The best games and the best times I had were prior to the Midi/Macau tables with the scoreboards and the trend of the players to stick with continual cut wagering.

I am referring to where the shoe was giving to the players to deal and the shoe travelled to the next player after a Players winning hand prevailed.  Players did generally wager on the Banker when they received the shoe, although most people would wager a little bit just in case a Players hand did come out. 

But most runs/streaks of Bankers were caught and caught big time by everyone at the tables.  Players runs/streak were generally caught a bit less but more than today on the average that I still see.

But as a few others have said and as I always say, players would do so much better if they played the shoe and not attempted so hard to change the shoe.  The scoreboard and bead roads hurt the highest majority of the players on a consistent basis, and that is the reason they exist on the casinos. 

At least at the jurisdictions I am familiar with here in the USA, most of the regular players and players wagering more than a few hands at the min wager and hoping to stack it up a few times--win--and leave right away, get pretty good service.  Rooms, food, gift shops, shows, etc., whatever the perks are issued by the floor people or their hosts, etc.  As far as opening additional tables, changing limits, allowing their friends or family to play less than posted table min, etc., it all depends on their internal rules and reg's, some properties are more player friendly than others.  Doesn't always matter the amount of bankroll or front money deposited, unless on is a whale (well over $500k/$1M regular bankrolls), etc.

As far as running from table to table, I have seen that backfire big time on the players, just they get fueled because they win sometimes when doing that. 

Something after years of playing I have found and it is the absolute truth.  That is.....you are generally allowed to do things that benefit the casino if it concerns the rules and regulations on the casino floor.  If it was a clear and concise full-time benefit to the player---it would not be allowed.  Like bouncing around table to table, blackjack---no mid shoe entry lots of times in the H.L.  Scoring at baccarat, no problem, pen and paper provided with pleasure and even scoreboards.  All kinds of stuff.  Think about it. 

Casinos decide what their minimums should be, based upon their own personnel, floor management and ability to staff a game. 

Lots of times the minimums on the higher limit games, high limit room and specialty games are set according to other casinos in the area as a key consideration factor.

The chain of hierarchy with casino properties is tremendous, most of the times.  The floor and pti mangers are told what and how to do things with very little lee-way.  Most will not challenge their higher-ups and player request's usually fall on deaf ears. 

I have personally only seen 2 casino actually change their minimums on baccarat and both were based on other nearby casinos offering lesser minimums.  One would not lower their minimum from $50.00 to $25.00 for several months until most of their players decided to band together and not come any longer.  Really senseless because almost all of them were wagering well in excess of $50.00, when it was $50.00 to $3,000.00.  So the casino put it down to $25.00 to $2,000.00.  They also gave unlimited free hands so what's the difference, the players said they like to keep the game going with a min. wager of $25.00 at times.  The other casino in the area is $10.00 to $2,000.00. 

I witnessed another do it during weekends and slower nights and on weekends when their is no more than 1/2 the table occupied.  They used to be $100.00 to $10,000.00.  They put it down to $25.00/$50.00 to $5,000.00.  $25.00 would be for mini bac style and $50.0 min. to have them consent to Midi bac style.     

I have also seen the lower/lowering when no one is there and as soon as more than 3 players sit down the floor person will put the 30 min raising the min. sign out. 

Played many places in Vegas, and I mean many.  Same with A.C. and Southern California.  Shoes vary and one shoe or one day consistent and then the same property or table within---will be 10% different and horrible. 

Anyway, concerning Vegas, Played many trips at the V/Pal.  Lately I am favoring the off-strip properties and I do believe I wrote about this within my Blog contained on this board as well.

Sun Coast.  Gold Coast.  Palace Station.  Lots of action, although not so glamorous and touristy as the Strip properties, I am tired of the hassles and tourist/new money action at Bellagio, Mirage, PH, V/Pal. MGM, Wynn, etc. 

