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

True Tales of Craps and Blackjack

Hi Vegas fans,

A question on my forums yesterday made me start thinking about the funniest and weirdest things that I have seen at the tables over the years. Most of the time it's just a few folks joking around, having a good time, trying not to lose money. But here are some of the highlights of my gambling history, in no particular order:

First time playing craps - Caesars Palace, 1992. Back then, you could get a spot at a $2 craps table with no problem. Heck, back then Caesars had a ton of tables and the casino was always hopping. Anyway... I'm at a lively table with my faithful compadre Steve, and the shooters are really hot. Two gents at the opposite end of the table are experienced craps players and are making a lot of money.

The dice come to me. I roll a number and then crap out after a few rolls. Just enough so that players lose their pass line bets and come bets. Oops. The dice go to the next player, and the game gets hot again. Finally they come back to me. I roll a number and then... you guessed it, crap out after a few more rolls. One of the fellows at the other end of the table looks at me and says, "have you thought about not rolling the dice?" Sound advice. I didn't tell them that my middle name is Seven

Blackjack - Caesars palace, also 1992. Steve is at a table with a really, really intoxicated fellow (not me... not this time), who is complaining to Steve about the dealers, pit boss and so on. Finally, it comes time for him to cut the cards. The gent takes the yellow card and, instead of sliding it between the decks of cards like a normal, sober person, attempts to literally cut the cards by slicing at them. Doesn't work that way. Stay sober, my friend.

Blackjack - Stratosphere, 2009. Two very Australian dudes playing at a table with me and Steve, slowly getting tight. Good fellas, for the most part, although they were annoying the dealer and were one smart-ass comment away from getting into some trouble. A cigar girl came by, and one of the gents decides to buy one. He lights up just as the pit boss walks up to the table, just by chance, to check things out. Pit boss smiles for a few seconds, trying not to laugh. The Aussie is about to puff when the pit boss says, "You know you lit the wrong end, don't you?" Good stuff.

Blackjack - Stratosphere, 2009. Steve and I are at a fairly full table with a bunch of good folks. One guy in particular is nice enough but making really wacky bets. Of course, he's losing and blaming the cards. So his frustration builds and at one point he decides to double-down on a hard sixteen versus a dealer ten. Now, if you don't know anything about blackjack, all I can say is this is about the worst play you can make. His odds of winning the hand have to be in the gazillions. His odds of not busting with a hard sixteen are pretty slim as it is. So, what does he get for his card? Of course, a 5! He wins the hand. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

Blackjack and Craps, Bill's Gamblin' Hall, 2010. My 40th birthday Vegas all-out, good-time bash. Steve and I had just arrived in Vegas and had bet on some NCAA basketball games. We already had a drinking contest in the sports book (I lost... but just barely), and while we waited to eventually lose our bets on hoops, we decided to play some craps. Now at the tables I like to drink rum and cokes. You know, to look sophisticated while I root for my point ("Come on sixthhhh.... daddy needth a new pair of shoethhh!").

We had a full table and it was rocking. One shooter in particular had a pretty good run. The drunk dude to the left of me (not Steve... he was the drunk dude on my right) was really, really funny. Well, at the time we both thought we were going to headline at Caesars. So the point was nine, and we were alternating cheers for the shooter. He'd yell "sixty-three" and then I'd chant "fifty-four." Then the whole table got into it. It was like we were at a college football game. "Sixty-three..." "fifty-four..." "sixty-three..." "fifty-four!" The shooter eventually hit the nine and we picked up our winnings.

Then, Steve and I decided to head to the blackjack table. For some reason, we thought 6-5 single deck was a good idea. Not my favorite game, but the evil Caesars property didn't leave us much choice for blackjack. I recall very little, other than every time I went to double-down, the dealer chastised me for reaching over my chips to put my cards under them. Or something like that. I remember thinking that I was one of those guys I didn't like much at the table, a little sloppy and holding up progress. Oh well, it was my birfday after all, and how many times do you turn 40? By the end of the night, I had to call my wife to remind me which room we were in. The next day was brutal.

Well, those are some of my highlights. What are yours???

Viva,

Mike

The Blackjack Book

"What does the book say?"

You'll hear this question just about any time you play blackjack in Las Vegas. Players sometimes ask other players or the dealer what to do in certain situations. The funny thing is, even when people hear the correct play, they don't always do it.

Here's an example. Let's say you have 14 vs a dealer 10 card showing. The correct play is to hit. Let's say you get an ace. Now you're stuck with a crummy 15. So you ask the dealer - what is the correct move? Hit or stay? The dealer says to hit again. Keep hitting until you reach at least 17. But you're looking at your cards. You just hit 14 and you think that if you push your luck and hit again, you will certainly bust. You tell yourself "the book isn't always right." And while it's true that the odds are that you will bust, the odds are greater that you will lose if you don't hit and try to reach 17.

The good news is you don't have to memorize the right play or ask others what the book says. You can purchase a little cheat sheet card in any gift shop. The card is the book, essentially, because it shows you what to do in every situation. What the card won't tell you is how to find the right table. You need to make sure you are playing at at table that pays 3-2 on blackjack, not 6-5. There are other important rules that will either be in your favor or in the casino's favor, but I won't go into them here.

