http://www.richardmunchkin.com/search/label/Radio Show Podcasts
The star of this (autobiographical) documentary, was
interviewed by R. Munchkin on KLAV a.m. radio yesterday.
The documentary is due out in the Spring, he says.
To listen to and/or download the Podcast, go to:
http://www.richardmunchkin.com/search/label/Radio Show Podcasts
SUPERB movie trailer!
However, I can't see this being a main stream movie. Maybe casino personnel will take photos of everyone going to the movie. Thanks for sharing. I would definitely see it.
Man has class:
http://axelrad.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/wager.png
(albeit curiously early in that shoe.)
The extensive in-casino footage and footage of barrings looks impressive/useful, too. That's not easy to get.
Two hands of $400? $500? Meanwhile, the greatest feat is stacking them both without chips falling. :-)
Don
One of those, yeah. Looks like he also has black but is refraining from wagering black chips. Probably been betting single reds and wanted to avoid color shifting into higher denoms and risk coming off as a threat.
2 hands of $400 and a staged picture. I have seen this in real play at CP in Vegas HL room. The guy was using some sort of betting scheme playing 1 hand on the shoe. He would chase losses. One bet would be maybe $500 and if he lost then the next bet could be a stack 2 feet high of purples and yellows. After a win he would back down. Always stood while playing heads up. Any comments on this Gary?
A man begging to be backed off...uncharacteristic for a pro who desires ant longevity at the game...
Longevity...look it up...it means "long life". Exactly what you won't have at a casino if you make a bet spread look even bigger by stacking the chips to the roof...
On that photo...
1) no table limit sign in sight. However it could be hidden from camera view.
2) there is a flood light to the dealer's left. Looks like movie set lighting. I don't remember seeing those type of lights in casinos. Did they need more illumination for that shot?
3) dealer's both hands are flat on the table. Not in the ready to deal position. Most internal rules would not allow the dealer to place both hands on the table especially face down.
4) there are no cards on the table. Could be before the deal but then the dealer is not ready.
5) only one boss watching. In a situation like this you would think there would be more.
6) guy on the right of the player is covering his face. He has no bet out. Is he hiding?
7) the player sitting in front of the big stacks has approx. $250 in greens yet the rack on the dealer's right side is empty of greens. Where are the greens? Did he rat hole all those greens?
8) the chip rack on the dealer's right is empty of reds. The chip rack is full of reds on the dealer's left side. Obviously the dealer is right handed but should maintain an even rack of chips. Maybe the player bought all those red chips just for the show.
9) there are blacks on top of greens in the chip rack. That's not right. Any dealer would know or be corrected to place the chips in order. Blacks on blacks. Those are probably the blacks he used to buy all those reds.
10) still looks like a staged photo to me. Too many " what's wrong with this picture".
11) Gary could probably pick off some more. Any comments Gary?
...Must have been shot at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. They don't wear aprons there. Looks like the Cosmo decor, don't you think ;)
Cobbson
All that might have been staged just for the purposes of the trailer and not filmed in real life. I mean, as a practical matter, how do you roll into a casino with a film crew and not draw attention to the fact that you are likely an advantage player?
Anyway, it looks entertaining and I'll certainly go see it...BUT, one of the things I've learned through the years is that if you want to continue in this game as a counter (once you become proficient and successful)for any length of time, you have to keep a low profile.
My case in point. I have been backed off at most all of the major Las Vegas strip casinos over the last 15 years. I still can play at a few, and could probably play for short sessions during crowded times without being noticed in places like Caesars where there is big play everywhere.
Am I a pro...no. I am a surgeon at a major university. I have a big bankroll from my job that I sset aside for gambling, and I've grown it through the years playing BJ and middle limit (15-30 or 30-60 Hold EM) poker.
Throughout my BJ career the pit has always known I wasn't a pro.They knew I wasn't a Vegas resident. Heck, they would ask me medical questions! I didn't have the look of a counter - I looked like a rich gambler. I would have an occasional drink, tip, chat during the game, chipped up insted of suuden bet increases, etc. I never really made cover plays like the "Ultimate Gambit strategy" proposed by Ian Anderson though, because in my mind I was fighting for my 1-2% and I felt I couldn't give it away. Plus, some of the plays I made, like splitting 9's against an Ace in a +1 count (which is correct but is not a well known play)looked crazy to them anyway...
Well, here's the point. I won- A LOT, and at that level you will draw scrutiny no matter what act you have. Now when I play I don't go for it as aggressively and I "hit and run" more often. My bankroll swings are less dramatic and I haven't had a backoff in 3 years.
Just a little advice to those starting out, BTW. A backoff is not a badge of honor or a validation of your skills. It is a failure on your part to exercise your craft effectively. Longevity is a key part of this game. Remember that.
it looks like Cosmo. Not at all. Looks to me like some very small type casino with space limitations as everything seems clustered together. The Cosmo is more spread out.
Strong points about cover, hit and run and backoffs. I have never felt that cover buys all that much in most cases. Backoffs are part of the learning process. You probably need to experience a few to find that comfort zone of what is and isn't acceptable to the casino. But after those few, if you continue to have regular backoff, you are doing something wrong. I don't buy the theory that getting few backoffs means you are not pushing the envelope enough. Longevity....well, Josh is likely to respond with another 'longwhatity?' lol I know there are those that don't believe in longevity. Their goal is to hit hard for as long as they can then move on to something else. That's fine. But for those of us that want to stay around for a while and milk these opportunities, hit and run short sessions is the way to do so.
I have never voted for a POM and don't know if free page posts even qualify, but I do find this to be POM material. Good job.
I know there are those that don't believe in longevity. Their goal is to hit hard for as long as they can then move on to something else.
Longwhatity isn't relevant in my sorrowful circumstances but when it comes to people who are learning about card counting or new to it, I urge them to forget all about it. Most of them are not future Jasons. Most will never have positive expectations worth mentioning in the casino. A barring in the case of the average dreamer represents a boost to EV.
Those who might have some kind of future will also have the wisdom to think critically for themselves just as Jason has done: find a path that will serve them. This might be a discrete approach, like Jason's. It might mean seizing an unusual or fleeting opportunity, hitting hard and fast and giving birth to a bankroll almost as if by magic, incurring heat in the process. I followed the latter path and would never have had any kind of blackjack career had I not taken what happened to be right before me at that moment. An undue emphasis on longevity at that time would have been just crippling.
I don't disagree...and to be honest, I followed that strategy for the first 12 years of my career. I never used cover and went for the kill when the count called for it.
One time I parked my ass heads up at one $100 DD table at the Stardust (which used no cut card - shuffling was at the dealer's discretion) for a whole shift once while an Ethiopian dealer consistently dealt so deep I thought she was going to run out of cards. After looting that table for 15 grand I came back the next day for her next shift. That day I got barred. No more great game for me.
I'll bet I would have made much more over the long (or even short) run if I had sheared that sheep a few times instead of skinning it the one good time. That's my only point.
And you are correct, most players are not foolish enough to follow my path. lol I will disagree with your thought that players learning to count or new to it should not be concerned with longevity. Often players are in a location where they have one or two casinos near them. While it's true that most may not be trying to make this a career move, maybe they are a weekend warrior types, hoping to combine a hobby with ability to make a few extra bucks or even supplement their income. For these types of players burning out the local places would be a big development and so longevity does become an issue.
...Maybe a new casino at Kensington and Allegheny I hadn't been aware of.
Merry Christmas,
Cobbson
