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Thread: Winter Spring 2021 Vegas Trip

  1. #41
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    The Mdawg Challenge was witnessed and attested to by Michael Shackleford, the "Wizard of Las Vegas."

    For the MDawg challenge (courtesy of DarkOz), the Wizard and I met in the high limit salon and first went over the logistics of the Challenge, and then had some general chit chat about Baccarat in general. I explained to the Wizard that if given a good shoe I would always win and that there was in fact a difference between a good Baccarat shoe and a bad one. I already stated in all my session reports, and repeated to the Wizard in person, that I preferred to play alone, and that the salon looked empty which was good.

    We went to the table where I had won yesterday, but the shoe was already mid session (someone had started playing the shoe and then left before it ended), and I commented to the Wizard that I preferred to play a shoe from the beginning. Many dealers, pit bosses and drink servers greeted me as a familiar guest, which I am sure the Wizard observed. I sat down at a fresh table, alone, and pulled an 8K marker.

    The table minimum at this table was $200., so there was no way to bet less than that on Bank or Player. I free-handed the first hand, which turned out to be a Player, and then I bet Player again, won that hand, bet Player again, lost that hand, bet Bank, won that hand, won the next Bank hand too, and then free handed one hand, until I declared out loud to the dealer, �two two, two two� meaning that the hands were dropping in sets of two. With one exception where I deviated (and should not have deviated), I followed this pattern and won, pressing my bets up from 200 to as high as about 600, until the pattern changed.

    Then there followed a period of about a dozen hands where the shoe was random and I was neither winning nor losing much, although I did win my larger bet during this sequence of the shoe. My bets during this period varied from 200 � 1000. After two banks, I declared that the Bank ran only two, and that a Player was absolutely certain, dropped 1000 on Player, and won. I then pressed to 1500, won again. I then pressed to 2000, won again, and then pressed pretty much every hand, by a unit of 500. My highest bet in this run, which I lost, was 3500, although I kept this up winning each hand prior to the final 3500 one, on an 8 player run, all the way down the line. While in the salon prior to playing I had mentioned to Wizard that I always always caught runs or patterns and always pressed into them. As this Player run was happening, just a few hands into it, I pointed out that this is exactly what I was doing now, and that it was not as hard as it sounded to detect a run and press into that.

    I didn�t just catch some of the winning hands in that 8 Player run � I caught every single one, losing only on the 9th bet, when it switched to Bank. I do this all the time, catch runs, and press into them.

    I caught another sequence in the shoe when I followed another series of side by side runs, pressing into them again.

    During this latter part of the shoe, there was one hand where I mentioned to the Wizard that the sequence of cards that had landed prior plus some other factors led me to believe that the next hand would be a Player, and I increased my bet and won on Player that hand. However, in general I simply played, rather quickly, and did not comment on how or why I was betting the way I did.

    I frequently placed bets for the dealer side by side with my bets, ranging from $5. to $35., and the dealer and I won pretty much every time we bet together.

    My bets for this session ranged from 200 � 3500.

    After I had played (placed bets for) exactly 57 hands, the Wizard declared the Challenge over, and we counted up. At that moment, with all commission paid off, I had 14,915. in front of me, meaning that I was ahead 6,915. (This does not include whatever I tipped out, which was at least 150 at my end, doubled to 300, at the dealer�s end since it was placed on winning bets.)_ That +6915 was the official end WIN and does NOT include what I tipped out.

    Note: At some point after the Challenge was called, the Wizard realized that he had counted two �tie only� bets I had placed as hands played, even though they were 100 only (although � 100 is actually not such a small sum to place on the tie wager). However, the two hands after the Challenge was called, I won one and lost one, so they didn�t affect the Challenge or the final tally of 6,915. The Wizard did witness these two additional hands played.

    I played alone for most of the shoe, although two players did show up and play for periods during the time I was there.

    To summarize: there were no long periods of flat betting. If anything, I pressed into runs quite successfully time and again, and my bets ranged from 200 � 3500. There was no Martingale betting; in fact, I would tend to lower my bet after losing a hand versus increasing.

    End win: +6915 for the MDawg Challenge.