Well, stopped by the local casino last night.  3 other people playing.  The past several months there has been one female constantly there almost every time I go.  She self admittedly told me a couple months ago she had herself voluntarily banned from the larger casino in another part of the state with the Midi/Macau style.  This casino has mini only and with a $10.00 to $2k limit per spot and you can surpass the max if other people are under theirs, you can place additional on their spots, etc.  The other place was $10/$1k, $25/$2k, $50/$3k or $100/$5k limits with 2 or 3 tables on Midi and Mini.  She was a larger bettor there and told me before she lost in excess of $100k earlier in the year.  She claims she gets sucked in and loses her mind and can't think straight cause players are handling the cards, etc. 

Anyway,  last night she bought in for $1,500.00 and was wagering anywhere from $50 to $300 a hand.  The shoe was perfectly matching, 4 Bankers and then a couple Players, and then 4 Bankers and a tie and a Player.  Then a few spots of chop-chop and then 3 Bankers followed immediately by 3 Players, then 2 Bankers and 2 Players for 5 times.  She caught a few and then losses the majority of the wagers.  I finally asked her bluntly, how she was thinking.................

Like for instance, where the Bankers made 3 in a row and then a Player, she wagers on cutting back to the Banker.  I asked her why?  She says, most of the time it will not hold and will cut.  Of course it made 2 more Players to equally match the 3 Bankers.  She lost two in a row.  Then she says, Players will probably run.  Of course it cuts bank to Banker, leaving the 3 and 3 side by side. The when it made the 5 times doubles for each the Players and the Bankers, she is only wagering the 2 spot for the cut and she loses each and every wager.  Finally, after that section there is the standard 1's and 3's, etc.  Bankers  get to be right at the bottom producing 6 in a row and she wagers for the Players.  Bankers tie with that hand.  Then she tells me, now that it tied, it will cut back to the Players.  Of course she is once again wrong.  Makes another 3 Bankers for a total of 9 w/the tie.  She wagers on two of them and gets them and loses the last hand staying on the Banker when it does cut to the Players.   

This is the typical thought from the players.  I have just become used to the player having the trend of thought, that this will cut.  Just what floors me and I still don't understand the way of thinking, is that the majority really do believe a strong/repeating shoe should not be and it will not hold and a weak/choppy shoe will turn strong.  Not once, twice or occasionally, but always. They really do prevent themselves from prevailing the highest majority of the times. 

I still say, play what the shoe is producing, no matter if that is strong/repeating or chop/weak, etc.

Baccarat, the same as the line of work I am in.  At times everything is spot-on and perfect and other times, complete disaster.  While it is a science in the field I work in, there are more grey areas then regulated areas and those are open to interpretations by all the regulatory people.  Usually going something like, asking 4 different officials will usually yield you at least 3 different answers, and as well a rare situation when 2 of them agree on something in full. 

Resembles the baccarat table pretty well!

My only complaint is those that butt in and offer their success and their continued strike rates while offering nothing, absolutely nothing.  They also chastise, and attempt to degrade and humiliate those that do post--at least what they believe in and find to be correct, giving their best attempts to disrupt and just be an all around dissatisfied jerk-off.  All of the 4 or 5 can really offer is some 'hey hey's' or "I make my living at it and it is random but I am smarter than all of you" or the other one is  something like, "You have no idea what you are talk about and you are just a loser, etc.". 

Kind of made my morning reviewing some of the continued drab from our beloved 4 or 5 redundant, offering nothing, regular professional gamblers that are well off and comfortable gambling only, never having to work a regular job, have a career or own a business.  Now, to come to think about it, their drab dialog and drama intended is the exact same as that old newspaper column mom used to like, "Dear Abby".  LOL, once again. 

Mid week.  Planning on trying to get to the casino before the weekend, perhaps tomorrow night? 

Have a few new moves with progressions looking to try out.  More of a disciplines wagering attack rather than a uniformed one. 

