Watching the Big Boys Play

[Lucky Larry]

Sounds like player C might have been Billyjoe.

It wasn't billyjoe, I met him in Biloxi and know him.

[Lucky Larry]

In that case they are probably behind bars for embezzlement!

In regards to this topic, some people have a strong opinion that gambling is far worse to a person than drugs or alcohol addiction, this might be a strong case for it. Not sure what kind of comp they will seek for that kind of play, lifetime stay at one of their hotel rooms?

Player C's comps included being in the VIP Slot $100K Tournament ($50K for the winner), had enough entries to be drawn for a nice cash draw, and 150k+ entries in the final draw for a new Lincoln MKZ compared to my 9K entries. .

Additionally, perhaps the best comp is VIP level's cash reward = 10¢/point versus 2¢/point for the second tier. This cash back is the biggest comp I've enjoyed since moving into VIP level this month (thanks Sweet C for double teaming to earn VIP level). As we talked he is able to go at least once a month to Vegas or elsewhere to play. I suspect that his play is like most of ours - relative to his bankroll.

A couple of years ago at L'Auberge we sat next to player playing $90/hand Spin Poker. I congratulated him on his two hand-pays as he locked up the machines. He commented he was down $18K at the time of the hits but had won $72K the night before on a dealt hand. In my dreams.....

[Lucky Larry]

Great post.  It's really fun to watch that kind of action.  About 6 years ago right after they got real VP at the Tampa Hard Rock, I was playing in the high limit casino next to an older man and a young woman.  They were both playing Deuces wild at $10 a coin and pushing money into the machines as hard as they could.  Each had a stack of hundreds and they must have gone through at least 20-30 grand while I watched.  I never saw them hit a quad deuce, but the girls were lining up with the W2Gs on their clipboards. I was hoping one of them would hit a Royal for $40K, but it didn't happen.   Great fun as long as it's someone else's money. 

In a recent post I linked the Coushatta slot jackpot winners. Saturday night it was slow getting pay outs because the high rollers were hitting in the high denomination level HD. I usually check nightly the postings to admire the winners.
Saturday (11/21/14) night's winners included:
$100/Slot Double Double Diamond @ $80,000 (same player)
$100/Slot Double Gold @ $20,000
$100/Slot Five Times Pay @ $25,000.
$100/Slot Hot Peppers @ $100,000
$100/Slot Five Times Pay @ $20,000 (same player)
$100/Slot Double Double Diamond @ $48,000

Sunday (11/22/14)
$100/Slot Red, White and Blue @ $64,000
$100/Slot Double Red, White and Blue @ $20,000 (same player)
$25/Slot Double Diamond Deluxe @$32,000 (same player)

[BobDancer]

Great post.  It's really fun to watch that kind of action.  About 6 years ago right after they got real VP at the Tampa Hard Rock, I was playing in the high limit casino next to an older man and a young woman.  They were both playing Deuces wild at $10 a coin and pushing money into the machines as hard as they could.  Each had a stack of hundreds and they must have gone through at least 20-30 grand while I watched.  I never saw them hit a quad deuce, but the girls were lining up with the W2Gs on their clipboards. I was hoping one of them would hit a Royal for $40K, but it didn't happen.   Great fun as long as it's someone else's money. 

If they were playing $50 a hand, they only get W2Gs on royals, deuces, and wild royals. Since you said they didn't get any of the first two, that means they can only get the taxables on wild royals. How frequently they should hit these hands depends on the strategy they were using, but hitting them every 500-600 hands is about right. If they were hand feeding 100s, this is probably once an hour or so. Losing $20K-$30K takes MANY hours if you're only playing $50 a hand. And you watched them do this?I cannot imagine watching a stranger play that long. Usually when somebody watches me when I'm playing that big, they watch for less than a minute and move along. And, to some people, I'm a celebrity so presumably people would watch me more than somebody they've never heard of or seen before (assuming the young lady wasn't falling out of her dress or something like that). It's really not very interesting to see somebody else play --- even if they are playing large.

[FloridaPhil]

The reason I was watching them for that long was a weird situation.  When the Hard Rock first went to Vegas slots they didn't have many real video poker machines in the casino.   It was almost impossible to get a seat on the main floor, so I played single coin in the high limit room to avoid the crowds.  I was there for about an hour and half the time I was waiting for a seat as there were only a few video poker machines in the room.  These two people weren't using any strategy that I could tell.  It looked to me like they just kept the deuces and hit the button.   I don't make a habit of watching people gamble, so I only glanced down once to see the denomination.  I didn't actually count the money and in those days I was pretty amazed that anyone would do that, so I may have exaggerated the actual amount of money they played a bit.   I did not exaggerate the line of girls with the W2Gs and have not seen that since.  As for the morality of gambling this way; it's your money do what you want with it.  Judging people is above my pay grade. 

