Just In Vegas

I drove by The Riviera tower on the day before it was imploded. Had I known it was to be imploded at the time I might've gone by and waited and waited to see the controlled demolition. I was on my way downtown to pick up a breakfast comp and a meal to go from an infamous casino that quit courting me. Siegel's 1941 has good service; and the club sandwich is very impressive.

Thought about posting lots of photos on this trip but I couldn't get into the groove (if I lose I like to do it alone).

I played about nine hours of blackjack on this 2-day trip with the spread of 1 to 9 on a DD $10 min game. I never got to nine but I did get to 7.5 where I made my largest wager of $75. I got a blackjack, no lie. (I remember once making a $75 wager and got a blackjack at the Golden Gate around 2001. $112.50. There was a lot of heat betting $25 to $75 in their single-deck game back then.)

And then let me share with you this little scene: I was playing alone at a DD table, 2 hands. The count was good-- I had $60 on each and doubled down on both. Had $240 out there and the dealer busted. And don't think beneath my calm exterior I wasn't celebrating. Had I lost that one hand I would've been down for the trip. Isn't that how it goes?

So after 89 trips to Vegas I have a 61.7% winning ratio. I've had many trips that were not sublime. Don't you hate it when you go to Vegas four times in a row and win or lose almost nothing? I've done that too. In 1994 I took a 3 1/2 year sabatical from card counting after having a few stale trips. Once I met Lois, the girlfriend I spoke of in My Blackjack Story And Other Musings, I got hooked again.

I've played at the $25 to $200 betting level on about 10 trips to Vegas. But I wasn't in the mood and wasn't as sharp as I needed to be to do so this trip. Being able to lose $1,600 in 10 minutes and remain aggressive and maintain a good attitude requires some talent. This exact thing happened to me the first time I played the Downtown Grand DD, 3:2, H17, 80% Pen, $25 Min, DAS game. Last time I checked the game went 6:5.

Playing a $25 Min game is like flying first class. You generally get a better dressed and more interesting crowd. Not that I've ever flown first class.

Very nice.

I always look forward to your Blackjack posts Greasyjohn. In fact I look for them.

Quote: Wino

I always look forward to your Blackjack posts Greasyjohn. In fact I look for them.

Agreed. Always interesting stories and a fair account of the action. Glad to hear you're out making trips to Vegas again. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the kind words. I don't go to Vegas as much as I used to. It makes the trips a little more special now when I do go. I used to get free room offers from a dozen different casinos but it's all dried up for me. I was able to talk to a casino host and get a comped two nights though. The humiliation!

I had a weird little incident happen on this trip where I made a $25 blackjack bet and split two sevens. On my first seven I drew out to 20. On the second seven I got a four and pulled out another $25 to double down and caught a 10. The dealer drew out to a four-card 21 so I lost my first $25 wager but pushed on my double down. When the round was over I left out my $25 bet for the next round and lost the hand, and I left. On my way to the car I got to thinking about the $25 bet that I doubled down on and recalled that when the hand was over there was only one stack of five red out there; when I gave the dealer the $25 for the double down she never put the chips out next to my original wager. That's the first time that ever happened to me (I hope) and since you expect there to be a stack of chips next to your original wager--well, it just passed right by me. I went back and relayed what happened to the pit boss. I told him that I wasn't positive about my recollection but as best I can remember I never received the $25 in chips for my double down. The pit boss called it up to the eye and I waited for a good 10 minutes or so at the same blackjack table I had been playing at just watching the action. Then the pit boss walked up to the same dealer that I had been playing against and told her give me $25, and she slid a green over to me. The fog of war.

These posts read like a script from a 1947 black and white film noir movie. Always an enjoyable read, and the only ones that I wish were longer. Good writing.

Did you know there is a podcast called "Just In Vegas" that won a Trippies Award from VegasTripping.com?

http://www.justinvegaspodcast.com

They have 1 episode and won? That's weird. Guess I will listen to it tomorrow.

Here's some more on this two-day Vegas vacation:

I was playing blackjack and sitting to the left of a sweet young girl. Probably mid-20s. She had spent five days in Vegas and was returning home to Colorado the following day. Driving home. She was rubenesque with beautiful brown hair, shiny with a hint of auburn. Her hands were manicured and gracefully handled the cards. It was a friendly table and we all chatted. I was enjoying my vodkas with orange juice.

When I flirt with a woman it is never overtly sexual. I would rather engage her intellectually. The sexual element is always there, of course. No need to point out the elephant in the room. Let's see, it's the African elephant that has the big ears.

Anyway, as we played einundzwanzig this girl would very often stand on her 16s vs a dealer high card. She wasn't counting because the index didn't warrant her timid play. I playfully encouraged her to be bold.

We chatted about nothing in particular. I couldn't help but let my eyes enjoy her feminine appearance. And I hope that she enjoyed that I enjoyed it. The day that we can get arrested for what we think--well, then we're all screwed.

So my mind contemplated sensual desire, but our exchange never gravitated toward that encounter. The present went unopened. The joy of desire...

Quote: racquet

These posts read like a script from a 1947 black and white film noir movie. Always an enjoyable read, and the only ones that I wish were longer. Good writing.

I read the last post allowing the typical voice and manner of speaking of those movies - it works!

I'm sorry she had big ears LOL

Quote: Wino

I always look forward to your Blackjack posts Greasyjohn. In fact I look for them.

Thanks, Wino.

How in the world did something with one podcast win a trippy?

Quote: Wizardofnothing

How in the world did something with one podcast win a trippy?

Not just one podcast, one horrible podcast

What am I missing here?

Did he win as a joke?

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