Where to Sit at a Blackjack Table

Hi Vegas fans,
The Las Vegas Advisor recently posted a Question of the Day about the best seat at a blackjack table. As usual, they were right on in their response. If you are an LVA member, log in and search the QoD archives for Blackjack and you'll see it. If you aren't an LVA member, I encourage you to join. If nothing else, you'll get a coupon book that far outweighs the cost of membership.

Back to blackjack. This is one of my favorite venues of entertainment in Vegas. Over the years I've learn to enjoy it even more for one simple reason: I relax when I'm at a blackjack table. In my younger days, I worried about losing too much money, about other players at the table, about the dealer, the pit boss and the eye in the sky. Now I only worry if my drinks aren't coming fast enough.

There's a theory that the last seat to the right of the dealer ("third base") is the best place at the table. Now, if you are counting cards, it's probably true because you get to see all of the cards dealt and have more time to figure out whether the count is favorable or unfavorable before it's time to play your hand. However, you've already made your bet, and a big part of card counting is making your wager based on the count, so it really doesn't matter all that much for the current hand.

The misconception with third base is that you get to control the action, and if you play the hand "correctly" you either save the table or make everyone lose. Players look at you and if they win, you are a hero, but if they lose, you are the goat. Truth is, someone who plays well or badly at third base or first base or any seat in-between has little affect on your outcome. Studies have shown time after time that the way you play the cards has the most influence on whether or not you come out ahead or in the red, regardless of what the other players at the table are doing.

I'm reminded of a recent trip where I was at a table at Excalibur with my friend Steve. He was losing pretty badly, but I was keeping my head above water. I was sitting at third base and a guy who looked like Harry Carey was at first base (Harry's been dead for years, so we knew it wasn't him). He was making all of the classic "bad moves" in blackjack, but I was doing ok anyway. Steve took a break, and I kept playing because I was winning. And I probably had a rum and Coke coming to me, so I couldn't walk away just yet.

I remember at one point being slightly annoyed, going against everything I just talked about, because Harry made a bad move and I lost a hand. But then I told myself, it's ok - it didn't have anything to do with him. A few hands later, I had a perfect hand to double-down. My rum and Coke arrived, and I had a good feeling. Harry hit on a hand he shouldn't have and got a 10. If you play blackjack, you know what was running through my mind: "He stole my 10!" I got a crummy card on my double-down, but the dealer busted and I won. The way the cards played out on that particular round, if Harry had not taken a hit, I would have lost my double down.

I colored up (turned in my lower denomination chips for a higher one) and cashed out. I met Steve in the sports book and told him my victory story. We had a good laugh. It was a great moment in gambling history. That's why I love blackjack, and that's why I relax at the table.

My advice? Find a nearly-full table (so that the hands, and your money, last longer) that looks comfortable and fun. Sit down, relax and have a great time. It's Vegas, and you can't let someone else dictate whether or not you are enjoying yourself.

Viva,
Mike

Me? Wrong?

Hi Vegas fans,
I've never had a problem admitting when I'm wrong. I'm not too proud to say I'm sorry when I've made a mistake and to ask for forgiveness. And believe me, I've had some doosies. Especially lately. I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

So let me say that I hope that I'm wrong about Caesars Entertainment Corporation (CEC). I've been railing on them for years. Mostly because I don't like their gaming rules and policies. But they had their IPO this past week, and the stock went for almost $18/share. I'm rooting for them. I hope they raise the cash they need to make their venture very profitable. If this and their other investments pay off, they will have a pretty good claim as the #1 chain on the Strip.

Now on the one hand, that scares me because it might shut out good competition and therefore make gaming worse. But on the other hand, if they do this right, other properties will have to up their games or change the game, which may mean favorable results for players and Vegas travelers in general. In any event, I do hope that in a year from now, I'm writing a post saying that the CEC gamble worked, and I was wrong. Won't be the first time. Probably won't be the last.

Viva,
Mike

Re"new" Your Next Trip to Vegas

Hi Vegas fans,
Sometimes you can get into a rut, even when it comes to your vacations. If you wind up staying at the same places, playing the same games, going to the same restaurants, it can get old. The good news is that even if you travel to Las Vegas frequently, you can enjoy new experiences every time you go.

For one thing, there are new venues opening in Vegas all the time, even while construction has stalled on many hotel/condo projects. The current hotels are constantly changing, too. They are always adding new clubs, updating their rooms and the casino floor, and renovating restaurants, shows... well, you get the idea.

Soon, for example, you will see the free Lion Habitat display at the MGM disappear. No, it's not a Criss Angel illusion, it's a way for the MGM to take out something that's been around for a long time and doesn't generate any money and replace it with retail space. Word on the street is it's going to be part of a giant nightclub... In any event, you can always find something new in Las Vegas. Sometimes you have to look harder for it, but usually you just have to keep your eyes open.

And speaking of new things and keeping your eyes open, check out the new photo on my website, an excellent shot of Caesars, Paris and Bellagio with the fountains at rest, taken by Doug Cook.
Viva,
Mike

Super Bowl Should be Super

Hi Vegas fans,
Hope you are ready to watch a great game today. The Pats are about -3 at most books in Vegas, although some lines have them at -2.5. Whether you are betting on the game, watching it, or just watching the commercials, I hope you enjoy the festivities of this great tradition. I enjoy my Super Bowls with a few Sam Adams and many heavily salted food snacks. Yum. Now I just hope that tomorrow morning I'm not too tired to go to work!
Viva,
Mike