Best Casino Blackjack Moment Ever?

[Revalos]

So I'm in Seoul, South Korea last week and I'm getting ready to leave, but I don't want to have to pay a ridiculous exchange rate to convert Korean Won back to Dollars, so I figure I'll burn through the last 200,000 Won (about $210) and stay up as late as possible before my 12 hour flight back to DC at the Walker Hill Casino playing blackjack.

So it is a 10,000 Won minimum table (which I wasn't too happy about...I lost $100 a few weeks earlier in about 45 minutes at a 2,000 won minimum table, so I was concerned that I'd only be playing for half an hour or so). They have this weird bet there that I'd never seen before in blackjack (I'm not that big of a casino junky...yet) that you could wager with 10-1 payout that you'd be dealt a pair. It is a sucker bet obviously, since that's $10 in the toilet on almost every hand.

So, I've been doing alright...I was down about $50 bucks about 2 hours in, hanging around with some other Americans and some Chinese hardcore players and generally shooting the shit. The American guys were marginally competent blackjack players, but they were all falling for the pairs bet, and it also, at least to me, appeared to be working quite well for them. So I'd usually join in occasionally. The Chinese guys were very shrewd and were constantly berating us Americans for falling for the sucker bet.

So here is the moment...I'm starting to get a little tired so I decide to do a money drop. I bet $100 bucks and put $10 on the pairs bet. I get fucking dealt 2 Aces. So everyone is freaking out right there already. So I split them and get dealt a King and a Queen. The dealer blows everyone else up with a 10 and a Jack. I'm up $300 bucks and the Chinese guys call their buddies over and they have this long conversation in Chinese. After that, they start playing the pairs bet too.

I realize it was just dumb luck, but it was fucking awesome to look like a pro for that brief moment.

[BLZrizz]

Reservist?

[Revalos]

Nah, I'm not a reservist, but most of the people I work with are or are active duty. I'm just basically a software tech at this point.

[Gelston]

When I was in Korea... I blew all my money on liquor and jerseys.

[Methais]

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a162/DoyleHargraves/russiancat2yl7.jpg

[SpunGirl]

Getting backed off in a shit-hole downtown (Four Queens) after pocketing about $1500.

-K

[Seran]

Sorry to say, but gambling at the Four Queens does suck, even though that's where I stay primarily. I do most of my gambling at the Fremont across the street, and never fail to do well at either Black Jack or the new Texas Hold'em game.

[SpunGirl]

Gambling at the Four Queens is awesome, because it takes four hours and $1500 (big money for that house) to realize that the ditzy blonde girl knows how to run down a deck.

Most downtown joints are like that.

-K

[Sean of the Thread]

Omg she smoked us for $1500 .. SWAP THE DECKS!

[SpunGirl]

It has nothing to do with which specific deck they use, for one. For another, downtown houses sweat small money in a big way.

-K

PS I probably don't know anything about casinos anyway, so nevermind.

[Good Karma]

Hitting on 17 in Caesers, pulling a 3, winning, and the immediate dealer change afterwards. Low stake table.

Of course the spliff in the parking lot before had a lot to do with that dumbass move.

[Celephais]

Hitting on 17 in Caesers, pulling a 3, winning, and the immediate dealer change afterwards. Low stake table.

Of course the spliff in the parking lot before had a lot to do with that dumbass move.

Are you even trying to disguise these? I mean the obvious defense of yourself in other threads but... come'on.

[Good Karma]

Are you even trying to disguise these? I mean the obvious defense of yourself in other threads but... come'on.

I speak truth, period. Do you have a blackjack moment to talk about?

[Sean of the Thread]

Blacklash = retard.

[Seran]

Speaking of tap outs..

I was sitting down at a table at the Fremont and cleared 300 bucks un a single hand. Once it was paid out, three other people joined and the dealer started tossing down some amazing cards off of a new single deck.

I ended up over seven hundred bucks as she was literally speed dealing to all of us. Finally someone took her place, and we all left.

