I have to say that I am one of the luckiest guys in the world.  The fact that Lori loves everything I do (Gators, Lakers, Johnnie Walker, and of course Vegas) makes life that much easier.

She happens to be a great poker player as well, which makes for great trips to Vegas where we do nothing but play poker.  We just went there two weeks ago to play in a couple of daily tourneys as a warm up for the WSOP trip that we will be going on early next month.  I will be posting throughout that trip, but here is a quick review to wet the palate.

Caesars Palace $300+$30 (Saturday @ Noon)

The poker room is located through the sportsbook and is fairly large.  The tournament area is actually a separate room altogether and has recently been redone since they held a WSOP circuit event earlier in the year.

The chairs, tables and general atmosphere are all top notch.  Oddly though they don’t have automatic shufflers which isn’t terrible per say, but you don’t get as many hands in per round.

Personnel is always key in every well run tournament, and these guys are good.  The dealers are efficient and knowledgeable and move the games along nicely.  Both food and beverage service is good; however the woman running food was a bit elderly and ornery.  Loved her.

You start with $10k worth of chips and there are 40 minute levels, so the play is nice and long.  I will spare you the bad beat stories, but I will point out that both Lori and I got bounced with QQ.  There is no justice.

The Venetian $130 +$20 (Sunday @ Noon)

The poker room in the Venetian is right next to the escalators leading up to the main entrance of the casino.  It’s very open and has a comfortable feel to it.

The chairs at the Venetian are a bit more “comfy” (Lori’s favorite descriptor) with more cushion and wheels.  This is key when you reach the 4th hour of a 9 hour tourney.

The dealers and floor personnel are solid; although there was almost a mutiny when the main floor guy turned off the Lakers/Jazz game right at the moment of the final shot which ultimately went to overtime.  The Lakers blew the game in OT, but they soldiered on and closed out the series in 6.  But I digress…

One of the nicest amenities of any poker room in Vegas is the Venetian water, which is bottled Fiji water.  They pass it out like candy, and it’s just a bit nicer than your normal purified water that you will get out on the casino floor.  Very Choice.

Nothing great to report other than I got out kicked on my set in a three way early on and then donked the rest of my chips off when this incredible Magoo woke up with KK.  Lori of course just had her AA cracked by a set of K’s with the last coming on the river.  Solid.

So over all I would have to say that the Venetian was the overall better experience.  They have a $500+$50 on Saturdays that is normally pretty good, but that’s for another post.

Pictures provided by www.allvegaspoker.com.  We forgot our camera.

And one is not money, what would you need?  I know that it seems like you would only need the God given ability to consume mass quantities of alcohol without losing your cookies, but believe me you need more.

Every trip to Vegas is going to necessitate 3 basic items, and no it is not food, shelter, and security (although you might leave Vegas wondering if you will even have those basic of needs when you get back home).

Very simply you need the following:

Water

You don’t even realize how easy it is to get dehydrated.  Just being outside and walking from casino to casino will sap all of the moisture out of your system.  This is even more of an issue if you come from a place that has some humidity as your body will not be accustomed to the dry heat.  In the summer it’s like a convection oven; stifling.  Your best friend is the bottle of water that you will have to have by your side at just about all times.  You will spend more on water than you would normally spend on vacation per say, but it will be worth it because the alternative is just a zombie like feeling that is only compounded with the constant boozing that you most certainly will be doing. Water first, Water later, and Water often.

Lip Balm

This is related to the dehydration situation stated above, but it’s more of a specific problem when it comes to your luscious lips.  I have seen guys with lips that are so chapped that they have spilt them open off of their bottled beer.  Not Pretty.  Girls are less susceptible to this because of the constant application of lip gloss, but still it’s a good item to have on hand.

Good Shoes

This is tremendously important because you will do more walking than you normally do.  Throw in the fact that you will have your “going out” gear on most nights and you have a recipe for some barking dogs come morning time.  I know you think that Planet Hollywood is close to Bally’s, but believe me there is some walking involved and if you are in some heels, you will be feeling it.  Lori has learned this lesson over the years and has since purchased “cute” heels that are also very comfortable.  This means that yours truly doesn’t have to worry that every step will cause some sort of major damage and that the mood will not turn south because of some busting bunions.  If you don’t adhere to this item, you will find yourself in a lot of cab lines when you are with the ladies.

So there you have it.  Sure you need a nice bankroll, a decent room, and some adult beverages to get the party started; but let’s face it you already have those things going for you.  Just don’t forget these 3 essential items that will keep you in the game longer and refreshed for the next day when you will lace them up and do it all again!

It seems like such a non issue, but your interaction with your blackjack dealer is critical.  They can certainly make a tough session easier and a great session even better. 

I have another post on Karma that I am cooking up, but I can tell you that a properly toked (tipped) dealer can certainly make a difference in your session.  I can not tell you how many times I have been overpaid, paid on a tie, or just paid on a loss by a dealer who was looking out for yours truly.

