Small tracks

[Half Smoke]

______________


we're well of the subject of small tracks - but anyway - this is by far the greatest BJ scene ever in the movies

what a master the Director Martin Scorsese was to know all this stuff that only BJ pros know about

one player is sitting where he can see the dealer's hole card at a different table and he signals the hole card's value to another player - his confederate - with some kind of electrical device

pros call it "spooking" - and I do believe the justice meted out is realistic - for a certain era in LV

I was shocked when I first saw it - I never would have believed that I would see anything like that in the movies

YouTube

.

[Dave Schwartz]

we're well of the subject of small tracks - but anyway - this is by far the greatest BJ scene ever in the movies

what a master the Director Martin Scorsese was to know all this stuff that only BJ pros know about

one player is sitting where he can see the dealer's hole card at a different table and he signals the hole card's value to another player - his confederate - with some kind of electrical device

pros call it "spooking" - and I do believe the justice meted out is realistic - for a certain era in LV

I was shocked when I first saw it - I never would have believed that I would see anything like that in the movies

Between my upbringing and my years in Nevada gaming, I can offer only a couple of comments.
____
1. I never heard of "spooking," but I was not (what was called) a "cross roader." I was a card counter.
____
2. Getting caught with any kind of electronic device made you a "cheat" according to Nevada gaming law. Only idiots would do such a thing, but it certainly did happen.

One exception would be The Eudonomic Pie. Doyne Farmer. If you can find the book, it is a wonderful read.
____
3. Giving away hole cards were usually done by the dealer working in conjunction with a player. That approach generally included the dealer peeking at the top card during play, looking for something that would break him.

When he found such a card, he'd hold it (i.e. deal seconds to leave it on top) so he would break himself.

If he could not find a break card (because the top card will make his hand), he'd flash a signal to the player to hit, knowing that the player would get the hand-making card instead.

It was a two-person job, one inside and one out. Far different than two outsiders working together.
____
4. I would NEVER have stolen a dime in Las Vegas. You can imagine why.

[46zilzal]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

_____________


yesterday - Mahong Valley - race 8 - was really just bored and goofing off

bet a very strong fave at 3/5 just before they broke -

he was bet way down very late and paid $2.10 across the board

it was laughable - I'm glad I'm not one of the big plungers or a CAWs or whoever it is that routinely bets horses way down very late like that

if I make a serious bet and get a payout like that on a win bet I might put my fist through my monitor




.

sample error...I do very well there

[Half Smoke]

Originally Posted by Dave Schwartz

Between my upbringing and my years in Nevada gaming, I can offer only a couple of comments.
____
1. I never heard of "spooking," but I was not (what was called) a "cross roader." I was a card counter.
____
2. Getting caught with any kind of electronic device made you a "cheat" according to Nevada gaming law. Only idiots would do such a thing, but it certainly did happen.

One exception would be The Eudonomic Pie. Doyne Farmer. If you can find the book, it is a wonderful read.
____
3. Giving away hole cards were usually done by the dealer working in conjunction with a player. That approach generally included the dealer peeking at the top card during play, looking for something that would break him.

When he found such a card, he'd hold it (i.e. deal seconds to leave it on top) so he would break himself.

If he could not find a break card (because the top card will make his hand), he'd flash a signal to the player to hit, knowing that the player would get the hand-making card instead.

It was a two-person job, one inside and one out. Far different than two outsiders working together.
____
4. I would NEVER have stolen a dime in Las Vegas. You can imagine why.

I, of course never did this either - and I would never recommend it - I was never a cheater

but as I traveled thru my BJ life I wanted to know every single thing there was to know about the game

and this is part of the culture - albeit a very small part - which made it so astonishing to me that Scorsese picked up on it

so, of course, I wanted to know about it too


.

[Dave Schwartz]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

I, of course never did this either - and I would never recommend it - I was never a cheater

but as I traveled thru my BJ life I wanted to know every single thing there was to know about the game

and this is part of the culture - albeit a very small part - which made it so astonishing to me that Scorsese picked up on it

so, of course, I wanted to know about it too


.

