Any Experience with M Resort $500 Loss Rebate?

[Alan Mendelson]

Of all sites, this place seems to care the least about bullshit dead end BJ. Except for AP's like jbjb who are capable of finding endless bj card flashes that could keep him playing 24/7 raking in the big bucks. In fact he had to hire a crew of AP's to keep up with the opportunities available all over the country.

You just can't make this shit up...

You're right, you can't make it up because it's true. I'm not at the moment, nor am I "24/7", but other teams are out there playing these types of games RIGHT NOW no matter what you believe. The fact that you and guys like Alan are to lazy to go look for them speaks volumes.

And I don't give a flying fuck what you think!

I'm not lazy. I can't afford to be a professional gambler because it doesn't pay enough. Since I'm 65+ and I have my union health and retirement plans for life and since I'll be getting Social Security soon I have all the benefits I need. But if I were younger I couldn't afford the lack of benefits that full time gamblers have. Frankly I think the life of a young, full time gambler must be nerve wracking. How do you sleep at night? (Well, with all the time you spend in casinos looking for flashing dealers and abandoned multipliers I guess you don't. Good luck son.)

[jbjb]

I meant you are lazy in the sense that you'd rather belly up to a craps table or sit for hours at your favorite 8/5 BP VP game instead of looking for and playing games where you have the advantage, not the casino. Age has nothing to do with it and you don't need to give up your business.

My challenge where I suggest people quit their jobs or whatever and play full time are for the ones that think they can "consistently" beat negative EV games. Of course, none of them are willing to do that.

[Alan Mendelson]

Again I don't doubt some people win, especially card counters in blackjack. I accept the kewlj is a winning blackjack player. I know others who are also. I also know some winning poker players but I also know they have a very hard life. I know Rob Singer and I believe he has won at video poker. And there are times during trips and during the year when even I have had a profit.

People do win in casinos. But I also know it isn't consistent. So I doubt APs have some golden touch even if the math is on their side.

[Alan Mendelson]

I meant you are lazy in the sense that you'd rather belly up to a craps table or sit for hours at your favorite 8/5 BP VP game instead of looking for and playing games where you have the advantage, not the casino. Age has nothing to do with it and you don't need to give up your business.

My challenge where I suggest people quit their jobs or whatever and play full time are for the ones that think they can "consistently" beat negative EV games. Of course, none of them are willing to do that.

I have an advantage at craps but you won't believe it. And I play 8/5 Bonus perfectly and that's all I want to do.

[redietz]

Alan, you never would have made it as a Viking, man. Or a Mormon circa 1900. If you woke up one day and seven wives had left, and you were left with only three, how the hell would you sleep?

[Alan Mendelson]

I'm glad kewlj is posting here.

[kewlJ]

I can't afford to be a professional gambler because it doesn't pay enough. Since I'm 65+ and I have my union health and retirement plans for life and since I'll be getting Social Security soon I have all the benefits I need. But if I were younger I couldn't afford the lack of benefits that full time gamblers have. Frankly I think the life of a young, full time gambler must be nerve wracking. How do you sleep at night? (Well, with all the time you spend in casinos looking for flashing dealers and abandoned multipliers I guess you don't.

Ya know Alan, I have come to the conclusion that one of the two times in a persons life, best suited for AP play is retirement, supplementing social security or retirement. (the other is when you are very young with minimal expenses and little or no responsibility). And for any retired person who enjoys the casino environment and gaming, why would you not learn a couple AP techniques to turn some play in your favor, even if only slightly? Isn't it better to win that lose?

Back when I first started my career, I was playing at the red chip level ($5/$10 minimum spreading to $50) because that is all I could afford on my very small bankroll. I lived in Philadelphia, but played Atlantic City because Pennsylvania did not have table games at that time. They has casinos, but no table games the first few years. So I used to take the train to AC, 4-5 times a week. The best low limit BJ game in AC at the time was the Borgata. They always had at least (1) $5 blackjack table open, which I played frequently. There was an older gentleman, obviously retired, who also played that game frequently. But he was betting $25 or $50 per hand.

