Coupons & Funbooks!
Charles--
As a low limit player, you might consider running down to your local Barnes & Nobel/Borders and pickup up a copy of the American Casino Guide for about $20. In the back are several coupons for casinos all over America. Included are several matchplays, which you can use. Those matchplays should allow you to recover the cost of the book on your Vegas trip, plus there are several 2 for 1 meal offers to cut your expenses while there. Additionally, the coupons will hedge your potential for losses. You might also look at a one month subscription to Las Vegas Advisor so you can get their funbook. More coupons there too. These will allow you to sample each casino and get some cheap experience. Also, you will get on the casino's mailing list and you will get comp/savings offers later.
I would expect your first blackjack play in a casino will be a learning experience. The dealers will fuss at you about the methods of play...for shoe games they will want you to make hand signals so the eye in the sky can see what your plays should be (they are being taped in case you dispute your actions)...for hand-held games they may fuss at you for touching the cards with both hands, not scratching for a hit, or taking the cards below the table for a sec (even if just to adjust your seat). All of those things can be distracting to you and cause you to drop your count. Also, the dealers will chit chat and even further distract you. Meanwhile, you will be trying to recall your basic strategy plays and keep track of the count. Bottom line, the first times out, it will be enough just to see if you can make the basic strategy plays and cope with the distractions. As for myself, it took me about 5 hours of play, and an equal amount of time spent observing to get comfortable enough to keep a semi-accurate count through a 6 decker.
Other things you will learn is what type of crowd conditions you can bear, when the table limits that suit you are offered, which casinos you feel comfortable in, what games are offered and the speed those dealers play at. You'll also see where cut cards are placed, and start learning to judge penetration.
You'll have fun that's for sure.
Blackbelt in Blackjack, 3rd edition,($20 or so) is a very complete manual on playing. You can get it through you local Borders/Barnes & Nobel. Just get the SKU number from the Borders booksite, order it online or in person at your bookshop. The book has a three counting systems--you pick which one you want (Red 7 is the easiest but Hi-Lo Lite would also be a good pick for a beginner). The book also has a very good tool for evaluating a casino's blackjack games for winning potential.
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