From: nobody@sgiblab.sgi.com (Tommy Thompson)
Newsgroups: rec.gambling
Subject: Current BJ Condits in Reno / Royal Match
Date: 23 Dec 92 21:46:14 GMT

I promised a Reno trip report. Here it is.

Thanks to Chuck Weinstock for alerting me (via
this newsgroup) to the free rooms at the Hilton
properties.

Reno-Hilton-Resort-formerly-Bally's
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
summary: H17 DOA DAS, 1D: 7-8x1,5x2,3x4

Has several single deck tables with excellent rules
(for Northern Nevada). Except for the late afternoon
and early evening, it was very easy to find a head-up
game with seven or eight rounds per deck.

I encountered moderate heat on the swing and graveyard
shifts. There were several snide comments from dealers
who apparently wished to tell me that they suspected me
as a counter.  (e.g. "Do you come up to Reno to WORK at
playing 21?") I found this easy to ignore. After all,
they can't really tell whether your any good unless
they watch you for more than about 100 hours.

Circus-Circus
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
summary: standard N. Nev. rules, almost entirely 1D: 7x1,4x2

It appears that slot machines are replacing the 21 pit
nearest to Virginia Street. That area was closed and the
rest of the casino was more crowded than I expected for
mid-week in the dead of winter.

Lynda (day shift) deals 7x1, but tightens to 5 or 6 rounds
if the bets are more than a few units. (1 unit = $5.) This
is a common disease.

Harold's Club and Fitzgerald's
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
summary: standard N. Nev. rules, all 1D: 7x1,8x1,4x2,5x2

As usual, these places offered deeply dealt games,
especially to those who are willing to pay the price.
The dealers keep their own tips and make a point of
telling you so.

Horseshoe Club
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
summary: one 1D game, standard NN rules ; one shoe with DOA

I didn't spend much time here. The more favorable rules are
offered only in the shoe game.

Reno Flamingo Hilton (downtown)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
summary: 2D S17 DOA DAS, penetration 50-80%

The Flamingo has once again "changed its rules for
the bettor". Many double-deck tables offered penetration 
of 70-80%, dealt head-up. A notable exception is David
(day shift, 30ish, short, slender, Asian) who dealt
only 50% -- at least on positive counts.

Another dealer to watch for is Janice (days, 40ish, platinum
blonde, glasses). She checks the top card of the pack before
deciding whether or not to break the deck. She does it openly
and thinks nothing of it. Some people have no shame.

Clarion
^^^^^^^
summary: H17 DOA, both 1D and 2D offered, penetration variable

At 10 p.m. on a monday only one single-deck game was offered.
Earlier in the evening and in the afternoon there were at
least two. Some dealers gave 3-4x4 and 4-5x2. Others gave
less.

Watch for Kim (days, 25ish, slender, cute). She has a nasty
habit of frequently turning over the deck to check something
on the outside of her wrist. Unfortunately, the face of her
watch is on the INSIDE of her wrist. I don't know why, but
this makes me nervous. Call me paranoid. I checked my notes
for a trip in April and discovered that I had noticed the
same behavior then. She may have earned a place in my personal
blackbook.

Comstock
^^^^^^^^
summary: Standard NN rules, plus a losing side bet

This club, as well as Fitzgerald's (and Harold's?) are
now offering yet another side bet on a few tables. A "Royal
Match" wager on the side pays 3 to 1 if your first two
cards are suited and pays 10 to 1 if they are K-Q suited.
The Royal Match bet can be any amount up to a posted limit
($25 when I was there), and can be larger than your 21 bet.

By my calculation, the full-deck vig for this game is -3.77%,
and appears hard to beat by any sort of tracking scheme.
The earliest that a profitable situation arises in a single
deck game is after six cards have been faced, and then only
if they are all of the same suit and none a K or Q.

I doubt anybody will discover a way to beat this game. However,
if you do, keep in mind what Jim (a swing shift dealer at the
Fitz) told me. He said that the Comstock was well aware that
their over/under game was being tracked. Supposedly, they used
the game to attract and photograph suspected counters.

That's all for now.

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