    The Wizard shortly after the Challenge was called as �clearly a win� (the Wizard�s exact words) remained either at the table or in the salon, and I kept playing to end out the shoe (ended at 71 hands), and walked with +5100. (I dumped a little of my winnings during the last 10 or so hands of the shoe.)

    This is a typical shoe for me, netting around five grand. Not the greatest shoe, but certainly not a bad one. (During the shoe I in fact commented to the Wizard that this was merely an �average� shoe, although I did make this comment before the 8 Player run landed. Once that, and the subsequent side by side streaks occurred, the shoe went from average to better than average.)

    After the session was completed and I had paid off my marker and pocketed the 5000 chip and hundred chip I had won, Wizard and I took a �Victory Stroll� to VIP where I was given new keys to my suite, because we had just extended our stay (again). During the course of my conversation at VIP the VIP host (VIP host, not casino host) mentioned in a positive way that I had already been in the suite for some time (exact time will not be disclosed, but it was substantial), and then said that expected that I would be there even longer.

    Wizard and I then walked up to my suite, where he observed my Vitamin Bar, and also will corroborate that it is a very large suite, in a top Vegas Strip casino � and by no means just a typical Vegas suite, but among the largest on the Strip short of the obscene ones that are for uber whales.

    In my suite, Wizard and I relaxed and discussed some of the finer points of my casino play and Vegas casino �hustle,� including details of any �concessions� I have negotiated with the casinos. Most of that conversation is confidential, although one thing I did discuss with him that was not private was my opinion of why the two Players who stepped briefly onto my table lost. The one, I explained, lost because flat bet � pretty much just 200 each hand. The other lost because of two reasons: (1) because got too greedy. This Player stepped up with I believe it was 1000, and parlayed it all the way to 6000 in three bets, but then got greedy, and greedy in a bad way, because then (2) bet against the streak that was obviously happening at that time (a streak I was winning at). This second player didn�t play too many hands �won quickly, then dumped it all and lost quickly. The first player lasted a while longer, but also lost.

    While in the suite, Wizard commented on my watch, and I handed the watch I had been wearing that day - my Rolex DD 40mm platinum - to the Wizard to hold, along with a heavy platinum chain I sometimes wear when wearing my platinum watches, and he remarked on how heavy both the watch and the chain were, because they are platinum. Wizard and I discussed the relative malleability of platinum versus gold.

    Wizard paid me the 2000. for the wager in cash, and gave me an autographed copy of his Gambling 102book. My wife wasn�t present when Wizard visited the suite so they did not meet, but I showed her the book and she Googled his name and found various pictures of him, which she showed me.

    In sum, and I mentioned this verbally to Wizard at the conclusion of our visit, this established the following:

    (1) That I am in fact in Vegas in a very large suite and have been here for some time.
    (2) From the fact that everyone seemed to know me in high limit, that I do play regularly and did pull an 8K marker for today�s play.
    (3) That I did do exactly what I have posted in countless other session reports � that is follow and press into streaks/runs/patterns in a Baccarat shoe.
    (4) That I did in fact win over the course of our session, +6915 over the course of the 57 hands minimum play decided for the Challenge.
    (5) That I was wearing a quite heavy platinum 40mm Rolex Day Date, and equally heavy (but tasteful) thick platinum chain, both of which the Wizard handled.


    In all this was an enjoyable experience and thanks and respect are in order and due to DarkOz for making it happen.

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  2. #42
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    Day 30 play

    Played one shoe only - dealer cut, all alone, got a shoe where the Player wouldn't go past 1, got a 6 Bank run out of it, pressed all the way, caught every single hand on the run (was easy - remember - Player never went past 1), then another Bank run 15 long, then another 4 Bank run, then Player went double (for the first time), so I followed it for a 7 Player run, then a perfect chop for 9 hands, lost the last hand, and then - shoe over.

    If this had been a second shoe and I had been playing harder I would have easily cleared forty grand on it. As it was, "only" $16,500.

    Ole!

  3. #43
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    Day 31 play

    Three shoes. On the first shoe I got up quickly, but ended more or less even. Second shoe too, caught a nice Bank run, pressed into it to as high as 3500, got ahead about six grand, but had some difficulty towards beginning of the third shoe, went all the way back to -2000. Did a 6000 case bet on Bank, drew a 4, Player 3, face card drawn, winner!

