First time at the $100 table

So, this is sort of a milestone for me. I decided to play at the $100 blackjack table last night. I had a $1,200 bankroll. I figured I'm probably going to lose it all in about 15 min. Well, I played for 25 min and ended up with $2,100 so had a +$900 sitting. I've got to say I have major respect for people that sit down at these tables with $10k+ and battle. It was very stressful for me with my limited bank roll.

I played basic strategy for the most part and got a few good hits. I also did $25 match the dealer and twice hit suited matches that covered a couple of losses.

But, it was a lot of fun and pretty intense. I was one on one against the dealer.

Haha... Congrats! I know how you feel. I was sweating bullets the first time I sat down at a $25 table. The dealer had to tell me to relax. Started with four chips. Lasted about 30 minutes before busting out. I can handle that level of play now, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to sit at a $100 table.

Sitting at any table with a bankroll of 12 minimum bets is rather foolish. You'll bust out far too often. Wait until you split 8s against a ten and draw another 8 and a couple of cards you should double down on.
I've never sat at a $100 table, doubt I ever will, but there are just as many digits at the $25 as the $5 ones. Expect that would hold true at almost any level.

I have yet to sit at a $100 table, but I dream about it in my sleep.
I always lose ;-(

I sat at a $25 table once, by accident, I posted about it in the last month or so.

Appears I'm doomed to play with the funny crowd at the red chip tables ;-)

Quote: TwoFeathersATL

Appears I'm doomed to play with the funny crowd at the red chip tables ;-)

What do you mean we're "funny?" Funny how? ;)

Quote: TigerWu

Haha... Congrats! I know how you feel. I was sweating bullets the first time I sat down at a $25 table. The dealer had to tell me to relax. Started with four chips. Lasted about 30 minutes before busting out. I can handle that level of play now, but I don't know if I'll ever be able to sit at a $100 table.

I'm glad I did it. If I had lost I probably wouldn't have been glad. The dealer was very nice. She slowed down a little for me when I started making match dealer bets for her. I'm certain she could tell I was nervous too.

On my last cruise, I decided to have a $100 session with a 3k bankroll. That was a stretch for me because I think twice about $1 video poker. They didn't have a $100 table, though, but the $25 table was empty as most people play $5 6:5 or $10 3:2. I found out that Princess will start comping drinks at that level, too. I left up about $1200 on the session, which made me even for the cruise. Unfortunately, that didn't cover my wife's losses... oh well.

Quote: Joeman

What do you mean we're "funny?" Funny how? ;)

Now that comment, and that video clip, is just plain funny.
Of course, BTW, you added a rascal point to your score, but that is not necessarily a bad thing ;-)
Made me laugh! 2F

Quote: JoelDeze

So, this is sort of a milestone for me. I decided to play at the $100 blackjack table last night. I had a $1,200 bankroll. I figured I'm probably going to lose it all in about 15 min. Well, I played for 25 min and ended up with $2,100 so had a +$900 sitting. I've got to say I have major respect for people that sit down at these tables with $10k+ and battle. It was very stressful for me with my limited bank roll.

I played basic strategy for the most part and got a few good hits. I also did $25 match the dealer and twice hit suited matches that covered a couple of losses.

But, it was a lot of fun and pretty intense. I was one on one against the dealer.

Careful there. You may find that the green chip table no longer has sufficient juice.

Quote: JoelDeze

It was very stressful for me with my limited bank roll. . . But, it was a lot of fun and pretty intense.

It's easy to be nervous when you start playing at higher stakes, especially while thinking about the amount of money you could lose. Don't play with scared money. What's true in poker is true in table games as well. When you're nervous and scared, you likely won't play optimally and will make more mistakes. I'm glad that you had good luck in your short run and were able to increase your buy-in by 75%.

By my second trip to Vegas several years ago, I had found WoO Blackjack strategy and was pretty comfortable playing the game, having practiced a lot on a phone app. I would sign up for a poker tournament and win my buy-in back at the Blackjack table while waiting for the tournament to start. On the last night, I wanted to crank it up. I bought in at a $200 table in a high-limit room. Suddenly, I had a hard time remembering basic strategy and a hard time adding up the cards. I was very nervous playing for that amount of money and lost a few thousand dollars.

I have had better luck since then, after I became comfortable with playing at higher stakes. These days in Vegas, you might have to play at a $100 table to get the best house rules and lowest house edge.

You bought in at a $200 min table?
I have never seen one of those, where was it?
I'm just asking, pls no dis-respect. You found a $200min table? What the hell was the max?
You can PM your response to either or both questions.

Quote: TwoFeathersATL

You bought in at a $200 min table?
I have never seen one of those, where was it?
I'm just asking, pls no dis-respect. You found a $200min table? What the hell was the max?
You can PM your response to either or both questions.

.

MGM Grand high limit room. If I remember correctly, the table limit was $200 late in the afternoon when I was walking through. Later in the evening when I decided to play, the minimum was higher. I don't remember the min/max, just that pit boss agreed to go down to $200 (there were no other players in the room.)

Quote: BlueEagle

It's easy to be nervous when you start playing at higher stakes, especially while thinking about the amount of money you could lose. Don't play with scared money. What's true in poker is true in table games as well. When you're nervous and scared, you likely won't play optimally and will make more mistakes.

I disagree it's not that hard to play proper strategy at blackjack, It's not like you'll suddenly hit you 16 v dealers 6 because you were playing bigger steaks and got nervous. All the rest is meaningless. Obviously you shouldn't play for bigger steaks if you're not going to split and double down correctly because you're scared to do so.