Now I am not saying that they are actively trying to get fired, or that I am running some confidence game with a ring of dealers in Vegas or anything.  That’s just not the case.

What I can say is that I have made eye contact with a dealer on a number of occasions as they made a simple mistake, and they just keep moving the game forward.  You see, they don’t care if you take every last chip from their tray.  It’s not their money, and many of them will tell you just that.  So think of it as a bank error in your favor, just like in the monopoly game of your youth.  Only this time its real money and it’s nice when it happens to you.

I can also tell you how many times I have been shorted; and that would be only once.  It was an honest mistake and we had moved on to the next hand when someone else mentioned it.  The dealer felt terrible and wanted to roll the game back and called the pit boss over and everything.  I told her it was fine and that things happen, and they do.  But I can honestly say they are much more likely to benefit you than not.

Of course it helps if you are tipping like you should (more on that in another post) and if you are at a table with a dealer that is friendly and engaging.  So let’s get to it!

5. Caesars Palace –

We play in the “old” pit in the Forum Casino near the hotel registration area.  This is where you have the best odds for playing and the dealers are generally much older and are really the salt of the earth.  A lot of them have been dealing for years and many of them have stories of Vegas from “back in the day”.  I have had many great times in this pit just listening to some vintage Vegas vets turn a card or two.

4. New York New York–

This used to be a young a hip place to play that was a bit too smoky at times.  That was fine because the dealers were fun and we used to pull a lot of money off of the tables.  However they are currently going through a renovation and everything looks like crap right now.  There is almost no gaming floor left, and they didn’t have a lot to start with.  Hopefully they can make a comeback for next year’s poll, but as of right now they are 4th purely on legacy.

3. The Venetian –

As our level of play has increase over the years, we have found ourselves playing more and more in the Venetian, which is a good thing.  There are so many tables that you never have to hunt around to find a home.  They rate your play pretty well and the dealers have for the most part been great; fast when you need them to be and slow when it’s hurting.  A class act all the way.

2. Harrah’s –

This one tugs on the heart strings as you never forget your first.  Lori and I stayed at Harrah’s for New Year’s in 2003 and it was the right fit for us.   They had lower limits and some of the nicest dealers around.  We were in Vegas for like 6 days (way too long when you have no concept of money management) and they all knew us on the 2nd day by name.  Lori was actually sick that trip and I still remember Arlene asking me about how Lori was feeling.  It was startling and I remember her to this day, some 5 years and 30+ Vegas trips ago.

1. Wynn – 

Now I don’t think that I have won a dime at the casino from the moment it has opened, but I love playing there.  Everyone (and I mean everyone) is so damn nice that you just want to kill yourself.  Everything just smells good and everyone looks good.  Not that it should matter, but a well put together dealer just sets the mood just right.

So there you have it.  Lori and I don’t play downtown or at local casinos so it’s not a definitive list by any means.  But for the average Vegas visitor going to the strip, you can not beat the group for the best dealer experience around.

Remember, results may vary and check with your doctor before starting any vigorous activity. 

The Palazzo in Las Vegas is a very nice hotel.  That’s a pretty underwhelming statement when you consider how elegant the place really is.  I would say that it is on par with the Wynn and the Venetian in terms of “freshness”, but is by far the least ostentatious of the bunch.  For this discussion we are going to leave out the Bellagio as my good friend and frequent Vegas buddy; that we will call “44”, would say, “Are they still in business? Who even goes there?”  I personally don’t think that they are in fact going out of business, but they are definitely no longer the elite of the strip.

I will say that all of the staff at the Palazzo is extremely friendly.  Only once did we have a dealer who didn’t speak much, but she was extremely efficient and that was good since we were winning.

Lori and I have stayed their twice so far and the rooms are just great.  They are all suites and definitely all good. Here is a link to their site, but it really doesn’t do it justice.  All of the furniture is modern European with deep rich browns and cool to the touch marble through out the bathroom.  There are 3 flat screens throughout the room and they have HD as well, a very nice touch I thought.  There is a little office and a sunken living room, much like rooms at the Venetian.  The only real difference is that everything is just a little nicer.

The casino is actually very small compared to the Venetian.  There is only one main room with two long rows of tables.  JayZ has a club downstairs with a casino where the sports book is located, but we only wandered down there to see what was up and didn’t play any.

Every casino on the strip has a 24 hour place to eat and The Grand Lux Café is a great option.  There is one in the Venetian as well, but if you are staying at the Palazzo this is right by the elevators to the rooms so it’s very close.  They are owned by the same people that run The CheeseCake Factory, so you can imagine the size of the meals.  Very good indeed.

This last time we ate at Dos Caminos, which was great because the girls always love Mexican and this was very good Mexican.  The place doubles as an ultra lounge of sorts so late nights it’s a cool place to grab a drink.  They have a ton of Tequilas as you might expect, and can make a mean Margarita.  Very Choice.

There is a ton of high end shopping, but you are going to get that at all of the higher end casinos so there is nothing too special about that.

