Big Day in Blackjack, Football Not So Much

I decided to spend Sunday on The Strip watching the NFL playoff games at Planet Hollywood.

 It took about 35 minutes to get to Ballys where I parked about 10 a.m. The Pats-Broncos game kicked off at noon here in LV, so I had some time to kill before I settled into the PH sports book. I like their book because the chairs are comfortable and the TV screens are large and clear. Ballys and Paris have two of the WORST sports books on the strip. Their screens are blurry and seating is not very comfortable at all.

Before walking to PH, I cashed two $25 tickets on hoops games from Saturday, for a profit of $45. Then I headed to PH, walking through Paris. I sat down at a bj table in Paris and played for about 20 minutes, notching a profit of $125. So, I figured, I was up $170 if I didn't make another bet.

I got to the PH sportsbook about 11 and grabbed a seat. As I watched the Iowa-Purdue basketball game, the place soon filled up. The betting line was 40-50 people long and I was glad I already had 5 parlays going. All of them had the Pats, though and they were all losers. By halftime of the game, I was getting bored and decided to walk back to Ballys where I sat down at a bj table and began one of the hottest runs of the whole trip.

There was one other guy at the table when I sat down. "I only have one chip left," he joked as I joined the game. He showed me a $100 chip and played it. On the first hand we both won.

My streak began slowly, with me betting $10-15 a hand. After getting up $200 or so, I began to press bets to $20-30 a hand and I kept winning. At one point, I won or pushed 11 straight hands before the dealer hit a blackjack that snapped the streak. One key hand happened when I had $25 bet and I got 8-8 against the dealer's 5. Following Basic Strategy, I split the 8s and got a 3 on the first one. I doubled down and got a king for 21. On the other 8, I got a 2 and again doubled down, landing an ACE for another 21. So I had $100 out there and won when the dealer flipped a 2 and caught a 10 for 17. 

When I didn't make a good hand, the dealer busted for us.

Another highlight happened when I had a 16 and caught a 5 for 21. The very next hand I got dealt another 16 and HIT ANOTHER 5 for another winner! I was making hands like crazy. Hit 13, get an 8, hit 14, get a 6. It was unreal and my chip stack kept climbing. 

Finally, I decided to leave. I counted up my chips and showed a profit of $1250. And the other guy at the table had run his $100 up to $1000. It was a fun magical run for both of us!

I headed home, calling Helen en route to tell her about our fun and profits. When I got home, we watched some of the other NFL game and had a tasty salad for dinner. Then it was time to enjoy some chocolates for dessert and settle down to watch Downton Abbey.

Today, I have a few errands to run and may play a bit at Red Rock. Scott is coming to LV tonight, arriving about 5 or so. He's driving up from Phoenix where he was honored yesterday with a National Salesman of the Year Award for his company. It's the 2nd year in a row that he's taken that honor. He's the Miguel Cabrera of Medical Device Salesmen!! We have tickets tonight for "Million Dollar Quartet," at Harrah's. That will be fun!

And so our adventure continues...