I had the craziest, most positive variance and highest paid weekend of my life. I have no right to have earned as much as I did at the blackjack table in an hour and 7 minutes. I’m playing with an edge, but the cards have gone my way in a way that I just couldn’t lose.
It’s Friday night, and my girlfriend needs to go to bed early, which leaves an open window to play almostforgot! on a graveyard shift. From my past play, the one that is 10 minutes farther was slower. If I wait long enough, I could walk in on some heads-up play if I’m lucky. It’s the start of the month and people have paid their rents recently, so it could possibly be a good and slow situation.
As I’m driving to the casino, my oil change light is on. My car is as apprehensive of making the trip as I am stepping foot into a casino at 12:00 AM on a Friday night.
I arrive and plop down at the bar at the center of the casino. I can see all of the slots around me. The video poker machine in front of me has a dogshit 8/5 paytable (2.5% house edge). There is a DJ blasting the Cha Cha Slide behind me, and to my left, a plastered older gentleman is being peacefully taken outside by casino security. I finally buy myself a cerveza and secure a seat at an open blackjack table.
I sit down and change $300 into chips. Chatting with the dealer, I learn that he was working until 3 AM and was excited to get out soon. I lie to him about driving down from Camp Verde after working at a ranch. At least the part about working for a ranch was true. I put my $15 into the betting circle and focus up for the cards about to be dealt.
He said, “Are you trying to play blackjack?”
My dumbass had just bought in at an Ultimate Texas Hold ’em table. I still considered it a success, as I had just bought chips without showing ID.
I leave and am fortunate to find an actual empty blackjack table. I buy in with my existing chips. The dealer tells me a bit about Madonna and football. I told her my name is Ryan. We’re having a great time.
The shoe is starting pretty negative, and I throw in some negative deviations, such as hitting 15 against a 10 in a negative count and hitting 13s against 2s at a true negative one. Suddenly, I split 4s against a 5, and the count has skyrocketed. Win a $50 double, and now I’m in the $150–$200 bet territory. Last hand of that shoe is a $200 bet, and I’m dealt a 20 against a dealer ace. The count had dropped enough to not buy insurance, and I was terrified, but there was no dealer blackjack. Dealer flips a 7, and that’s $200.
I had just won my first ever max bet, and I couldn’t be happier.
The next shoe is completely negative, but I miraculously win most of the hands. I raised my bet a little on the last shoe, and the new dealer from Las Vegas started mocking me for changing my bets. At this point, I was up $438, and I was starting to overstay my welcome. The pit boss certifies my winnings without making much eye contact.
I cashed out my chips and counted my money in my car. My EV for that hour was $80, and I had walked with $438! Definitely unlikely, but a very welcome result.
This was my first night exposing a real bet spread, going from $15 to $200. It was also my first successful night. I was proud of my progress playing, and I was a little less hesitant about buying an oil change the next day.
Little did I know that the next day would blow this session out of the water.
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