Great documentary about Gambling in LV
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pSOXyshl5y8
Definitely shows that some people can go too far
I don't know how representiative the Canadian Mattress King is ... he sells mattresses and he has alot of money and enjoys being treated the way casinos treat high rollers.
Excessive? I don't know.
Rich people do things like that.
The two sales guys playing blackjack all night does show someone going on full tilt.
Is it me or are the mattress king and the high roller at the end the same guys (except with a hairpiece LOL)
ROULETTE: As demonstrated by the mattress guy, the object is to cover as many of the numbers as possible. The reason ordinary players don't win is because they don't have the bankroll for it.
After he tells us how easy it is to win.
Quote: beachbumbabsDefinitely going to watch this tonight.
If you're like some of us, you'll watch it again and again.
There's so much here that you never see anywhere
else, the darker side of casinos, maybe.
16:30 Second Twelve? What the Hell's the point? He has, like, fifty units inside!
21:30 Don't Double a Nine against a Deuce!!?? It's no wonder this moke is losing. Don't even say he could be counting, Mr. Ride the Winning Streak couldn't count to ten!
28:50 "It's five plus five in the morning, now." I like that, I don't know why, never heard the time expressed like that, I'm using that from now on!
29:42 Three $0.02/denom machines at once. Progressives at $3,251.76, $4,604.45 and $843.59. The hell is wrong with people? Can't she look at $843.59 compared to the others and just intuitively figure that must not be good!?
45:00- He's obsessed with Seth's f***ing inheritance, it's her money!!!
56:30- Louis: Why don't you gamble?
High Roller Host: Because I'm smart.
Quote: Mission14621:30 Don't Double a Nine against a Deuce!!?? It's no wonder this moke is losing. Don't even say he could be counting, Mr. Ride the Winning Streak couldn't count to ten!
I haven't watched it. I can't tell if you are shocked that he doubled or shocked that he didn't. Doubling 9 against a dealer 2 is correct for double deck, but not for 4 or more decks.
Quote: JimRockfordI haven't watched it. I can't tell if you are shocked that he doubled or shocked that he didn't. Doubling 9 against a dealer 2 is correct for double deck, but not for 4 or more decks.
Yep, marginal play in either case. An error of less than 0.01 unit per occurrence doing the incorrect play. Ploppies make much bigger errors than that, like not doubling 9s at all.
Quote: MoosetonLouis is a jinx, not that I believe in that stuff though. He's so focused on losing. It seemed like he was almost delighted to see the others lose at times.
He obviously disapproves of casinos and gambling. He's also
a cheapskate, that's why he's always talking about losing. Look
at how nervous he was about gambling with his own money, he's
not a risk taker.
KB1
Quote: Mission14628:50 "It's five plus five in the morning, now." I like that, I don't know why, never heard the time expressed like that, I'm using that from now on!
I think he's actually saying "five past five" but his British accent makes it sound more like "pause" than "pass."
Although he probably understands that there are some gamblers who are under control, he can't find them or truly comprehend them. Like the T-totaller who hangs out in dives, all he can see are the walking disasters.
Quote: odiousgambit
Although he probably understands that there are some gamblers who are under control, he can't find them or truly comprehend them.
*That*
The presenter doesn't comrehend gambling. I call it the non-gambler's fallacy: Some non-gamblers firmly and wrongly believe that the only motivation for gambling must be "to win". They just cannot imagine any other way. But gamblers (those in control) don't gamble in order to win, they gamble in order to gamble.
He is also stumped by the gambler's non-reaction to the $5000 slot win. But from the gambler's point of view it probably wasn't a "big" score of 5k, but merely "coming back a little".
Quote: Canyonero*That*
The presenter doesn't comrehend gambling. .
Sure he does. The point of his documentary is to pass
judgement on people who gamble. To really enjoy it,
you have to watch it a few times and get beyond Louie's
preachy attitude. I didn't like it the first time I saw it
either.
Quote: odiousgambitAlthough he probably understands that there are some gamblers who are under control, he can't find them or truly comprehend them. Like the T-totaller who hangs out in dives, all he can see are the walking disasters.
If the show had been about conservative responsible gamblers who stuck to reasonable limits it wouldn't have been a very interesting show. I typically have a bankroll under $200, and I never hit the ATM machine. I'm too boring of a gambler to bother filming.
And the fact that the documentary focused on high rollers, I didn't have much sympathy for their losses. If the show had depicted low income retirees losing their social security checks in penny slots, it would have been too depressing.
Quote: reno
If the show had been about conservative responsible gamblers who stuck to reasonable limits it wouldn't have been a very interesting show. .