    Ended the third shoe exactly +5800 decided to end it there for the day.

  4. #44
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    Day 32 play

    I played a number of shoes, but kept moving around. Pulled a 12K marker, played some at one shoe then two players joined me. One I didn't mind so much because he simply followed me and bet what I bet, albeit flat betting only 200, but the other one would jump around, as usual with mixed results, but over all just slowed the game down.

    I left another shoe, free handed a few hands, and then fell into a 16 Bank run. I might have missed the first hand but got every one after that, pressing all the way (not enough, but I did press). A small crowd gathered around watching but not one of them even bet. And that's the problem with most Baccarat players - given the opportunity do something, they keep fearing that a run / streak / pattern will stop, so they just stare at it, and do nothing like deer frozen in headlights. How I knew, or know, that something is more likely than not to happen is immaterial, but why someone would bet ridiculously heavily on some random hand and not follow a streak is beyond me.

    After it was over one of the pit bosses I knew commented that "you should be a millionaire by now." Well, sadly, I won only about twenty grand on that run. The shoe started to fall apart, I gave back a couple grand, and then I went to another table, won a few grand, and then left, +21000.

  5. #45
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    Day 33 play

    Drew a 12K marker. Played 4.5 shoes. I had one pretty large bet don't even recall what it was, I won. Lots of 2000 - 3000 bets.

    When I made that large bet I believe I was down a couple thousand. I was up as much as five thousand at the high point, down at least a thousand at some points, and on the last shoe, I kept hitting ties and this brought me to +3000 and at the dealer's urging to "not give it back," I left.

    Relatively uneventful day.

  6. #46
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    Day 34 play


    It is getting repetitive I must say, but I could do with this kind of monotony. It won't always be this easy.


    I believe it was - two and half shoes? Changed tables at least once. 12K marker, paid back, plus +11K to the good. Not down at any point.


    Ole!

  7. #47
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    Day 35 play

    Been betting a little bigger lately, so I pulled a 15K marker to start. I moved between two tables, and was doing all right but not really getting anywhere. Other players kept following me - one was an Asian girl I recall from another casino, and I do recall that we played and won together in the past.

    It was up and down though, as I played at a crowded table, and then, mostly just because I got tired of the lag between hands, I left to my own table. Big mistake. A ten Bank run landed right after I left, and that was based on my cut - I had cut that shoe. Sadly, I don't think any of the other players even won on the run, and soon two of them had followed me to the new table, where I gradually dumped the entire 15K.

    I then pulled a 40K marker and decided to get serious.

    It was still a bit of up and down, as a new player arrived with STACKS of freeplay chips, I mean I had never seen so many. This player eventually produced about forty thousand dollars worth. To get that kind of free play would require some whale or near whale play.

    Mostly, that player just gradually converted most of the chips into real ones, winning about half of the hands wagered. These chips were of the "play one hand only - win or lose" variety, versus the "play until you lose" free play chips.

    I dumped another ten grand, gradually, and then put 10K on one Player hand and won. After I won, the pit boss commented inanely, "We're going to have to get you the high roller's suite," which, I didn't bother to mention that we were already in it, or one of them, anyway. He knew that, he was just making a funny.

    From there, I kept winning, got a 10 Player run, and then an easy pattern shoe, until I was ahead about fifteen hundred, and just quit.

    There was some confusion as to where my markers were. The pit boss said they had already been transferred to the cage, but the cage said they didn't have them yet. Finally, I got hold of them, tore out the signatures, and walked.

    +1500

  8. #48
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    Day 36 play

    Pulled a 12K marker. Before you knew it - lost it all. Pulled a 20K marker. Didn't take long before I had lost that.

    Another 20K - I rallied some, and moved tables, but lost that too. Just random, choppy shoes I should not have been betting heavily into.

    Rather than pull any more markers, I declared that I needed to take a walk, and did that. I actually walked all the way to the Strip and towards another casino when I thought better of it and headed back inside.