[DaBurglar]

    It's really not very interesting to see somebody else play --- even if they are playing large.Says you Bob....Obviously this is a matter of opinion, and I think this is your overall "Casino Jadedness" speaking.   Since your "office" is in fact the casino, and you have spent more time there than most of us can fathom, you have no doubt "Seen it all".    I find many ways to watch people without them noticing (the fact I am a "low roller", i.e. very close to the ground in my chair, no doubt helps to stay out of peripheral vision.)    Sometimes, depending on my mood and what else is going on, I can be very entertained by what I am watching in terms of other peoples' play (OPP, yeah you know me!)     I'd love to watch you play, BOB, and would even pay for the privilege (pay you, not the casino.)   I think a rate of 1 cent every 2 hands would be fair (i.e. 5 bucks for 1000 hands)....Watching so called "high rollers" play games like Blackjack or craps is fun......I cannot see why watching someone play VP at a rate higher than anything I would ever consider should be any less interesting!?!?)     Now, mind you, I am NOT saying I'd want to do this EVERY time I went to a casino, but once in a while, depending on my mood or health or energy level, simply kicking back and watching is fun........it's also a natural human response, like why people always stop to look at car wrecks (but of course, if you are a first responder EMT by trade, then YOU probably would not be as likely to stop and gawk, just like Bob Dancer does not care to watch others play video poker.)One last point:   and again, this is simply MY personal OPINION/Take on things and should not be construed as anything else......I'd have serious MORAL concerns about myself and my state of mind IF I ever found myself actually PLAYING 25-50 bucks a hand at Video poker except as a one-time, truly exceptional situation.....Regardless of whether I could afford it or not, I just cannot justify in my mind that type or level of play on a regular basis.   Actually in my current state/circumstances, being single with no family to support or any debt, I could play at this level for at least a limited time period, say 3-4 months (assuming I continue to have the same lousy luck I have had in AC, lol, otherwise I might be able to play for a longer while)...but I'd just feel too weird, if not guilty.   At some point, the money becomes too big of a deal, the fun goes out the window, and I start asking myself "why dont you give some of this money you are blowing to charity, or your nephew(s) for college, or the local animal shelter, etc."      I already do these things, but I feel ok indulging myself playing VP at the 25 cent level (with infrequent, rare instances of playing at $1 denom)......I can justify losing 500 bucks a day, but never could I justify losing 5,000 or more a day on a regular basis.   

[pokerforme]

Some years ago in Vegas was in the very long line for the Rio carnival world buffet....some VERY drunk whale player demanded (from what people were saying) to play huge amounts on blackjack right there next to the line (which was slow). He lost more in the 5 minutes it took us to pass his table playing 3 hands than I have made my whole career working! Of course the very young blond he had all over him was encouraging things and he was lit up so he didn't care. All the people close to us in line and us were adding up the losses in amazement...sick!

[BillyJoe]

[QUOTE=BobDancer] I'd love to watch you play, BOB, and would even pay for the privilege (pay you, not the casino.)   I think a rate of 1 cent every 2 hands would be fair (i.e. 5 bucks for 1000 hands)....

Save your money, DB. The denomination played does not alter the playing strategy of any VP game. Just change the $$$ to credits on the machine, and it is all the same.

Plus, you do not have to be a 'celebrity' to play VP at an optimum level.

[DaBurglar]

[QUOTE=DaBurglar]
[QUOTE=BobDancer] I'd love to watch you play, BOB, and would even pay for the privilege (pay you, not the casino.)   I think a rate of 1 cent every 2 hands would be fair (i.e. 5 bucks for 1000 hands)....

Save your money, DB. The denomination played does not alter the playing strategy of any VP game. Just change the $$$ to credits on the machine, and it is all the same.

Plus, you do not have to be a 'celebrity' to play VP at an optimum level. [/QUOTE]Eh, I know......I was just obliging Bob's status as a "celebrity".....plus, I'm humble enough to at least hold out the possibility I could still learn something from watching someone like Bob.    He's simply got experience I will never have because he has been doing this for so long and at such a larger, more extensive AMOUNT OF PLaY  than myself.Sometimes I'll screw around, and feed something like $1,500 or even $2,000 into a machine that has $5 and up credits as the denomination......then I'll sit there for a while.....of course waitresses will flock to you if you happen to be in the high roller section (although this is not necessary these days as MANY high denom games exist out in the midst of most casinos, especially AC, and certainly Vegas.)Sometimes, in Vegas and Reno, the hookers flock too when you plop yourself down in front of the high denom machines and put some money in.....I dont partake of course, but its fun to flirt and lead them on a little!   This is all part of having fun in a casino.....But every once in a while, I will hit the "deal" button on a 5 dollar machine, usually just one credit......if I even think of betting more than 1 credit, my heart will race a little and I'll immediately start looking for my glue.......

[DaBurglar]

FYI:  My cousin just reported to me that he went to AC a week ago and stayed at Ballys, where his BOSS just happened to be staying and playing as well (My cousin works in a brokerage in Manhattan, and usually pulls in over 750k per year, so you can imagine what his boss possibly makes).....my cousin is all about Blackjack and high stakes Poker (Omaha is his game of choice, all levels, but he also will play 25-50 n/l holdem if the game is live), and he sighted his boss playing with a companion at a BJ table in the high limit area (or what passes for it these days) at ballys-AC, with a apparent minimum of at least $2,500 per hand, since that was the LOWEST he saw either of them play at!!!!   The highest he witnessed was $15K for his boss and 20 K for the other guy.....sick, just sick!    He did not hang around long enough to see how much either won or lost, but he could never really know since action like that invlolves, markers, lost and lots of markers!!!!What's that booze Billyjoe loves, Markers Make??