"SUCKER BETS" on the TRAVEL CHANNEL

Well I thought I would vent my frustration once again. It has been very annoying watching the travel channel. The most recent shows "Las Vegas Sucker Bets" tell the public that Blackjack has the best odds of any game in town. Once again the casino industry is getting away with attracting millions of new, unsuspecting blackjack players who, not like us, don't know that todays game (with all the rule changes and casino counter measures) is an illusion of what it used to be years ago. This show is another perfect example of how the casinos have been slowly getting away with ruining the game of blackjack over the years, and, if unchallenged, will continue to do so. Has anybody ever heard of the casino industry being involved in anything that was not in it's best interest? THEY LOVE THESE SHOWS! This will continue to go on and on as long as they can find morons on shows such as "LV Sucker Bets" to tell the millions of new unsuspecting players how blackjack is there best chance to strike it rich in Vegas. Why don't these boneheads on the Travel Channel let one of us on for a rebuttal?

Is there a game with better odds than blackjack? The name of the show wasn't "What Card Counters Hate About Las Vegas." Or "Why Blackjack Isn't as Good as it Used to Be."

I thought the show was pretty entertaining.

and for them, other than changing of mostly S17 rules to H17 rules and the move from 6 to 8 decks at low limit games blackjack is basically unchanged. CSM's, while not very challenging, don't change the basic gamble of blackjack for the typical player.

The only real change that is a serious negative for the "tourist" is the 6:5 single deck game.

Blackjack is still a good value for the gambling dollar...especially if you factor in comp abuse and optimum casino selection (selecting the casino based on your bet size and its comp criteria).

Bigplayer- What are some Vegas casinos that you would consider the best in terms of providing decent comps, say to the green chipper?

Most of these pseudo-documentary and how-to casino shows are at least partially subsidized by the casinos and have as much integrity as your average infomercial. They should be required to show the usual dis-claimer that goes before the outright infomercials.

As a card counters, we want the ploppies to steer toward the tables. The Travel channel touting the news of blackjack to be a good casino game for the public, is certainly true.

As long as tables are packed there will always be blackjack. I dont worry about the 6/5 single deck crap,even a moron will soon understand why it's better to get $75 for a BJ than $60...or how smart does a ploppy have to be before they soon understand splitting aces more than once is "good".

Blackjack will keep growing in popularity, and promoting the game on TV makes it better for me. Casinos dont pay me, the suckers do. Look at it this way, NO SUCKERS = NO BLACKJACK.

You have no reason to be complaining or worrying.

Suckers are great. They pay for all of the wonderful things we like in Las Vegas including our "advantage play checks". But if the suckers drop all of their money on slots, caribbean stud poker, casino war, 6 to 5 blackjack and superfun then only "we" will be playing regular blackjack. Counters have to blend in with the crowd. There needs to be a crowd to blend in with. If the advantage player community becomes a truly significant percentage of play at regular BJ then the casinos will react. If the casinos are successful at diverting a truly significant percentage of ploppy play to other games then the casinos will be able to react. The reaction would be predictable; a further reduction in the number and quality of available games.

Hip Hop

If the casinos didn't have such an easy time luring the uninformed ploppies to the game as it is today, there would be MORE competition in general amongst the casinos and you might start seeing things such as "Dealer must hit soft 17" disappear. Get it?

If the casinos had to fight harder for the ploppy play, the card counters would start seeing better games.

It's not easy understanding whats really going on with those shows. Thanks.

Many of these shows are over a year old predating the new improved 6:5 payoff that is making these casinos richer by the minute from constant ploppy play.

I didn't think anybody actually considered the travel channel in the same category as Nat. Geographic or the History channel or 60 Minutes. These are not documentary or news programs. The programming exists solely to advertise and entice people to take vacations. Anywhere. Just so happens that LV features gambling. The programs you refer to are an attempt by the casinos to overcome the intimidation factor and anxiety casual travellers have of table games. The programs are meant to make people think they have a half-a-chance to win. I don't recall seeing anyone giving information on any of these programs that was not fundamentally sound.
An unbelievably high percentage of visitors to LV DON"T Gamble ...... at all. I don't remeber the actual num. something like 30% or 40%.
Check out who the sponsors are: MBG, PPE, MGM-Mirage, etc. When BJ21 or the players on this board or "The Advantaged Players Consortium" starts footing the bill for these programs, then you can go on the Travel CH and promote better games and pooh pooh the 6:5 BJ games to the masses.

I am here in vegas. I moved my trip up from my original scheduled iternary. I am staying at Tropicana Hotel & Casino. I have been counting. I am up $3,000 down $4,000 on a good day. I am now feeling the heat applied to me at the Tropicana. It makes me wonder is it the floor staff that is noticing my play or is it the eyes in the sky that good.!! I am using camouflage. As soon as it gets to be too hot, I leave and head immediately for the dice pit. Gotta love the smokescreen of craps. I heard play at the MGM Grand is great. Heard they dont know much over there..is this true? If this is not somebody point me in the direction to pursue.

The heat you think you're feeling is more than likely nothing other than the money! They've been sweating the money for years now.

If you're playing 6 deck, and I was there this past weekend, play at Cesaers. I was getting 5 dk pen in the first pit by registration. Ballys, yes Ballys was also giving the same pen at the GC min 6 dk tables, of which I think there are only three. Bellagio was 75%.

MGM was at 75%, but ok as well. Mandalay Bay is all over the place, Luxor too, Venetian is mostly 8 decks, but some with 80% pen. Monte Carlo 2 dk was at 55-60%.
Hope this helps you.

I just disagree with your logic. I dont think you understand why it's important(and beneficial)to get the public more INVOLVED with blackjack and other table games as opposed to those machines they drop money in,get it?

Once the newbies check out the tables they'll soon have a general concept of the game and understand what is "good" or "bad". If this were not true then Vegas would have comformed many years ago to to "NO doubling,NO pair splitting,dealer WINS ties,etc.etc."

HH> But if the suckers drop all of their money on slots, caribbean stud poker, casino war, 6 to 5 blackjack and superfun then only "we" will be playing regular blackjack.

There will always be suckers everywhere,even jammed pack at the traditional BJ tables. I've seen many carnival games come and through-out the years, yet traditional BJ always remains. Dont worry "We" will never be the only ones at the table. Take a good look around next time you visit the casinos,not many of us out there. There is no possible way "we" can keep up with the PLOPPY race.

HH>If the casinos are successful at diverting a truly significant percentage of ploppy play to other games then the casinos will be able to react. The reaction would be predictable; a further reduction in the number and quality of available games.

The travel channel is suggesting blackjack is a good game,not the carnival games.

I respect your opinion. All I'm saying is if the general public knew all the BS that was in todays BJ, maybe there would be less ploppies drawn to it. We would start to see a relaxing of the rules and better games because now the casinos would have to fight each other for the business. (supply and demand)

HH>If the casinos are successful at diverting a truly significant percentage of ploppy play to other games then the casinos will be able to react. The reaction would be predictable; a further reduction in the number and quality of available games.

Again, there would be more quality games because the casinos would have to fight for the players that they now take for granted.

Check out who the sponsors are: MBG, PPE, MGM-Mirage, etc.

I love this line in your posting. Think about it, If these show's weren't benefiting the casinos do you think they would be shelling out the big bucks advertising on them?

you're blowin' up the spot kid.