Need advice - going to Vegas tomorrow morning

As I have said in previous posts, I started learning by reading Beat the Dealer, then The World's Greatest Blackjack Book. Most recently I have also read the sections of Professional Blackjack that were not covered in the other two and/or are more up to date.

I've done some drills for recognizing how many decks are in the discard pile and also counting down a deck. I can count down a deck as fast as I can deal it out, so that seems sufficient for now. Of course, I've memorized basic strategy for SD, DD, 6D h17, and 6D s17, as well as Don's Illustrious 18 indices.

In terms of an actual casino play, I have practiced playing at a local casino for hour long sessions. The games available are 6D, h17, ds, rsa, about 1.2-1.5 penetration at the dealer's discretion (.56% casino edge according to CBJN). Decent games for my purposes, since the minimum is $10 and I can practice counting and wonging. I have eliminated stupid errors and have bet at a 1-4 spread most of the time.

First, do you guys have any tips on how to inconspicuously wong in and out of a table? I found it to be a bit awkward when everyone at the table, dealer included, assumed that I would want to join at the beginning of the shoe and thought I was just being polite when I said they could start without me. When I have lost some hands, it's easy to act like I want to take a breather and then I can jump back in when the count is favorable. I know if it is unfavorable I could also go to the bathroom or something, but that initial sit down always seems awkward. Backcounting also seems awkward.

Second, I wanted to see if anyone had input about my prelim plan for my Vegas trip. I am going with three friends so it's not a strictly blackjack trip but I do plan to get a good amount of playing in. I arrive tomorrow at 9:30am. I plan to head to El Cortez and play their SD and DD games to start. I figured late morning/early afternoon Friday may be the least crowded time of the weekend. Other seemingly decent games I noticed downtown were at Main St Station (DD), Fremont (SD), Four Queens (SD), and California (DD). Do you guys have any input on these places?

The rest of the weekend, since I'll be on the strip, I figured I will need to do some wonging and identified Bellagio, Caesars, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay, Monte Carlo, NY NY, and Wynn all as casinos with decent DD and 6D games at $10 or $25 minimums. Also, I'm staying at the Mirage but it seems anything below their $25 games are continuous shuffle machines. Do you guys have input about these places?

Thanks in advance, sorry for the lengthy post.

get off the strip. A newbie should try to get hands in the game. Find $5 and $10 games at Stations and play all. Get some experience in a casino environment. Wong out if the count is very negative - use restroom, phone, go find wife, etc breaks.

Main St. Station or do you just mean every casino with Station as part of the name?

If you do not subscribe to CBJN, at least get this month's issue.

I just read the your handle that said novice and the last paragraph that said youu're ataying on strip.

Now I see you plan to go downtown to the EC. Blast away there, you can see right away if you are any good at the game.

so I'll use that to identify places and take it from there. I'll play as much as I can downtown tomorrow.

First, do you guys have any tips on how to inconspicuously wong in and out of a table?

Don't worry about it. At $10, no-one is going to care. However, if you want to use some tack when wonging in, arrive at the table during the shuffle, but pretend to be following the table next to it, which may already be well into the shoe. Start paying attention to target table when they start dealing, but only casually, keep most of your "attention" on the original table. Make sure you have a clear view of the cards on the table.

To wong out - go to the bathroom, receive a call on your cellphone, get upset the dealer got 21 or hasn't busted in 10 hands, etc.

Other seemingly decent games I noticed downtown were at Main St Station (DD), Fremont (SD), Four Queens (SD), and California (DD).

MSS and California have DD without DAS and bad penetration. I don't know about Fremont's SD, the 4 Queens SD is D10. The El Cortez is good, but beware of beginner dealers who make a lot of mistakes.

Another poster mentioned the station casinos (of which MSS is NOT a part of). If you have CBJN, those are the ones with "(STN)" next to the name.

EC is best but as long as he's downtown might as well also try to hit 4 Queens SD table (very sweaty & likely to be where he may get backed off first if he's any good, LOL). Bouncing between those will keep his sessions short and maybe deflect some heat... and it wastes less time traveling between them, vs going all the way back to the strip from downtown.

Also it's been a while since I was there but isn't Golden Nugget still offering decent 2D?

EC, 4Q, and GN were the three that I cycled on my last trip: other than those three, everything else sucks.

God I really miss the old Binions...)

"... I'm staying at the Mirage but it seems anything below their $25 games are continuous shuffle machines. Do you guys have input about these places?"

Can you (or anyone else) confirm this? I have this months CBJN and there appears to be a line about $5 tables without CSM. If $25 is the limit for non-csm I may steer clear of this place.

Thanks.

Also it's been a while since I was there but isn't Golden Nugget still offering decent 2D?

Yes. But not decent enough to make going downtown worth the time and bother anymore. As a former fan of downtown (years ago) I hate to say it, but the current crop of incompetent managers have run downtown into the ground. Binion's may be the most severe example.

EC, 4Q, and GN were the three that I cycled on my last trip: other than those three, everything else sucks.

Four Queens is now worthless. El Cortez is playable only in short sessions at low stakes, and only for those who haven't been kicked out many times. To quote you, everything else sucks. A sad situation.

I did not look closely because I dismissed playing there altogether. All of the tables I saw fit this part of the description of games that use MindPlay: "In addition, you will see a black contraption that is used to hold the dealers first two cards. If you see such a table, do not play." So, I stayed away.

One of the previous posters' advice was that I wasn't going to like hearing it, but stay off the strip and stick to the Stations. You're saying downtown (I know some of the stations are elsewhere too) now sucks. Should I infer you're in favor of the strip then? Or other areas neither downtown or on the strip? Or nowhere at all?

Thanks

I suggested you get off strip mainly because I did not believe you would find playable games at red level on the strip. I think I know where Bear plays, but I'll let her answer if she wants.

I do see that line says 8D now. That wouldn't bother me (as I'm going more for social reasons, but still don't want a horrible game). I had not heard of mindplay before, interesting. Good luck out there!