The important thing to remember is to have fun and follow "the book," which is really just making the right play based on odds. It's not tricky. It's not a gimmick. It's just numbers. And don't worry if anyone else at the table isn't following the book. In the long run, their play won't hurt you. You just have to focus on the money that is in front of you - yours.

I have lots more blackjack information about the book in my book. I hope you enjoy it!

Viva,

Mike

eBooks and Apps

I love apps. I've been playing with my iPad and discovering all kinds of fun stuff, especially Vegas-related. Apps are fun, cool and interactive. Perfect for small, mobile devices for people on the go.

Of course, I love eBooks, too, but they're different. eBooks contain more content and fewer features. The content might consist of words, pictures or maps, but the interaction doesn't work the same way as an app.

Obviously, there's a difference between reading/searching a book and surfing an app. There's a purpose for each. If I want to see photos of the Bellagio fountains and locate them on the Strip, then an app is great. Maybe I can read a review of them and see what time the shows run, too. So the app provides a snapshot of Vegas while you're there and gives you snippets of information. Which is great.

On the other hand, a good travel guide gives you a different experience. It connects the dots with a story. Now I don't mean a literal story, but rather one that arms you with information that you can use when you plan your trip and also use as content you can search while you are there.

Here's an example. Suppose I'm planning my trip to Vegas and I've decided that I'm going to see the volcano at Mirage because I haven't seen it in a while. I'm also a blackjack player, so I want to know what to expect at the tables. I know I'll only be in Vegas 3 days, so I want to explore as much mid-Strip as I can without having to take a taxi or spend a lot of time wearing out my shoes trying to find an Italian restaurant or a Cirque du Soleil show. By the way, my wife's coming with me, and she's going to want to shop, too.

That's my story, and whether I'm planning these things a month before I'm in Vegas or when I arrive at McCarran airport, it's the story that a good travel guide can help me tell, and it can do it comprehensively, in one format.

Maybe there's room for both apps and eBooks in this crazy new world. With free Kindle and Nook apps for the iPhone and iPad, you can have your travel guide at your fingertips. So while you're searching for "volcano" within your Vegas travel guide on your iPhone to see what time it erupts, you can also see that there's a free tram to take you to TI so you can see Mystere. You'll also see on a good map that there's a pedestrian bridge to take you over to the Venetian so you can spend some non-gambling money at the Grand Canal Shoppes. Oh, and if you want to spend some money gambling, your travel guide will remind you to find a 3-2 blackjack table and stay away from those 6-5 tables.

In any event, make sure that you tell your own story (even if you make it up) the next time you... Go to Vegas. It's that simple.

Viva,
Mike

Baccarat and Blackjack

Hi Vegas fans,

I read an article in the Las Vegas Sun recently which reports that baccarat and penny slots are overtaking blackjack as the number one game on the Strip. Baccarat is a high-end game, and penny slots are obviously cheap entertainment. The article quotes Anthony Curtis, publisher of the Las Vegas Advisor, who points out that blackjack is a game for the mid-market gambler.


With the economy the way it is, this kind of makes sense. Affluent people who can afford to go to Vegas these days are going to spend some coin on a game like baccarat. But gamblers who may have played $1 slots before are probably downgrading to the penny machines. But what about the average Joe and Jane, who play blackjack as their game of choice? Would they just not play as much because the economy is bad? Maybe. Maybe not.

There is one other factor that I think is missing in this equation. Caesars Entertainment, formerly Harrah's, now owns a majority of the casinos on the Strip. Their blackjack rules are terrible (6-5 payout on natural blackjacks, dealer hits on soft 17, etc.), even on multi-deck games. I no longer play at any of these casinos, which is a shame. I remember when Bill's Gamblin' Hall (formerly Barbary Coast.... which was a better name that did not require apostrophies or ampersands) was a great place to play $5 blackjack. So was Caesars, Aladdin (now Planet Hollywood), the Rio... and the list goes on. As Caesars Entertainment acquired more properties mid-Strip, I found myself on the very northern and southern ends of the Strip.

The funny thing is that it doesn't have to be this way. Casinos can have their cake and eat it, too. They can make the rules slightly better for players, which will drive more people to the tables. They still have an advantage, even with good rules.

Casinos may be worried about card counters. I get this. Make single-deck games 6-5; that's the price you pay if you are going to try to count. Install a constant shuffle machine for multi-deck games and use other measures to ward off card counters. But you are losing an opportunity with the large percentage of us who are not card counters.

The Strip needs blackjack as a staple because it needs the mid-market. If it's going to attract gamblers, it must provide a few decent games with fair rules. The good news is that there are still some places to play $5 and $10 blackjack with good rules, including: Stratosphere, MGM properties, Riviera, downtown, and several of the outskirts casinos (such as Station properties, Orleans, Las Vegas Hilton, etc.).

I encourage you to seek blackjack tables with good rules and to tell anyone who will listen to you to do the same. If you get surveys or have questions about your experience at a casino, comment on the blackjack rules, especially if they are bad. I'm starting a blackjack revolution. Will you join me?

Viva!
Mike