Firstly, let me thank everyone how posted advice to the "This Sucks" thread, especially the guy who posted simulation statistics. Hearing that to make a decent profit I'd need to risk a massive amount of $$ with astronomical fluctuations in revenue certainly did not cheer me up, but ugly reality is better than pretty illusions I guess.
So I listened to advice and resized down my betting. $25 at TC +1, 2x$25 at TC +2, 2x$50 at TC +3, 2x$75 at TC +4, wong out at TC <= 0.
With that, I had another go for the past two days. Same pattern as before - first day and half of next day - a complete snore. Win a bit, lose a bit ... wonging out at TC = 0 means I am not playing most of the time, just staring at other players' cards. Nearly fell asleep. Then the pendulum of death swings again and I start getting massively hammered. TC is +3, Dealer gets 6 , I get 10,7 - 3,3 Math says split, I get another 3. Down goes another $50, now its 10,7 - J,3 - 7,3 - 8,3 vs 6 . The math says double, so double it is -- 10,7 - J,3 - 7,3,8 - 8,3,9 with $300 down on the table. The dealer draws - 6,J,5 He's done it again! No fist pounding this time from me, I am used to being a loser by now. Another hour of butchering and I am $1500 down. Thats $6500 IN THE RED since I got involved in this thing, and its been just a couple of weeks.
And you know what sucks? In one of the negative shoes with TC -2 or so, this fat high-roller parks down at the table, with a massive pile of $1000 chips in his hand and starts betting table maximum over 3 hands. He is standing on 14 vs 10, hits 13 vs 5, splits 7,7 vs 9, does everything the math says is wrong. Guess what, he cleaned the place in 2 hours' time - the pit boss had to go twice to get a suitcase of chips to replenish the stack to pay off this guy's winnings. Didnt make me feel any more better, I assure you.
And you know what really sucks? Yesterday I am playing and the dealer is the Speedy-Gonzales type firing cards at machine-gun speed, the noisy ploppies are smoking, hitting the table and yapping away - not exactly the best counting environment, and then these two drunken skanks sit down next to me, dont play, and start hitting on me instead. First they make dumb comments about my play - "Oh, ya already got yaself 16, whaddaya getting anotha one fo?", then comments about me - "Hey, hunny, are you a lucky guy?", then start molesting me directly - "Ooh, what a pretty necklace, can I touch the gem?". At that point I was completely losing my efforts to keep up with Speedy-Gonzales-on-steriods and was growling at those two in the hope they'd leave and find someone else to pester. Eventually they did, and then I proceeded to lose the $1500 and when finally leaving the place, I thought - Damn, one of them actually had a nice cleavage. The other one wasnt a looker, but was horny as a rabbit in heat, you could see lust drawn on her face. I felt like a total idiot for playing stupid cards instead of doing what I am supposed to be doing on a Friday night.
So, thanks everyone for advice and help, but I am adopting a new playing strategy from now on - next time I set foot in a casino, I keep a healthy distance from any blackjack table, I'll find those 2 chicks, apologise to them for such rude neglect of their affectionate attention and say that they are the most feminine and charming women I have ever laid my eyes upon and I will not rest in peace until I can make it up to them with an invitation to have some drinks. Judging by the amount of booze they already consumed when I saw them, this offer couldnt possibly be refused, and we can follow up with a dinner, shake some booty at the disco, see a movie, gamble for a bit - see how the mood goes. Then I'll take them for a ride to check out the nighttime scene and finally offer to park for the night at my hotel room. Then I'll do both of them until either we pass out from exhaustion or I run out of Viagra pills, whichever happens first. Now thats what *I* call a "game with good penetration"!
Thats the plan, ladies and gentlemen. I've had enough of blackjack. Good luck and may all your counts be abundantly positive!
