Trip report, Hard Rock Tampa, FL

[Emeraldeagle]

Monday afternoon I traveled 88 miles to the nearest casino, that being the Hard Rock in Tampa. Don't know if any of you have played baccarat there, but here's how it goes. There are 3 baccarat tables with $20 minimums, and these are the only ones available unless you want to go for the $40 tables or the ones in the high stakes room. Oh and one more thing: it's in an Asian palace theme room, presumably to herd all the Asians into one place. Mission accomprished in that respect.

About the tables. Shoes are 8 decks, horizontal tote boards, machine shuffled, commission free (or so they say). If you bet banker and it's tie, rather than a push they take 25% of your stake. Also, for a genuine Hong Kong experience everyone has about 3 inches of personal space, English is forbidden, and players behind you clamor around asking to put their stake on your table spot.

Here's what went down. Spoiler alert: it's not good. First table I started OTB4L3. I'm up 3 units and feeling rather good. My problems start when I switched to mode 1 instead of staying in mode 3. I hit my -8 stop loss and I'm down 5 units so I walk. Next shoe I played was a very strong F shoe. If I was playing online I would have massacred this shoe, but it's different when playing for real and surrounded by distracting foreigners. I'm -7 units on this table and I walk. Down 12 units for my first day out. Bad news is I seem to be making every conceivable mistake while learning, the good news is I'm learning discipline to walk away when hit the stop loss.

The moral of the story is: don't play baccarat at Hard Rock Tampa unless you have the bankroll for the high stakes room. At least there are plenty of $25 blackjack tables with 6 deck machine shuffles. Better start saving my shekels for a blackjack manual, though I have no idea which one to get. My guess is the Zero Proximity NBJ but if I'm mistaken please let me know.

In Odds We Trust

[Guest]

At first it is tricky to get your game from the practice tee to the First tee.

But at least you got your feet wet and you know what your mistakes were.

Never attempt Mode 1 until you know that 4+s are greater than 3s.

You NEVER know this early in the shoe.

Guys, write your posts in one liners as I did until Keith gets this fixed.

Then use the horizontal scroll arrows at the bottom of the page.

[MVSeahog]

Monday afternoon I traveled 88 miles to the nearest casino, that being the Hard Rock in Tampa. ). If you bet banker and it's tie, rather than a push they take 25% of your stake.

Wow. That's a new one since the last time I was there. The Tampa HR is 94 miles from me while the Immokalee HR is 61 miles.

Also, for a genuine Hong Kong experience everyone has about 3 inches of personal space, English is forbidden, and players behind you clamor around asking to put their stake on your table spot.

Hmm, I don't think I would be liking that at all. It wasn't that bad in Macau!!

MVS

[Emeraldeagle]

Which Blackjack manual should I start with?

[layzie_j]

I went there a few months ago and I noticed during late nights (probably from 1AM to 8AM) on a Saturday night, the shoe would be streaky. Then after 8AM when they change out the cards, the two outside tables near the cashier would get really choppy. I got friends that still go there and they would tell me they still see streaky at nights and chop during the morning. I moved away so no more casinos for me.

[Guest]

I went there a few months ago and I noticed during late nights

(probably from 1AM to 8AM) on a Saturday night, the shoe would be streaky. Then after

8AM when they change out the cards, the two outside tables near the cashier would get really choppy.

I got friends that still go there and they would tell me they still see streaky at nights and chop during

the morning. I moved away so no more casinos for me.

Yes, this is true at many casinos. The more the cards are played the streakier they get.

BUT, when the players get too used to the streak, watch out! The casino has the ability

to turn streak to chop both with shuffle machines as well as hand shuffles.