Louie is very judgement oriented, that's his thing. He
was there to show how misguided gamblers are. Like
all the concern for how the son should be feeling about
mom spending the son's potential inheritance on the
slots. Louie thought she should be locked in a home,
apparently. He didn't understand the son's attitude of
its her money, oh well.
Quote: EvenBobLike all the concern for how the son should be feeling about mom spending the son's potential inheritance on the slots. Louie thought she should be locked in a home, apparently. He didn't understand the son's attitude of its her money, oh well.
I had a different interpretation of that scene. I got the sense that the son had mixed feelings. Louie asked the son if he had ever tried to intervene and talk some sense into her. Mom denied it. Then Seth explained that he had tried a couple times, but she wouldn't listen to him. Sure, the son knew that: A) it wasn't his money, and that B) gambling makes mom happy. But he had still tried to get her to stop.
If I stood a chance to inherit $4 million, but my parents had spent it on a charity feeding starving African children I'd be ok with their decision. But if their favorite charity was slots at the Las Vegas Hilton, I might have mixed feelings about it.
They compete for high rollers who like to be in documentaries (or crockumentaries if you prefer), they compete for high rollers who would tell a film crew to get lost, they compete for mid rollers and they compete for low rollers.
Remember when Circus Circus dumped their whale program and went Family-Friendly First Timers? Worlds longest buffet, 18 dollar rooms even if Circus Circus had to buy blocks of forty dollar rooms and re-rent them for 18.00 as well as run shuttles to them. People who wouldn't understand a whale in the desert at all. Brought in millions! Even the buffet was in the Black.
You can make a documentary about anything. Even how to loosen up an uptight BBC documentarian and get him to live a little and sample the fast lane for one night.
Documentary about gambling? About Whales? About Jerks? Who knows.
We all know it takes an army of employees to staff a casino. Bartenders, security guards, ... hosts and publicity basking whales. You can do a documentary on any aspect of it. I bet you could go down to Hendertucky and film one dollar craps players or Penny Slots at Emerald Isle .. and it would be a fine show. No high rollers. Just people spending their retirement checks and their student aid checks in a manner they enjoy. Whales? Minnows? Every fish in between. And every fisherman too.
Quote: renoI finally watched the documentary in its entirety. I'm wondering why the 2 salesmen, John & Tim, (who each had bankrolls in the thousand of dollars) were they sharing 1 hotel room? At their level of play they should have had 2 comped rooms. (On the other hand, these guys didn't spend too much time in their room.) Based upon this TV show, it's obvious the Hilton's standard rooms are pathetic. With their $5,000+ bankrolls they should be getting rooms at Venetian or Wynn.
With a $5000 bankroll? A $5000 bankroll doesn't really get you that much in comps. I mean the bankroll itself doesn't get you anything, it's what you do with it, of course.
This actually sounds like a good question for the forum. Assume one has a recreational bankroll of $5000 for a trip. What's the most effective way to deploy this bankroll to maximize comps? I don't think you could get a comped room at the Venetian OR the Wynn (on a weekend) with that bankroll, unless you had a run of good luck at the beginning, allowing you to rack up a lot of theoretical.
Quote: AcesAndEightsWith a $5000 bankroll? A $5000 bankroll doesn't really get you that much in comps. I mean the bankroll itself doesn't get you anything, it's what you do with it, of course.
This actually sounds like a good question for the forum. Assume one has a recreational bankroll of $5000 for a trip. What's the most effective way to deploy this bankroll to maximize comps? I don't think you could get a comped room at the Venetian OR the Wynn (on a weekend) with that bankroll, unless you had a run of good luck at the beginning, allowing you to rack up a lot of theoretical.
Honestly? I think the most "effective" way to deploy is to play 25C wheel of fortune slots or something similar (at 75C for max bet), if your goal is to build comps and offers. Just keep plugging away on those quarters for as long as they last, or even the penny slots at 30C 1x to 80C 2x a spin (playing all lines 1x or 2x so you're on the machine for hours. You need lots of hours, and the odds are terrible, so you have to try to play as long as you can. I'd rather watch paint dry than do this, but I do find streaks of a machine that will pay little wins for a long session on a single 20; that's what you're looking for, to make lots of coin-in for a minimum of 4 hours per day on a machine that will keep you playing. If you're machine-hopping while going for comps, be really careful that your player's card registers. Even better, unless the casino's too crowded to allow it, is to find two of those machines side-by-side and keep them both going with player cards in both.
Different machines may give better comps than others, so it's worth watching to see how many coins give you a point. For example, most Harrah's machines need 500 units (pennies) coin-in to give 1 reward credit, but there are a few that only need 400. Watch the electronic meter on your card reader that will tell you how many you need, because they're also different by denomination, but the difference in my example is $5.00 vs. $4.00 per credit; it's worth doing the math to figure out which machines credit the best, then hope you find one with some play.