So basically The Palazzo is top notch and has quickly become Lori’s favorite spot on the Strip.  It doesn’t hurt that they give us rooms so I guess I should show them some love! 

By the title of this post one would assume that I am actually a winning blackjack player and I can honestly tell you that I am not.  What I am is a guy who can extend my play and occasionally pull a nice hunk of change off of the table.  Blackjack is a game of ebbs and flows.  The crucial element is to know when to get your winnings off the table when you can.

The reality is, to be a truly profitable blackjack player you have to either be a card counter or not play at all.  Since we are not trying to get thrown out of a casino, let’s assume that you are not going to count cards and you will in fact belly up to the table and plunk down your hard earned cash.  Trust me, it’s even more fun when you know what you are doing!

To start, I am going to assume that you know basic strategy.  If you don’t, or need a quick refresher, you can go to this site that lays out everything you need to know to get you to the point for which we can start talking.

So let’s get started.

In order to understand the nature of this game you have to think about it as a 50/50 proposition.  If you play basic strategy you will have a great opportunity to win the individual outcome or hand.  Now just like a coin toss, sometimes you are going to win and sometimes you are going to lose.  But within a session there are streaks, and it’s those streaks that you have to exploit.

Before I get too far along I want to set the circumstances for which you should be playing.  You need to find a table that is the highest limit that you are comfortable with.  Meaning, if you can afford to sit down at a table with $300 or $400 then you can play at a $25 level (or $50 if you are frisky).  The reason for this will be explained later.  You must also try and find a table that has a manual dealer shoe.  It should look something like this:

This is key because you will need the break in the action.  Blackjack is a very fast game and when it’s going bad you will be thanking the gambling Gods when the dealer has to yell back to the Pit Boss, “shuffle check!”  It’s also important because basic strategy assumes a certain amount of decks (of cards) in the shoe.  If you are playing on a table with an automatic shuffler, things are constantly changing.  So consequently the times that the cards are favoring the players are often greatly diminished.  Plus there are other theories on that, but I won’t get into them right now.  Just look for a table with a shoe and you are in.

So now you have a table and some people who look like they know what they are doing and you are ready to play.  As I said before, this game is a streaky one and you have to ride the good streaks and get off when it’s going bad. And that brings me to the heart of the strategy: betting.

The key to Blackjack is the betting; more to the point hedging your bet. I can not stress this enough.  You have to be able to take your winnings and constantly push up your bet for the next hand.  Not everything, but a good amount because when you are on a roll you want to maximize your output.  When you are losing you are only ever losing the table minimum.  This is why you must find the table and limit that you are comfortable with.  Let me illustrate.

You sit down at a $25 table with $400.  (The $25 limit is a pivotal one because that is the level when the Casinos actually start to pay attention to your play.  I will elaborate on that in another post, just know that getting rated is a very good thing.)

Your first bet is $30, I know you are saying that you want to bet the min, but trust me on this one $30 is the bet.  Now something crazy happens and you win.  Awesome, congratulations!  You are a winner!  Now the dealer is going to pay you $30 right next to the $30 you just bet.  Great. So for your next bet you put $50 out in the circle. At this point you have pulled $10 of profit off of the table. Here it is broken down:

$400 – $30 = $370 at the start of the first hand.

$30+$30+ 370 = $430 after winning that first hand.

$430- $50 (second bet)= $380 at the start of the second hand.

Things are now cooking and you win the next hand. Now you win $50 and that is paid out right next to your $50 bet.  The next hand out, you increase your bet to $75.  Now you have completely covered your initial exposure of $30 (your original bet) and a total profit of $5.  But wait, you still have that $75 bet for the next hand.  If you win that next hand you are really playing with the house money!  That is pure profit and all sorts of great things happen at this point.  You keep this pattern going until you get to $125; at that point you increase your bet at $50 per consecutive win.  When you get to $250 then you can increase your bet by $75 or $100 (a “check”) until the cows come home!

It’s important to understand that at any time you lose you take you bet down to the minimum of $30.  There will be a large temptation to put a big bet up there after you have lost a hand where you had $150 bet, but don’t.  You are throwing your profits away because just as quickly as you can win 5,8,10 hands in a row you can certainly lose that many.  So the key is to only lose a small amount when you are losing and win as much as you can when you are winning.

So many times I have been playing with people who always bet the minimum and never increase their bet.  They will win 10 hands in a row and actually end up losing all of their money because they will just keep playing and playing and eventually lose it all back to the casino.  The game is basically a coin flip, so when you are on the plus side, you really need to be taking advantage of the situation.

This brings me back to the importance of that dealer shoe.  You need that chance to actually win.  You need the opportunity to have that break in the action and reassess.  When you have made a good profit you should leave.  There are so many blackjack tables in Vegas that there is no reason to be married to any one table.  If you have been taking a beating, maybe it’s a good time to grab a snack or something.  Move to a new location and start again.  This game is like a wave; you always want to get out when you are going up and don’t stay too long or it will all come crashing down.

This is obviously going to be a multi-installment post.  More on this to come.