Gambling Thread

People asking to come in pisses me off because it is just so stupid. I don't control the table and a guy coming in doesn't change anything. It's like people who don't like a shoe or a dealer and jump between tables.

 

I'll straight up admit that playing blackjack is objectively stupid. I like playing and I can come close to playing EV. It's just the numbnuts.

 

When I play, I like playing straight up — just me vs. the dealer. I would never jump in, mid-shoe, on a table with only one person playing.

Sports betting was (and will soon be again) a legit, tax-filing side hustle. Blackjack (and baccarat) I only treat as “pizza money”. When I get up 2 units ($40-50), I’m done.

 

I think the last time I played blackjack was at a casino in London in 2019. Got on a hot table with a couple of agreeable blokes and got up 150 pounds at one point before they switched dealers and it went cold. Should have left then, but we were having too much fun. Ended up basically even. Still, not bad entertainment for a few hours with no real money spent.

 

Also, good lesson last night on the inherit risk of player props. Viktor Arvidsson was in a lot of NHL parlays I saw out there for O3.5 shots (I did not play that one). Seventeen seconds into the game, he gets injured and is done for the game. Everyone is screaming for a void, which no books will give. Once a player starts the game, he's in. I enjoy doing player props, but that's part of the risk of the bet. The only way it's voided is if he never enters the game.

 

I'm conflicted playing straight up. You don't deal with bullshit, but there is no social element and the play is too fast so you can lose quickly. Getting to know a dealer is good.

 

What casino is this?

 

I can't think of a more vibe-based game than blackjack. I understand the guy at third base, and I understand Nantz as well.
In theory, if the guy at next to you stays on a soft 16, or splits 5s (what the fuck is that) it shouldn't effect your bet. But it does.

On the flip side, a blackjack table with strangers where everyone is playing by the book, and everyone winning, is really, really fun.

 

Encore in Boston (Everett)

The place is really nice, hotel and casino. The staff is great. It's just the traffic can get annoying.

 

Not the unders

 

I dealt blackjack for a year on tribal land 30 years ago. A fascinating experience on just about every level.

But it also taught me practical survival skills for casinos.

For blackjack - and I don’t play it often - I’ll play basic strategy and keep a basic count. I’ll play table minimums until the deck has a 2-1 ratio of tens/Aces vs 2-6. 7-8-9 don’t count. When it does, I’ll bump up to 3-4x table minimum. Maybe I get 5 hands of this every 3 six-deck shoes so it’s not common. Won’t play continuous shuffle BJ.

Or I’ll play two hands if it’s just me at the table if I’m keeping a side count of aces. The idea that a blackjack pays 3-2 and the house doesn’t take 3-2 from me with a BJ.

I like playing baccarat much more. No skill. Just pick a side. If you get a table full of Chinese speakers, highly entertaining!

Don’t play stupid games with huge EV. Roulette, the inside of a craps table, keno, slots, any of the carnival games, BJ side bets, etc.

I only have one purpose when I gamble or bet on sports. To make more money than I came in with. That’s it. If I want entertainment, I’ll pay for it.

I bring a lot of money with me when I walk into a casino. Usually $2-3k. But if I win 50-100 bucks, that’s my goal and I leave.