    Went to the hotel safety deposit box, got my 100K chip I had won and was ahead with, left the rest in there, back to the tables (different table, higher minimum bet) and pulled another 50K marker. I wanted to play in earnest, with a hundred and fifty grand in front of me. Was in no mood for pussy footing around. Yes I suppose now it becomes evident that during the course of the past year my lines have been raised everywhere, but I am still not going to say exactly what they are.

    They took forever to verify that the 100K chip was mine. Was quite annoying. I even had to look back on my phone to figure out exactly when and where I had received based on the picture I had taken of all my chips before I converted it. Before they finally had done so, I had dumped another 15K, which meant 67K lost that day.

    I was playing pretty hard and actually was down as much as about eighty grand for the day when I started to win, and win handily too.

    A few other big players came to my table and insisted that I open all the cards, including this Asian who pulled a 10K marker, lost it, then threw down 20K cash on the table, which took forever to count (I took a bathroom break).

    This player was odd - while the others followed me exactly mirroring all my bets, this one would bet however felt fit, and constantly lost when betting against me. Even said, "I'm stupid - you're winning, I should follow you."

    I played immensely hard including many bets to the limit.

    Finally, after - it seemed like a long time - I was down it seemed like only 5K for the day, and I walked. Before I walked I colored back up to the 100K chip plus enough pumpkins to pay off all markers, and made sure they had logged that 100K chip to my account so that when I converted it to a check or bank wire at trip's end I wouldn't be standing at the cage forever as I had to that day at the table. The one who constantly bet against me had won a couple of huge hands that I did not bet (free handed) and was actually up 10K it seemed to me, but said that he was down sixty K so that while would normally walk, was hanging in there trying to get back to even. I was going to mention to this player that anything could win today would help, versus dumping everything, but, wasn't really following or listening to me anyway other than saying that I scared the hell out of because I kept winning whenever bet against me.

    I went back to one of the slightly lower minimum tables to try to win that last five grand, and actually dumped fifty before you knew it. Then followed a period when I was betting five to ten K per hand, and got it all back, but STILL needed that five grand - or thought I did anyway.

    I started playing really "small," just 500 - 1000 per hand and it was taking forever to get that five grand. This dealer didn't know me (different shift too) and seemed not all that interested in my play - maybe because I wasn't tipping? but I had tipped out more than enough including a couple hundred dollar chips on the side for the dealers at the higher limit table.

    This player came down and sat next to me - betting only 100 a hand at this smaller minimum table, but was pretty interesting in an oddball way. One of those who would take forever to look at two cards that couldn't possibly add up to more than 3. At one point commented "Nice watch!" and I mentioned that this was my LUCKIEST watch, which it was. I wear it only when really in the hole and needing to make a comeback. I reserve it for the most serious of play. I had put it on when I pulled the 100K chip out from one of the safety deposit boxes.

    Anyway, finally I had it - the whole five grand. I went to the cage, paid off all markers, tore out signatures, and went and ordered a massive amount of take out food - rib eye steak, Caesar salad, grilled chicken sandwiches, smoothies, noodle soups, just tons. Winning always brings back my appetite.

    I put the chips into the "vault" again, carefully wrote down exactly what was in there, and ahead back upstairs to take a shower - and EAT! After ate with my wife who commented that I had been playing all day, and should have eaten sooner, I went over the tally for the day - and it turned out that I had actually won a couple grand.

    Not bad considering that I had been down about eighty for the day at one point.

    +2000.

  9. #49
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    Day 37 play

    Pulled a not so large marker, and, got up about 4500 betting not so very large. Then as I stepped it up, I actually went all the way back to even a couple of times, and even case bet five thousand more than once, and won twice and tied another time where I hit to 0 with a 3 + 7 but dealer amazingly also hit to 0 with a 4 + 6.

    "Never give up!" was what the pit boss said.

    Ended up walking with just a couple thousand as I wasn't into playing a marathon session that day.

    +2000

  10. #50
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    Day 38 play

    Played two sessions actually. First, blew a marker, used a second one to reclaim and ended +4500.

    Then walked to another casino I haven't played at in a while, just to put in some face time and keep everything active, similar scenario used second marker to come back from behind, and ended a couple hunny ahead. Got a comp ticket for some take out food and carried it all the way back.

    +4700

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