Friday night Oct 14th.  Arrived at the casino and went for a snack as no one was play bac yet.  Usually the action doesn't come to well after 7pm.  Got a couple orders of wings just put in the hot box in the cafeteria style food court.  Had a $20.00 voucher for food, so I put the $14.00 food tab on my points card and used the voucher to get some of my favorite Moon Pies to go with my coffee at the office and a bag of the large candies they have, to build my 3 Halloween baskets I normally do for my three kids.  I get those large plastic open top pumpkins at Wal Mart for $1.00 each and some tissue paper and stuff candy bags, some little toys and party favors in each.  I walked back and put the bag in my car and went back to check the bac table.  A few people sat down at the bac table and started.

Unlike a lot of other casinos, more working people and recreational players seem to come here, so bac action is not 24 hours by any means with the typical grinding aggravating pissed-off player trying for a quick $100 food money I guess.   

I went and got some coffee and came back, bought in with $700.00 and another $500.00 in reserve.  Shoe just started.  Jumped in and it was strong, everything making repeats 3 to 5 and 6 times.  Started to bet the Fortune 7 around the 10th hand or so and it hit!  On about the 15th hand I think.  I had $35.00 out there and $10.00 for the dealer right nest to it.  I made a few $5.00 wagers for some of the dealers that have made me Fortune 7's in the past and hit some of them for $205.00 drop for the dealer, this casino the dealers keep 100% of their tips. 

Player was showing a monkey and an Ace and Bankers had a monkey and a 3.  The Players pulls a 4 and the whole table and the dealer goes "Poo-poo" loud!  He pulls a card and before he could flip it a few people said, "Slowly and think 4", he flips it and it's a darn 4!  Almost everyone had $15.00 or a Quarter on the Fortune 7, it was one loud table!  Dealer drops $410, pit manager and floor comes over, everyone high fiving.  New dealer comes in about 6 hands after that.  After a few hands she goes, "I will make another Fortune 7 within 4 to 7 hands".  Shoe is real strong and making money off the other repeating wagers with only the last one falling off each time.  On the 7th wager she makes the second Fortune 7 and I had another $35.00 up there.  The hand was 6 for the Players first two cards and Blackjack for the Bankers first two.  So naturally everyone is yelling for a 6 and a 6 it was.  $2,800.00 on the Fortune 7's!  She says, no dealer tip this time?  I said, oh you heard about that, she says "I was on blackjack down at the end of the row, everyone heard about it".  We all gave her a quarter each anyway.  This is a long time dealer that we all know, no offensive meant. 

The shoe is about at the 35th hand or so, and I had to run out to the nearby town to put $500 on my wife's card to get some stuff for the kids.  Figured it was a good time, strong shoe and 2 Fortune 7's already, usually 90 percentile shoe would be unplayable after all that.  The town is only about 7 miles away so I said play slow and left a stack of green chips in my empty seat. 

Did my business and got back.  It was at about hand 60 or so.  Two more Fortune 7's!!!  Oh well.  At most of the shoe there were more Fortune's than ties!  Unusual to say the least!  The shoe got almost unplayable with most players losing their bankrolls wagering $50.00 every time on tie, less ties than Fortune's.  I think their were 3 ties and the 4 Fortune's now.  I wagered smaller waiting for the next shoe.  2 more Fortune's came, I missed them both, threw up a few Fortune's but mentioned to miss bot additional ones.  Finished the shoe with 6 ties and the 6 Fortune's. 

Played another couple of shoes and cashed out $2k up plus the $500 I sent out earlier.  Called it a night and headed back.

Sat. night Oct. 15th.  Got there around 7pm and almost no one playing again.  I had a full day of stuff and wasn't feeling like hanging around.  Got a quick snack and made some phone calls. Went back and there was one guy playing, he is a determined player and most of the time her does fairly well.  Brings a large bankroll for this place and will either lose it all or win quite a bit.  He just started and I bout in with $500.00.  Some how I didn't like the aura and the rotating non regular dealers doing the game tonight.  I started out slow and steady.  Won a few and then straight down.  $50.00 wagers, some quarter wagers and then Fortune only attempts. 