Didn't take long before I realized he was betting $50 during the favorable counts or times and $25 during the negative or neutral counts, so I knew he was counting, but geez, he wasn't spreading enough to win anything. I frequently saw this gentleman on the train. He lived in Hammonton, 1/2 hour from AC. Although I saw him on the train a couple times a week and at the tables 4 or 5 days a week, we never spoke.

So one day, he took a seat a couple rows in front of me on the train, so I moved up and sat next to him. I thought I would educate him. I told him that I didn't think his 1-2 spread was even sufficient to turn the game neutral, let alone, win anything. He told me that I was wrong! He informed me that by sitting out some of the negative counts, the worst of the negative counts, his 1-2 spread was just enough to turn the game slightly positive. And by playing $25 and $50 a hand he got far better comps (based on average bet) than if he was playing $10 a hand and spreading to $50 like I was. He told me he was most interested in the comps as he ate out every single day at the casino and wanted a nice sit down meal and the few dollars profit covered his tip and train fare.

I was convinced he was wrong. When I got home, I went straight to my computer and plugged his $25 to $50 spread into the simulator, adjusting for sitting out some of the negative hands. The results came out as like $4 or $5 an hour. So he was absolutely correct. He was turning the game just slightly positive and he was earning better comps which allowed for his decent sit down dinner every single day. The guy was enjoying his retirement, playing a game he enjoyed, while eating his big meal of the day on the casino, and profiting just a few dollars a day. And at that spread, he would never, ever draw any attention. Perfect!

For the record, there were a couple things I took from this gentleman that I incorporated into my routine. One was escaping at least some of the negative counts. Playing around on the simulator that day, it became clear just how beneficial this is. This alone can almost turn the game of BJ even. And now, a decade later, my partner and I eat our big meal of the day, in the afternoon, courtesy of the casinos. Some days we eat at the casinos twice, but every single day, whether we play that day or not, we have at least one meal on the casinos. And I don't even include that in any numbers of compensation....that's just a little benefit.

[Alan Mendelson]

Interesting kewlj.

Frank Scoblete says to sit out the cold hands too with his five count at craps.

[kewlJ]

But if I were younger I couldn't afford the lack of benefits that full time gamblers have. Frankly I think the life of a young, full time gambler must be nerve wracking. How do you sleep at night? (Well, with all the time you spend in casinos looking for flashing dealers and abandoned multipliers I guess you don't. Good luck son.)

So how old is jbjb? You guys are saying "young"...what exactly is "young"?

I am in my mid 30's and I don't find my career choice nerve wracking at all. I sleep great! I think I have a pretty stable life, a pretty normal suburban type life. It is true, my first few years, were a little more nerve-wracking. I was just squeaking by....that is nerve wracking. I think of the line from Titanic, early on when the Leonardo Dicaprio's character was winning the tickets in the poker game. He said something like "when you have nothing....you have nothing to lose".

I had nothing. I am a high school graduate only. My step father kicked me out of the house on my 18th birthday, so I just barely finished HS, while living in a homeless shelter. College which I thought was in my future, was out of the question. I always thought I would get back to it, but never did.

At age 20, I quit a retail job paying 8-something an hour, to pursue my blackjack career. Like Leonardo's character...I had nothing, so had nothing to lose. If it didn't work out, I would be back working another $8-9/hr retail job. And today, probably best case scenario, I would be some sort of low level manager at Home Depot or Lowe's or somewhere. So when people say my AP earnings are shit, well maybe to them it is. To someone well educated with many more options, it probably wouldn't be a good career choice. For me, it is better than I could have possibly hoped for and I am playing a game that I still love and living comfortably doing so.

[Alan Mendelson]

Kewlj if you lived in Vegas I would ask you to spend one hour a week calling businesses on the phone (only on the phone and only for one hour a week) about TV advertising with the potential to earn $500+ a week.

[Guy Incognito]

Alan, is that offer open to anyone? I'll be here until mid-September.

[kewlJ]

Kewlj if you lived in Vegas I would ask you to spend one hour a week calling businesses on the phone (only on the phone and only for one hour a week) about TV advertising with the potential to earn $500+ a week.