Quote: Mission14621:30 Don't Double a Nine against a Deuce!!?? It's no wonder this moke is losing. Don't even say he could be counting, Mr. Ride the Winning Streak couldn't count to ten!
Assuming the count is unknown, are you suggesting that it is good strategy to double down a nine against a deuce?
Quote: AcesAndEightsWith a $5000 bankroll? A $5000 bankroll doesn't really get you that much in comps. I mean the bankroll itself doesn't get you anything, it's what you do with it, of course.
This actually sounds like a good question for the forum. Assume one has a recreational bankroll of $5000 for a trip. What's the most effective way to deploy this bankroll to maximize comps? I don't think you could get a comped room at the Venetian OR the Wynn (on a weekend) with that bankroll, unless you had a run of good luck at the beginning, allowing you to rack up a lot of theoretical.
Our bankroll is about half that and we get room offers from all over the country. They're weeknight offers, but they're still free, and any time I've asked for a Saturday night I've gotten it.
Quote: MoscaOur bankroll is about half that and we get room offers from all over the country. They're weeknight offers, but they're still free, and any time I've asked for a Saturday night I've gotten it.
That's reasonable, but reno mentioned "the Wynn or the Venetian." The more I think about it the more ridiculous this statement is for a $5000 bankroll. The Flamingo or the Quad, or someplace downtown, sure, but not a nice strip property.
Quote: AcesAndEightsWith a $5000 bankroll? A $5000 bankroll doesn't really get you that much in comps. I mean the bankroll itself doesn't get you anything, it's what you do with it, of course.
I think it really depends on a few things. Are you trying to maximize comps on the current trip or for future trips? I believe they would require different strategies. Also, are you trying to maximize comps while minimizing loss? As Babs said playing quarter slots or penny slots would definitely maximize your future comps but you would most likely lose your whole bankroll.
If the goal is to maximize comps on the current trip while minimizing loss, I would probably just flat bet $100 at BJ using basic strategy on a slow table.
BullshitQuote: AcesAndEightsThat's reasonable, but reno mentioned "the Wynn or the Venetian." The more I think about it the more ridiculous this statement is for a $5000 bankroll. The Flamingo or the Quad, or someplace downtown, sure, but not a nice strip property.
Quote: JIMMYFOCKERBullshit
Would you like to expound on that? I'm open to being wrong, as I have not put in a lot of play at either of these properties, but I have played a lot on the TR and MLife programs, and the amount of action you could generate with a $5000 bankroll would not be enough to get a weekend comped at any of their nice properties.
I know TR and MLife are notoriously stingy, but I get the impression the Wynn and Venetian both cater to medium-to-high rollers. it just seems like a $5000 bankroll wouldn't really get you on the radar.
It is one thing to bring a bunch of dough to the casino; it is quite another to bet it, to put it in play.
Quote: MrVI suppose the confusing thing is the use of the term "bankroll."
It is one thing to bring a bunch of dough to the casino; it is quite another to bet it, to put it in play.
My bankroll is rarely over 5K; I budget more like 1K to 1.5K a day losses, and play for many hours on that, mostly tables, some slots, with coin-in from 5K to 10K/day depending on variance (sometimes I even win for the day). I get constant invites for any night Caesars/Harrahs/Paris properties, similar offers from MGM/Mirage in the past, but haven't stayed with them since 2004, so they dropped off after a couple of years. Had even better comps with LV Hilton for a few years in the late 90's, early 00's on a similar bankroll.
Nobodies walking in the door can ask the Rio/Harrah's for casino rack rates and get rooms for less than 50/night intially, (flash your BR at checkin) then have them review their play at checkout and get it all written off for that trip with that bankroll, easily. Then they'll start getting good offers for future visits.
My current per quarter minimum offer with CET is 4 nights in any property 7/52/365, 300-500 in cash from the cage, 150-200 room credit, and 10000 (another 100 you can spend in restaurants/gift shops etc) reward points, just for showing up. And my host takes my comps well beyond that, has for years.
Quote: JIMMYFOCKERBullshit
Bullshit
Have you ever said or heard someone say, "One more hand, honey" when a wife says, "let's go up to our room to f***"?
Bullshit. :)Quote: gpac1377Bullshit
Quote: teddysBullshit. :)
:)
Quote: beachbumbabsMy bankroll is rarely over 5K; I budget more like 1K to 1.5K a day losses, and play for many hours on that, mostly tables, some slots, with coin-in from 5K to 10K/day depending on variance (sometimes I even win for the day). I get constant invites for any night Caesars/Harrahs/Paris properties, similar offers from MGM/Mirage in the past, but haven't stayed with them since 2004, so they dropped off after a couple of years. Had even better comps with LV Hilton for a few years in the late 90's, early 00's on a similar bankroll.