For the record, I never said that I'd never cheat. I was, after all, a card mechanic and it was part of that time in Nevada gaming.

I just didn't do it in Las Vegas because of the potential consequences.

Then, in 1979, when I got religion, I dealt my last bottom.

(100% true.)

[Inner Dirt]

I am sure you guys made way more counting than me, I would venture a guess it was $50-$100k in about 100 sessions after expenses of which the big one was giving away $25 dollar chips to keep others at the table and tipping. I bet I gave almost half my winnings away. I would be curious to know my lifetime +/- figures at various types of gambling. Probably down a little at QH and TB racing, but doing much better than the take, probably down 5%. Harness racing well up, but that is a sport where I quit while I was ahead. It seemed by year two (1981) I went home even a lot but rarely lost,
My winning percentage on win bets was in the high 30's and then tailed off. Strangely by the early 90's I was constantly losing money and hung it up. Now when I stick my toe back in the water once a year I get lit up.


Poker well ahead, all friendly games that at the time probably a lot of them were considered illegal. I supported a party house and two friends for two years playing poker in my early 20's. There were many other friendly games over the years and I was usually cleaned everyone out except this time, I will tell the story after I make and eat breakfast.

[Inner Dirt]

As many know in a friendly game with loose rules if you play long enough most often the best player wins especially if the players are close in skill and know each other. When I lost my dream job mostly because of a scorned girlfriend who also stole my possessions. I moved from the rat race and rented a mountain cabin with a friend. The friend had some poker buddies that had ok money for their age but not the greatest card players. It grew to where there was a game every night sometimes needing two tables to start.


Middle of the week single table game the girl next door comes over who was a friend wanted to learn how to play, if she didn't look like Brooke Shields, the guys probably would have not encouraged me to stake her. She made the 6th player but with playing 5 card draw and needing an ace to take 4 that was ok. Dealer's choice but jacks or better progressive was a common game. I wrote a list of how hands rank and tried to give her pointers without disrupting the game, she sat to my right.



Anyway, her erratic play and having one of those nights where she seemed to be getting the best cards of all of us has it down to her and me, but I can't seem to take her out. My friends are giving me crap, they need to be reminded they are spectators. Playing trips to win
on her deal she deals me 3 aces and a pair of twos. She takes one. I figure I got her no matter what, even a novice would not hold a card with 3 of a kind and if she hits a straight, or a flush, my full house beats that and I have the highest possible full house. I figure she needs a straight flush or I win. Since we had about an even stack I suggested we wave the limits and bet it all, she agrees. Ready to finally clean her out to keep my pride intact she shows four 9's. I can still see them 40 years later. She tried to give the money back.


I just told her to just let me have the $100 stake and keep the rest. She walked out with $800 and all our pride. This girl was 18 and a month from graduating high school. I was 21 and been playing poker since I was 7.

[mfactor]

That's a good one and enjoyable to watch to boot.

[Half Smoke]

___________


yesterday was betting Zia on twinspires

the video was grainy - I had to struggle to make out the horse nos.

every other track at twinspires was crystal clear

what's the deal - are they using 30 year old cameras_______?

I can get a better vid feed on my 10 year old nephew's cell


.

[BarchCapper]

Originally Posted by Half Smoke

___________


yesterday was betting Zia on twinspires

the video was grainy - I had to struggle to make out the horse nos.

every other track at twinspires was crystal clear

what's the deal - are they using 30 year old cameras_______?

I can get a better vid feed on my 10 year old nephew's cell


.

Yesterday's replays on RTN seem just as clear as any of the other days. It's not a superior picture, but definitely ok, especially as far as saddlecloth numbers.

[cardinalsfan]

I am not a big bettor -- max $30 per race. Because of this, the smaller pools at smaller tracks are not a concern. Having said that, I LOVE smaller tracks. Typically most of the horses have several, and even many races at the same racing conditions (same track, surface, etc.). Also, not a ton of shippers, and when there is a shipper, there are good angles to decipher whether a horse is being shipped to win or shipped to get sold. This now concludes my two-cents worth for the day.