I do live in Vegas. But I am not looking for part-time work, not even at $500/hr. lol

[Alan Mendelson]

Alan, is that offer open to anyone? I'll be here until mid-September.

If you are familiar with the Vegas area, yes.

[Guy Incognito]

I've been here 3 months with a car, so I've explored a decent area of the city; not sure if that qualifies as "familiar" or not.... but feel free to PM me the details. Thanks!

[Dan Druff]

Regarding sitting out negative counts, kewlj, what is your technique in doing so?

Occasionally I'll use the tried-and-true "bathroom trick", but clearly you can't do that repeatedly.

I usually feign a cell phone call, step away from the table, have some fake argument on the phone (usually with my wife trying to get me to go to dinner, or with a friend who is trying to find me but can't), and then return when the shoe is over. Sometimes, if I've lost a few hands in a row (or more than a few), and if the count is negative, I'll stand up and announce, "I can't win at this table. I'm gonna try over there", and then frustratedly grab my chips, stand up, and move.

[kewlJ]

Regarding sitting out negative counts, kewlj, what is your technique in doing so?

Occasionally I'll use the tried-and-true "bathroom trick", but clearly you can't do that repeatedly.

I usually feign a cell phone call, step away from the table, have some fake argument on the phone (usually with my wife trying to get me to go to dinner, or with a friend who is trying to find me but can't), and then return when the shoe is over. Sometimes, if I've lost a few hands in a row (or more than a few), and if the count is negative, I'll stand up and announce, "I can't win at this table. I'm gonna try over there", and then frustratedly grab my chips, stand up, and move.

Yep, that's basically the drill. I have actually gotten away from using "bathroom breaks" and "phone calls" too much. Only time I resort to that is if it is a very small local type casino with only one or two tables open. Otherwise I just jump to the next table....or next casino. There are just too many table and casinos in Vegas to waste time playing through negative shoes hoping the next one is better.

Jumping to the next table is a big part of my game, because I usually try to track a second table, as I am playing one. If that second table goes or is even heading positive and the table I am playing is going south, I am jumping. I say something about the dealer being too hot or I won with this other dealer last week. I use the "your too hot" line, the second I lose a hand and the count is going south. Sometimes I lost that last hand but won 3 or 4 before it and I still say "you are too hot" after the lost hand. Sometimes the dealer looks at my like I'm nuts. What do I care?

[RS__]

Regarding sitting out negative counts, kewlj, what is your technique in doing so?

Occasionally I'll use the tried-and-true "bathroom trick", but clearly you can't do that repeatedly.

I usually feign a cell phone call, step away from the table, have some fake argument on the phone (usually with my wife trying to get me to go to dinner, or with a friend who is trying to find me but can't), and then return when the shoe is over. Sometimes, if I've lost a few hands in a row (or more than a few), and if the count is negative, I'll stand up and announce, "I can't win at this table. I'm gonna try over there", and then frustratedly grab my chips, stand up, and move.

Yep, that's basically the drill. I have actually gotten away from using "bathroom breaks" and "phone calls" too much. Only time I resort to that is if it is a very small local type casino with only one or two tables open. Otherwise I just jump to the next table....or next casino. There are just too many table and casinos in Vegas to waste time playing through negative shoes hoping the next one is better.

Jumping to the next table is a big part of my game, because I usually try to track a second table, as I am playing one. If that second table goes or is even heading positive and the table I am playing is going south, I am jumping. I say something about the dealer being too hot or I won with this other dealer last week. I use the "your too hot" line, the second I lose a hand and the count is going south. Sometimes I lost that last hand but won 3 or 4 before it and I still say "you are too hot" after the lost hand. Sometimes the dealer looks at my like I'm nuts. What do I care?

When I was on a BJ team, I remember one time specifically when I got called in to a table. The spotter was giving me the verbal signals for the count as I'm sitting down (which was something like, "Omg, the dealer keeps getting 20's and 21's, I can't win a damn hand" [it was something different, but to the same effect]). In a huff, he gets up and leaves. BTW, since we'd been on the trip for a few days, he had a full on homeless-type beard. The dealer says something like, "Wow....that crazy guy just won a bunch of money and now he's yelling he lost...??." I said he's probably a homeless guy or something. Dealer agreed with me.