Nobodies walking in the door can ask the Rio/Harrah's for casino rack rates and get rooms for less than 50/night intially, (flash your BR at checkin) then have them review their play at checkout and get it all written off for that trip with that bankroll, easily. Then they'll start getting good offers for future visits.
My current per quarter minimum offer with CET is 4 nights in any property 7/52/365, 300-500 in cash from the cage, 150-200 room credit, and 10000 (another 100 you can spend in restaurants/gift shops etc) reward points, just for showing up. And my host takes my comps well beyond that, has for years.
That seems like waaaay more comps than I get, with a similar amount of action. I do have a host at CET, I guess I should start asking for more. You get offers for completely comped rooms at Caesars Palace LV? I have never had that offer. What tier are you with Total Rewards?
All I get from a casino is encouraged to go play at a competitor's casino.
Though on my birthday I did once get a FloorMan who wished me a Happy Birthday.
1) Having a $5k bankroll and spending it to maximize comps is also a rather subjective excercise. I mean, if you were a live poker player, would you really take half your roll and bet quarter slots at 75 cents a hit? Conversely if you are a slot player, would you risk your bankroll on middling or arbing baccarat with your significant other? (read, the hooker you picked up on the corner of Tiago and Paradise........btw, is that still a thing? :) ).
I would much rather take my wife (legit this time) and have her bet the don't, I bet the line, make a couple of ice cream bets (prop bets) inbetween, get some drinks and rack up some comp points, IF your average bet is high enough.
2) In my sheltered and very short sighted opinion you should NEVER double down on 9 against a deuce in any game. I'm not sure which way Mission leaned with his post but yeah, all basic I know, 9 is always a HIT against a dealer deuce. (No deviations or T/C was taken into account when writing this previous statement).
Quote: FleaStiffGee, a knockout who gets great comps....
All I get from a casino is encouraged to go play at a competitor's casino.
Though on my birthday I did once get a FloorMan who wished me a Happy Birthday.
Are you implying that attractive females get better comps? I'm not saying it isn't true in other facets of life...but I hadn't heard about this particular brand of discrimination...(no offense babs).
Quote: TomspurTwo things.
1) Having a $5k bankroll and spending it to maximize comps is also a rather subjective excercise. I mean, if you were a live poker player, would you really take half your roll and bet quarter slots at 75 cents a hit? Conversely if you are a slot player, would you risk your bankroll on middling or arbing baccarat with your significant other? (read, the hooker you picked up on the corner of Tiago and Paradise........btw, is that still a thing? :) ).
I would much rather take my wife (legit this time) and have her bet the don't, I bet the line, make a couple of ice cream bets (prop bets) inbetween, get some drinks and rack up some comp points, IF your average bet is high enough.
This is true and my question was more of a thought exercise than anything. I don't think I could ever bring myself to play slots.
Quote:2) In my sheltered and very short sighted opinion you should NEVER double down on 9 against a deuce in any game. I'm not sure which way Mission leaned with his post but yeah, all basic I know, 9 is always a HIT against a dealer deuce. (No deviations or T/C was taken into account when writing this previous statement).
9v2 is a double down situation in double and single deck, and with a moderately positive count in multi-deck.
Perhaps while counting but never just playing basic. (Again this is only my opinion and my own calculations and reading). I have memorized 3 different sets of basic strategy for DD, 6 deck and 8 deck. (Never for single deck though, I find the game in Vegas worthless because of the 6/5 shave).
All of them you stay on 9v2.
Is your summation based on counting or purely basic Aces?
Quote: TomspurAll of them you stay on 9v2.
Surely you should at least hit 9 vs 2.
Quote: JBSurely you should at least hit 9 vs 2.
I absolutely meant that yes, my apologies for not being very clear.
You HIT in that situation and that is that, for me, no double :)
Apologies for the confusion.
Quote: Tomspur
Perhaps while counting but never just playing basic. (Again this is only my opinion and my own calculations and reading). I have memorized 3 different sets of basic strategy for DD, 6 deck and 8 deck. (Never for single deck though, I find the game in Vegas worthless because of the 6/5 shave).
All of them you stay on 9v2.
Is your summation based on counting or purely basic Aces?
Yes, while playing basic!!!
https://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/strategy/2-decks/
It's a Hit Soft 17 Game, even though that doesn't matter. I know it's a double-deck game because both decks were fanned out at 20:30 in the video before they started playing. Basic Strategy says Double 9 against a Dealer Deuce if allowed, off-the-top Basic Strategy.
