My first extended trip in a new region... I got in about 40 hours of play, which was curtailed primarily as a result of the Islanders playing deep into the postseason. I suspect I would have been able to compile close to an additional 10 hours if there weren't five games I needed to watch during the 9.5 day trip. At least the Islanders won the series.
Oddly enough, I met a dude who was born in Philly in the local sportsbook, as we were simultaneously placing bets on the opposing teams. We ended up watching the game in the sportsbook - and it wasn't until overtime that we realized we were both blackjack players and members of the BJA site. Small world...
Couldn't really get much traction on this trip. I ended up down a whopping $15 when all was said and done. The region seemed incredibly sweaty to me, so I was constantly having to curtail my time at the tables after rounds of increased betting drew extensive heat from the pit. During my final session on my final day (at an out of the way independent spot), I decided I would play full-throttle to see what would happen. Like clockwork, I was flat bet in about 2.5 hours. I didn't react well to this, as I indignantly demanded the obviously senior PC's info - who then proceeded to have security ensure I left the premises.
If anything, I can chalk this one up to a re-acclimation experience, as I have my next trip in a couple of weeks. A couple of key things to consider/remember:
- Man, do dealers make mistakes. And pit people. At one point, a dealer paid me on pushes three separate times in about 10 minutes - and nearly every single final color up that involved a lot of sub-denominations caused errors approved by the pit. In one instance, a dealer was prepared to underpay me by about $50. When I called the mistake to her and the PCs attention, they recounted - and then proceeded to overpay me by about $25 (which I let go, as I didn't want them to suffer the embarrassment of a second correction). 😁
- There's no point in fighting with pit people. Once they decide to back you off, challenging the point earns nothing except the greater likelihood they will remember you upon your return in a year or so.