[Tea & Strumpets]

Not big bucks, but my most memorable hand was when I had just turned 21. I went to vegas for the week. I usually play about $10-$20 bucks a hand--I'm not a high roller like Spun who closed 5 casinos.

On a whim, I decided to play one hand for $50. Dealer had a 6 up, and I got dealt a pair of 9's. I split the 9's, meaning I had to put up another $50. I got dealt another 9, and split again. I got dealt a 2 on one of those 9's and doubled down. So after all is said and done, I have 4 hands in front of me.

4 $50
9

7 $50
9

10 $50
9

6 $100
2
9



Basically, almost all my hands were shit. Luckily, the dealer busted and I won $250. Immediately afterwards the pit boss came up and checked my ID, which was a complete dickhead move that wouldn't have happened if I had just lost $250. "Wait, before you take his money let me check ID." -- Yeah right.

I told the table I had to go upstairs and change my underwear and I was outta there.

[SpunGirl]

They were probably going to check your name against their database.

I'm not a high roller, snortlaugh. I made that going from $5-$50x 2. It's a matter of luck and skill coinciding for that perfect hour.

-K

[Tea & Strumpets]

They were probably going to check your name against their database.



Why would they be checking their database? It was a dumb luck hand that I won because the dealer busted (even though I played it correctly, all my hands sucked).

No, it was obvious the pit boss was hoping I was underage. She watched the entire hand, and waited until I won before checking my ID. I wasn't getting carded if I lost the hand. I'd already been playing there for an hour. It was a scumbag move, but it was irrelevant because I was 21.

[SpunGirl]

Like any job in the entire world, there are people that are good it and people that could use some improvement. Casinos are, not surprisingly, no exception to this rule.

This pit boss was not paying much attention to you if you were playing $10-$20 a hand. What was a "whim" for you to bump it up was something that attracted the pit's (and possibly surveillance's, depending on the rest of the action) attention.

They may not have checked your ID if you had lost those hands. But played big and won, that got you some attention. They may have been hoping you weren't 21, but they were also checking your name against the database (of which there are two major ones, and both are accessible to any casino that wants to pay for them).

Sometimes, just like your whim to bet big, checking the database on a previously low-end player that just won a comparitively big hand can pay off - meaning they figure out that you're someone they want to kick out of the casino entirely. Asking for your ID is one way to do this name-check. A more non-confrontational route is asking for your ID so they can sign you up for the player's club.

-K, knows jack shit about casinos

[Satira]

KRISTIN IS BASICALLY A CASINO GODDESS.

WORD.

[Revalos]

Do you guys go to Vegascon? I've been considering going since A) I want to go to Vegas, and B) I'd like to actually know some of the people that are there.

[SpunGirl]

Come to Vegascon. I live in Vegas, so I (with help from my peeps) put it together. Check the "Gatherings and Conventions" topic on this board, or the "Socializing" topic on the officials for some of the preliminary details for 2008. You can also IM me at Jojobabee if you've got specific questions.

-K

[Satira]

PS - JUST GO.

[Sean]

PS - JUST GO.

I refuse!

[Revalos]

Awesome. I'll do my best to attend this year. I just have to wait a little while before Southwest allows me to use my free tickets and make sure I'm not going to be in Hawaii that week for work.

[Tea & Strumpets]

but they were also checking your name against the database (of which there are two major ones, and both are accessible to any casino that wants to pay for them).

-K, knows jack shit about casinos

I never questioned what you know about casinos. I'm just telling you that you are wrong when you assume they opened a CSI investigation because I won the hand. She glanced at my ID and handed it back. She did not go over to her phone and call security to run a background check on me, as well as requesting fingerprints and a DNA sample. She would have had to be a complete imbecile to think I was some kind of card shark.

I think we both agree she was just hoping I was underage. I have seen people get asked if they would like to join the Player's Club. I've NEVER seen anyone at a table be told to provide their ID unless there was a chance they were underage (I'm sure it's happened, I've just never seen it so it's surely a rarity). I've never seen a 40 year old man get carded.

Anyway, you were so eager to give casino insight that you made a lot of assumptions that are simply false. Never let it be said that I'm unwilling to argue over minutia.

