MovieChat Forums > Dice (2016) Discussion > Saw the first episode.

Saw the first episode.


It had some funny moments and had me laughing out loud a couple of times.

But he played blackjack like a total tourist. I take that back, even tourists don't play like that. And there was no reason for it.

And there were a couple of truly cringe worth moments too.

Have to see where it goes. Doesn't seem like the type of show Showtime normally sponsors. Don't know how long the "I used to be somebody" shtick can last. Oh, and his hang out is the Tangiers casino. A nice homage to the movie Casino.

reply

Yes, the Tangiers Homage, I started a thread on that very point prior to reading your post.

and the blackjack scene was pretty horrible.

reply

You guys need to turn up your hearing aids. He specifically said that he plays BJ with his gut, not by the rules - probably in an attempt to preempt dumb comments like this. LOL

reply

They built all those big hotels out there in the middle of nowhere, thanks to guys who play "With their gut". If you use basic strategy you can maximise your odds, but playing like he did guarantees you lose in the long,(and short), run. As a Las Vegas resident and hotel employee, I can say that was pure fantasy.




"Guys with neck tattoos are seldom strategic thinkers." John Wells

reply

If you use basic strategy you can maximise your odds


and with moderate card counting and better house rules you can tip the odds in your favor.

Best house Casino Blackjack: The Frontier Hotel mid and late 80's

reply

They built all those big hotels out there in the middle of nowhere, thanks to guys who play "With their gut". If you use basic strategy you can maximise your odds, but playing like he did guarantees you lose in the long,(and short), run. As a Las Vegas resident and hotel employee, I can say that was pure fantasy.

Hey Man are you that guy who picked up our suitcases last week?
Sorry about the weight. I hope you didn't poop your pants.

reply

Hi Arnold,doc,lord:

No, wasn't me. Besides you weren't in Las Vegas last week. I was counseling your mom because she just doesn't know where she went wrong. Hang in there. I hear middle school's rough.





"Guys with neck tattoos are seldom strategic thinkers." John Wells

reply

The book

The World Greatest Blackjack Book
(featured briefly in Hangover) lives up to its title.

reply

I've been on both sides of the table - did it for three years - and I can attest that there's nothing "fantastic" about it. I dealt BJ to bozos splitting 10s and hitting 17s that walked away with over $1000 (and a table max of 10 so it isn't easy to do). I've also seen plenty of people play strategy and lose their shirts. Literally losing 1000s (again, hard to do at 10 max bet). I've also personally played at least 25,000 or 30,000 hands.

What you are forgetting is that BJ has a huge variance. Playing straight up strategy on the BEST BJ table is still only 49.5%. You're going to lose eventually. And playing like Dice did could bring your odds down to 40%. But none of that matters in the short run. And by "short run", I mean hundreds of hands. That's still very much "short run". Long run is thousands and thousands of hands.

And to top it all off, Dice was betting $25k per hand and walked away with how much was it? 200k? That's only being up by 8 hands total. That is absolutely nothing at all. I can't count how many times I've been up by many more hands that that.

You may work at a Vegas hotel, but you must be washing dishes cause you sure as *beep* aren't anywhere near the game tables. LOL

reply

I was playing blackjack for awhile with the same dealer at a table by myself and we were talking. I asked him about counting cards and he said that people could count away - the only thing not allowed was to use something (like pencil and paper or some electronic device) to help your counting. Not because it necessarily helped but because it slowed up the game. I asked him if he had ever seen anyone win big at his table and he said "no." Knowledge of the game and card counting certainly help one stay at the table longer but anyone who tells you they consistently win or make a living off of it is probably lying. Go to a casino to have fun, not to make money.

reply

Good post, CK. That's kind of what I was getting at earlier. A person CAN win at blackjack by playing with basic strategy, card counting or by their "gut".

However, the odds favor players who are consistent and are in it for the long haul. The most I've dealt to a single player was $10K. There is no rushing those type of players and occasionally they do go against grain. For example, once I had a face card up and the dealer had an ace/9, for 20. He asked for a hit. I said are you sure and he said yes. He got an ace for 21 and I turned a 20. When you see great play like that, you are impressed.

On the other hand, splitting 10's, busting when the dealer has a 6 showing and other bonehead plays show you don't know what you are doing. Especially when you're on 3rd base and can screw your fellow players and the dealer's tips. A dealer can generally tell in about 6 hands if you know what you are doing.

And the chance of someone winning eight straight hand is around 100 to 1. Not impossible but not an everyday occurrence. Doing so adding the pressure of up to $200,000.00 is off the chart for everyday people.

I can say there was nothing more enjoyable that having a table full of friendly people, playing reasonably and having fun. Remember, you are not playing the dealer, you are playing the house. If you win, the dealer gets tipped and everyone but the bosses are happy.

But some folks just want to argue. They see Hollywood and think that could happen to them. Fine, that's what Vegas wants. But don't think it's likely to. I chalk it up to millennials thinking they know it all. Boy are they in for a shock.

Like the guy said, " I came to Vegas in a $40,000.00 car and left on a $200,000.00 bus".




"Guys with neck tattoos are seldom strategic thinkers." John Wells

reply

Hitting an 18 against a showing 10 is risky and stupid, but it's a TV show, they have to go for drama.

I just didn't like this show. It brought back bad memories of The Paul Reiser Show. I think they needed a more interesting friend, and Natasha Leggero isn't the right fit for the role of girlfriend.

reply

Seriously? I think Milkshake is one of the characters that makes the show interesting. Funny and offbeat. Natasha looks like she loves doing this.

reply