As far as saying weird shit that's not true or may seem out of the ordinary -- nothing is out of the ordinary in a casino. When I dealt, I saw plenty of people talking to themselves -- like crazy people mumbling gibberish to themselves. On craps, I've seen people be on a pretty good roll, pressing up their bets, etc. then they randomly take all their bets down, all their money in the rack, and plop it down in the field. One guy who always set the dice and was very methodical in his throws....one time he's on a decent roll, and as the dice are being passed to him from the stick, he practically charges toward the dice, grabs them mid-run, and chucks 'em toward the other side of the table, like he was suddenly possessed by a demon. Plenty of people will complain about "cold dice" during a 25+ minute roll. Seen people flat betting $5 or $10 minimum on BJ for hours, then randomly bet all their money on one hand. Lose it, then continue betting $5 or $10 min, as if nothing happened.

[regnis]

Regarding sitting out negative counts, kewlj, what is your technique in doing so?

Occasionally I'll use the tried-and-true "bathroom trick", but clearly you can't do that repeatedly.

I usually feign a cell phone call, step away from the table, have some fake argument on the phone (usually with my wife trying to get me to go to dinner, or with a friend who is trying to find me but can't), and then return when the shoe is over. Sometimes, if I've lost a few hands in a row (or more than a few), and if the count is negative, I'll stand up and announce, "I can't win at this table. I'm gonna try over there", and then frustratedly grab my chips, stand up, and move.

Yep, that's basically the drill. I have actually gotten away from using "bathroom breaks" and "phone calls" too much. Only time I resort to that is if it is a very small local type casino with only one or two tables open. Otherwise I just jump to the next table....or next casino. There are just too many table and casinos in Vegas to waste time playing through negative shoes hoping the next one is better.

Jumping to the next table is a big part of my game, because I usually try to track a second table, as I am playing one. If that second table goes or is even heading positive and the table I am playing is going south, I am jumping. I say something about the dealer being too hot or I won with this other dealer last week. I use the "your too hot" line, the second I lose a hand and the count is going south. Sometimes I lost that last hand but won 3 or 4 before it and I still say "you are too hot" after the lost hand. Sometimes the dealer looks at my like I'm nuts. What do I care?

Problem with bathroom breaks is then when you return you don't know the count and have to at least wait for the next shoe and then again either bet minimums or still wait for a positive shoe. That can tip off the suits.

I am curious how you are able to track a second table Kewl. I never could do that as I missed too many cards at one or both tables. Do you have a spotter at the second table?

[kewlJ]

Problem with bathroom breaks is then when you return you don't know the count and have to at least wait for the next shoe and then again either bet minimums or still wait for a positive shoe. That can tip off the suits.

I am curious how you are able to track a second table Kewl. I never could do that as I missed too many cards at one or both tables. Do you have a spotter at the second table?

You time your bathroom break or phone call so that you return just as a new shoe is about to begin. That is the whole purpose of it. Sometimes that means circling around for a couple minutes while you keep an eye on the table to see when it is close to the shuffle.

As far as tracking a second table, no I am not talking about a spotter. You just track the cards at a second table as best you can. And yes, sometimes you will miss a couple cards if someone steps in your line of vision for a second, or you turn away to play your hand and the dealer scopes up a couple cards you didn't see. That is alright. Your count at the second table doesn't have to be exact. All you really need to know is that second table is a better opportunity that the table you are playing.

For example, if the count at my table is hovering around neutral or even slightly negative, and the count at the second table is +9 or +10 with 4 decks remaining, does it really matter if I have missed a couple cards? The second table presents a better opportunity.

[coach belly]

Jumping to the next table is a big part of my game, because I usually try to track a second table, as I am playing one. If that second table goes or is even heading positive and the table I am playing is going south, I am jumping.

I understand how you keep track of what the count is, but how can you tell whether a table is heading positive or going south?