No rhythm and no gut feelings, none and that is strange for me at this place.  Anyway, I went down to $150.00 and said to myself I would not buy in again with the other $500.00 I had.  Straight losing for me in the beginning is not good from my experience.  I throw a $75.00 wager out, figuring two last wagers of $75.00 each to see what I can do.  I win it, and then wager again with the $150 and win that one too.  I throw out the $300.00 and win that one also.  I decide to call it a night, not feeling it and no one else is around.  This place will not do free hands and with only one other player there, I choose to leave.  I cashed out my $675.00 I had and laughed at the $175.00 for an hour and a half each way drive, gas and my time.  LOL.

I stopped at the C-Store on the way back and filled up with gas, got my coffee and a snack for the drive and stopped at the store to get my little kids some truck DVD's and a Halloween sticker book and a Toy's R US gift card.  Almost the $175.00 gone. 

That was my casino adventures for the weekend. 

Vic, did you find a way to deal with the low-life trolls that pick and prod kind of resembling a drunk with no purpose looking for sex with another of the same gender, that there seem to be about 5 or 6 on here???

On the way back from the job we just did, found a $100 bill in the parking lot of a fast food place.  I have this feeling that one or more of those 4 green chips to be bought with that bill---will prevail on the Fortune 7 wager tonight!?!?!!?

The joys of working and trying to go to the casino!  On the way back home last night the phone is going off with a client needing response to a spill clean-up.  Put them off to this morning and now mobilizing some guys and going out on it.  Another 100 miles back to the east side of the state.  Will come back this afternoon and finish up the paperwork and change clothes at my office.  Heading back to play some baccarat tonight.  Probably play most of the night, will try to update as we go along playing. 

I feel a few Fortune 7's coming on tonight!!!  Just have that feeling, let's se what happens. 

Played the following two shoes, full of problems.  Everything from people spilling drinks to arguments over the cards.  Anyway, got up well over $3,000.00 at one point on a couple of simple progressions on two small streaks.  Gave back over $2,000.00 of the win money.  I was down to right at about $900.00 win money and then it was 1's and 2's for about 10 hands.  I pretty much stopped wagering because every time I win several thousand, it gets real ugly and can't win for anything.  Meaning, if I wager for the cut it will repeat one side and if I go for the repeat, it will cut.  Players made 3 in a row and it was about the end of the shoe almost.  I threw up one black chip on the 4th Player and got it.  Then I wagered 3 on the making a 5th Player and got it also.  Then went down to 2 and it still stuck on Players.  Everyone wagered the Bankers including my buddy.  Then I pumped it up to 6 for my third progressive bet which would be a 7th Player and everyone was really pumped and about all in on the Bankers once again.  I had to fight myself to stop wagering and just quit.  I wanted to put the $600 on the Banker really bad and my inner self said, just to stop.  I kept it on the Players and swore to myself that would be the last wager no matter what. Players get a 1 and Bankers have a 3.  Players pull a monkey.  I told myself, I knew it unintelligent person 100%! Banker pulls a 7.  I stopped and we cashed out.  MY buddy was up almost $2,000.00 and gave back about $1,500.00 wagering against the last 5 out of the 7 Players.  He was left with about $500 win and wanted to leave also, so we did. Have to be in the office at 6:30am and its about midnight with about 1.5 hours to the house.  We will come back after work later tonight.

Seriously, can't believe these people.  Floor comes over and tells them 8 is a stop card, sarcastic says, '38 Special'.  People throw another fit, calling the casino manager.  I seriously can't believe this. 

Played about 25 hands and won about 3/4 of them with some progressions, up about $900.oo, waiting for next shoe.  Couple of fights.  One was player had a 4 and banker had a 3 (9 and a 4) and dealer pulls an 8 for the players.  Everyone on the players side, two people freak out and tell the dealer she was wrong, banker supposed to pull also.  WTF are people doing playing and they don't even know the rules???  And these people play like 5 or 6 nights a week.  Someone has to explain it to me.  LOL!