Lots of places have 200 mins at times- it's actually very common on New Years but I have seen it lots of other times

I have played at $100 table once or twice - but much prefer betting that much at a $25 table - when the cards go bad there is nowhere to hide at black chip level.

Quote: JimRockford

Careful there. You may find that the green chip table no longer has sufficient juice.

+1 JimRockford brings up an interesting (to me at least) point. It is clear that changing cash into chips removes a barrier to betting larger amounts, since the mind can be convinced that it is "just one chip", whether it is blue, red, green, or black or instead of "100 dollar bills", but what happens to the nervous energy... the "juice" brought on by placing a big wager?

There was a time when I considered betting green chips way over my head, and possibly a sign of a problem. It was no longer considered "fun" money, since I wouldn't have spent that much on other entertainment. Of course, back then, my Las Vegas vacation consisted of sharing a room at the Westward Ho with 10 other college buddies, and eating $1.00 hot dogs for three meals a day.

Have I become numb to the value of money in general, or is it the addictive property of gambling where a bigger hit is required to get the rush? I can appreciate the nervous rush of first sitting down at the high limit table. I guess when you win more on one hand than what you spent on your entire trip the last time you were in town, it would be hard to feel like betting $5 a hand again is worth your time.

That's when you accidentally spill your drink on the cards.

I guess I'm different on this. I play because I like to watch the cards, the flow of the hands, admire good ones, commiserate on the bad ones. I don't care if I'm dealing or playing. I don't like losing steadily (who does) but I also don't hunger to win huge all the time. It makes me a little sick to bet big, but I will if it seems necessary. It isn't necessary the vast amount of the time IMO, so I'll probably always be a red chipper, unless the table min is green.

On pgp at Harrah's LV, you have to play 2x min to play 2 hands. Plus the fortune bet, so when the minbet is 20 (often on weekends) I have played 90/hand, split into 2, and gone up from there on wins. Not lately, since I retired, and don't have the discretionary income I had while working. Same with 15 min on UTH; takes 100/hand to 4x bet and bet 10 trips. But I prefer playing for much less on both. Hard to enjoy or outlast a losing streak.

Quote: AxelWolf

I disagree it's not that hard to play proper strategy at blackjack, It's not like you'll suddenly hit you 16 v dealers 6 because you were playing bigger steaks and got nervous.

True. After I posted, I was thinking that a big contribution to my nervous experience was lack of experience. I was learning basic strategy while playing on my phone, but had very little live experience. I'm sure someone who has been playing for a while and knows basic strategy like the back of their hand wouldn't have the mind block that I was having.

As far as being tense about playing higher stakes, it helps me to think about betting units and not the amount of money each unit represents.

Quote: BlueEagle

...As far as being tense about playing higher stakes, it helps me to think about betting units and not the amount of money each unit represents.

But is this a good thing? I suspect lots of folks get in over their heads, or don't take home as much as they could, because their brains don't equate a small stack of chips with this months mortgage payment.

Maybe we should be concerned when we aren't nervous.

Well congratulation on your winning. With so limited bankroll you were able to manage to make some decent wins. I know other would play thousands of thousands of dollars but ended up loosing but in your case you were able to win. Next time better try it again.

Quote: Ayecarumba

But is this a good thing? I suspect lots of folks get in over their heads, or don't take home as much as they could, because their brains don't equate a small stack of chips with this months mortgage payment.

Maybe we should be concerned when we aren't nervous.

I think playing at a higher limit table than what you're comfortable may lead to shorter session(s).

A: You did not bring enough BR to ride the swings, so you're out of money in 15 minutes

B: After a quick 10 minutes of hot streak of being up 10 units, you realize that that's a lot of $$ and you color up and go home.

I think playing at a higher limit table may give you a new feeling of excitement, but in the long run, you should play at a table you're most comfortable with whether it's $25 min, $10 min, and etc because those kind of hot streaks do not always happen and you want to ride through the swings. That's my two cents...but to each their own. I have a buddy who goes to Vegas with $1000 of gambling money and at the beginning of the trip, he bets all of $1000 in one hand of blackjack, one roll of roulette, or which ever game he feels. Whether he loses or doubles up, he does not gamble for the rest of the trip. His rationale is that he believes he's better off getting lucky short-term at a near 50/50 game on one hand VS. playing the whole weekend and bleeding all his money. It's actually quite funny. The trips where he doubles up the first night, he's on cloud nine. For the rest of the trip he just sits next to us and sips comp drinks at the tables while we gamble. The trips he lose, he's trying to load up on comp drinks next to us justifying he would have lost the money anyways if he's been grinding. I just fear the day when he bets a $1000 and he gets 88, AA, or other must split or double situation(s). LOL

Quote:

Have I become numb to the value of money in general, or is it the addictive property of gambling where a bigger hit is required to get the rush?

I believe the addictive property of gambling can make us numb to the value of money.

I'm reminded of a fellow, his name escapes me, he had a very high level position in the federal government, and he was a compulsive high limit slots player (I think he played mostly in Connecticutt}.

He lost, of course, but kept throwing massive amounts of money into the maws of the machines.

Just got a $25K-$50K fee for giving a speech?

Ka-ching, into the machines.

Yeah, once he was hooked he needed more, more, more!

"We have met the enemy, and it is us."

If you sit down at a $10-$15 min BJ table, with a $1K max, and you bet $1K.......
You better be prepared to split to 4 hands, and double all 4.
It can get weird in an hurry... dham, dham, ....dahm, dahm.... ;-)

The whole "But Sparkles, I played the hand correctly " can leave you sleeping on the couch, or worse ;-)