in the next week. Also on the flight, I had the pleasure of listening to the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album, “Mosquito.” Another superb work of art. Finally, I was seated next to a four-year old boy. You might think this was a lowlight, but the kid was a perfect little gentleman…he read books when the plane was on the ground and played a Curious George animal game on his dad’s iPad while in flight. The only time he spoke was when I pointed to an animal and said, “Giraffe.” The kid replied, “No silly…that’s a rhino.”

LOW: Shortly after landing and checking into the Hard Rock Hotel for a three-day comped stay, I learned that their relatively decent $25 double-deck blackjack game had been replaced by a blackjack-pays-6-to-5 monstrosity. I checked out of the hotel instantly. No free stay is worth that nonsense.

HIGH: My favorite hotel, which still has a great double-deck BJ game, and which I have never been given a second look while card-counting, was able to accommodate me on short notice for a free stay. I will not divulge its location for selfish reasons.

LOW: In less than an hour of playing blackjack, I had experienced a horrible losing streak. I began by losing approximately 18 out of 20 hands. And, in the first hour, I must’ve lost 7 or 8 double-downs in a row.

HIGH: The next day started well at the tables, and got even better when I was featured on the Gambler’s Book Club Podcast. The host, Howard Schwartz, and the Sound Engineer, Bill Coveney, spent an hour before the interview and an hour afterwards showing me books and telling stories about some of the notorious guest authors who occupied the same chair as me: high-stakes gamblers, Mafia kingpins, FBI agents, felons, con artists, and Sin City celebrities. It was truly an honor and a privilege to be there. (The most notorious thing I had ever done was let my dog crap in the neighbor’s yard.) In addition to discussing blackjack and my book in the interview, I did my best (or worst?) to imitate an evangelist, a Harvard lawyer, obnoxious blackjack players, and a few other random voices. I also defended my devious behavior in and around the casino. Next, I may or may not have divulged a government top secret. Finally, I was able to mention this wonderful forum and Mike Shackleford. The full interview can be heard at the following link:

http://gamblersbookclub.libsyn.com/webpage

LOW: That night, for the first and last time in my life, I made a bet on pro basketball because my son is a huge Denver Nuggets fan. I lost $100, plus the $10 vig, when Golden State beat Denver by four points.

HIGH: As a big fan of the Blue Man Group, I was tickled pink to see their new show at the Monte Carlo. About 80% of their bits are new, and the sound and light show was like experiencing Laser Floyd. During the finale, all the children in the audience (plus a forty-seven-year-old man) screamed and gasped with joy.

LOW: Outside the Blue Man Group theater, I noticed an 8-deck blackjack game near a catwalk stage where a scantily-clad woman performed. The game paid 6-to-5 on a blackjack. I repeat…an 8-deck game in Vegas that pays 6-to-5! Who cares if lotsa skin was visible nearby? I asked the pit boss and the dealer if they had trouble sleeping at night.

HIGH: Conversely, in the high-limit pit at the Monte Carlo, there was a $50 double-deck game with the dealer staying on soft 17 and dealing approximately 75% of the cards. Great stuff! I played there for 26 minutes with moderate success.

LOW: The reason I played there for only 26 minutes was due to the pit boss asking me to leave the game for card-counting. Too good to be true.

HIGH: In-and-Out Burger. I had a 3 by 3. Those of you who live in Vegas or the Western part of the United States should never take for granted the cheeseburgery goodness you have at your fingertips…literally.

LOW: At the pool, I lap swam for an hour before realizing that my back was sun burnt to a crisp. I always knew that the sun affected you even in the water, but one hour in April? C’mon! To even the redness, I had to backstroke awhile. I hate the backstroke.

HIGH: A good run of cards at my favorite hotel and casino, which still will remain nameless because I don’t want to share it with anyone.

LOW: Playing blackjack next to a guy who stacked his chips in stacks of six. Almost every other player in the world makes stacks of five or ten. After a couple hours of watching this guy, my OCD tendencies were kicking onto overdrive. Why does he stack chips like that?!

HIGH: Leaving Las Vegas a winner, albeit with a slight sunburn.

LOW: Two days later at my home in Colorado, it snowed six inches. In May. When is my next trip to the desert?

Glen Wiggy
Author of "1536 Free Waters and Other Blackjack Endeavors--Finding Profit and Humor in Card-Counting"

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Quote: glenwiggy

LOW: Playing blackjack next to a guy who stacked his chips in stacks of six. Almost every other player in the world makes stacks of five or ten. After a couple hours of watching this guy, my OCD tendencies were kicking onto overdrive. Why does he stack chips like that?!

A possible explanation is that some players like to riffle their chips while waiting to act. It's easier to split 6 chips into 2 stacks of 3 and riffle than if you had 5 in the stack.

Apart from that I'm not sure.

Did you count how many fingers he had? Maybe he has an extra one on each hand :-)

Nice trip, nice review ! Now come on give us a hint about your favorite hotel/casino !

What could you have done in 26 minutes to get backed off at the Monte Carlo? It doesn't seem to be enough time for a skills check. Were you playing rated and do you have a past history with them?

Quote: glenwiggy

In less than an hour of playing blackjack, I had experienced a horrible losing streak. I began by losing approximately 18 out of 20 hands. And, in the first hour, I must’ve lost 7 or 8 double-downs in a row.

And you only order water from the Tray Lizard? Man that is enough to drive me to drink gin even if I have to pay for it!

Quote: 1BB

What could you have done in 26 minutes to get backed off at the Monte Carlo? It doesn't seem to be enough time for a skills check. Were you playing rated and do you have a past history with them?

I was playing a $50 unit, then spreading to a max of two hands at $300 each. On one high-count shoe, I bet $600 three hands in a row...insuring against an ace once. A couple minutes later the pit phone rang, then I was asked to leave. I don't have a history at the Monte Carlo, and did not give up any ID or player's card.

Quote: Switch

Did you count how many fingers he had? Maybe he has an extra one on each hand :-)

My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die ;)

"I am the Brute Squad".

Andre the Giant, RIP.

Quote: JohnnyQ

"I am the Brute Squad".

Andre the Giant, RIP.

Did anyone think to check if he was only "mostly" dead?

I love that movie!
The part with the smart guy trying to decide which wine glass to drink from reminds me of the evolution of my craps strategy. And the result (of my craps strategy) is usually the same as what happens in the movie! The HE is just like iocane powder. How weird is that?

Interesting interview. To be honest I didn't even know there was jobs available in the AF for mathematicians. All the fun stuff in my AFSC seems to go to the contractors.... and I still don't know whether aliens exist or not. I demand to know lol!

Quote: glenwiggy

I was playing a $50 unit, then spreading to a max of two hands at $300 each. On one high-count shoe, I bet $600 three hands in a row...insuring against an ace once. A couple minutes later the pit phone rang, then I was asked to leave. I don't have a history at the Monte Carlo, and did not give up any ID or player's card.

That'll do it!

I'm so used to NMSE on the DD games around my hometown, that I sometimes forget that a lot of places in Vegas don't have a rule against spreading to 2 hands. One of many things on a long list that I need to keep practicing to improve my game.

Quote: skrbornevrymin

The HE is just like iocane powder.

Have you spent the last few years building up a tolerance to the HE? ;)

I hope so, because then I will have heard it all... =)