[SpunGirl]

Calm down, for chrissake. Trust me when I say I am not wrong, I happen to know a thing or two about the motivations for these things and what actions they take thereafter.

Neither of us is going to get awarded a debate trophy at the end of this thread; I was simply trying to offer a little bit of extra detail on your situation based on my experience in the area (which is considerable and directly related to things like what happened to you).

Your attempted-sarcastic comments about CSI, DNA, etc, are really irrelevant and make me wonder if you aren't taking this a bit too seriously. Not to mention the fact that security has nothing do to with it. What happened to you is nothing unusual - you got carded, and were so eager to believe they were simply doing an age check that you made a lot of assumptions that are simply false.

Have fun occupying yourself with minutia.

-K

[Celephais]

Have fun occupying yourself with minutia.

Spun wins! Here you go:
http://debate.msu.edu/TeamPics2006/1/Trophy1-web.JPG

[SpunGirl]

OMG THX U! <3 Celephais!

(I won't even tell anyone that you only did that if I promised to perma-quote you)

Continue enjoying the high life.

-K

[Clove]

Getting backed off in a shit-hole downtown (Four Queens) after pocketing about $1500.

-K

I love it when you talk gambling...:thanx:

[Clove]

Have fun occupying yourself with minutia.

-K

FTW. The friends that I have who work in the casinos around here would agree with SpunGirl.

[Tea & Strumpets]

What happened to you is nothing unusual - you got carded, and were so eager to believe they were simply doing an age check that you made a lot of assumptions that are simply false.

Have fun occupying yourself with minutia.

-K


So I, the one who was there, am making a lot of false assumptions. While you know exactly what happened because you worked in a casino...ok. Are you trying to tell me that everytime someone gets carded at a casino that their name is run through a database?

Maybe I'm wrong, and while the pit boss continued watching the games, she was really telephathically sending my name, state, and social security number to Security so that I could be checked against a database.

[Celephais]

Continue enjoying the high life.
Someone could take a dump on my desk and I would continue to be in a good mood now.

Oh and the quotes look particularly good next to each other:


Don't you have a penis? Everything is a competition.
Spun wins!

(believe me, I'm tempted not to post this... I don't want to upset the delicate balance that is the awesomeness of being sig-quoted by SpunG)

[Clove]

So I, the one who was there, am making a lot of false assumptions. While you know exactly what happened because you worked in a casino...ok. Are you trying to tell me that everytime someone gets carded at a casino that their name is run through a database?

Maybe I'm wrong, and while the pit boss continued watching the games, she was really telephathically sending my name, state, and social security number to Security so that I could be checked against a database.

Not really. The Boss was holding your ID in view of the security camera. The camera operator took a picture and processed the query. It may sound like James Bond spy crap, but that's the sort of security casinos run. Telepathy is unnecessary in this brave new world of electronic surveillance.

[CrystalTears]

So I, the one who was there, am making a lot of false assumptions. While you know exactly what happened because you worked in a casino...ok. Are you trying to tell me that everytime someone gets carded at a casino that their name is run through a database?
Because for some reason casinos make their actions obvious all the time that some 21 year old Joe like you will know exactly what's going on behind the scenes ?


Maybe I'm wrong, and while the pit boss continued watching the games, she was really telephathically sending my name, state, and social security number to Security so that I could be checked against a database.
Nah, just letting security spot it through one of their zillion cameras laid out all over the place.

- The PC, where personal experience in an industry means dick.

[Tea & Strumpets]

You're all wrong and you smell funny.

[Clove]

You're all wrong and you smell funny.

But you love it. :chair:

[Latrinsorm]

(minutiae)

[SpunGirl]

Personally, I think it's nice when people are more informed about what goes on in the casino, not less. After a few years of seeing the casinos work people over when they could have protected themselves with a wee bit of knowledge. Some of the myths about what casinos can and can't do to people crack me up - right up there with the people that are like "zomg I know I'm being watched every second I'm in the casino, k?!?!"

-K