OK, first blog, but have enjoyed many of yours, as well as some great TRs.
I play BJ, but go thru the same emotions and stress as you poker guys and just wanted to see if anyone was interested in the next 23 days of my life.
It will include BJ today, tomorrow, friends coming to town 7/27-29 for golf and gambling, BJ tournament 8/2-4, BJ tournament 8/6-8, cancer screening 8/12, and then another BJ tournament 8/15-16. This will be an interesting 23 days, I and hope to come out of it with some cash. I'm 70+ and should know better, but I don't, and don't plan to anytime soon…

If you can survive 23 days in Vegas, you're already a winner.

I'm already busto. gl

Sorry to misled you. I'm in S MS. I'm about 40 miles N of the coast.
Since I posted, I have driven to Biloxi, played 45 minutes, lost $800 and driven home.
During this span I'll probably spend 10-12 nights in casinos and the rest at home.
Played on the $25 table, so things had to go pretty bad to lose $800, but I did it.
Bet everywhere from $25-100. Lost the first 8 hands, so that was hard to overcome.

Going back today for a quick trip. Will play a while and then eat. That buffet yesterday was good, but not worth $800...

Went back this afternoon. Played in HL room ($100 min) for 3.5 hours and won $1700.
Cash out my $2k buy in, and stopped by the $300 table with $1700. Said ****it, I'm playing 5 hand at $300 and going home - at worst with $200. First hand BJ and push. next hand lose, lose, lose, lose, lose. Did actually leave with +$200 for some reason. Off tomorrow and back at it Monday...

u got heart, kid

Everything but cancer screening sounds fun. You still need that at 70?

It's recurring skin cancer on my head and face. We've frozen it, and burned it off, but can't get all of it. Really not as bad as it sounds. If my BJ luck doesn't improve, I'll go broke long before cancer gets me. Heading out for 3 days of not real intense play - $25 tables unless I get hot, with a round of golf tomorrow. Temp 98 degrees - mama mia!!!

Being 70 must be great. You can do what you want, when you want, and give zero ****s whilst doing so.

^^^ you got that right.
At a casino last night, and was ready to go back to my casino and my friends were wandering around, so I just took a cab. One friend thought that I was mad, the other said " no that's just the way he is - when he's ready to do something he does it, NOW!!!" Hope I don't sound like an ahole, but just taking advantage of the "rights" afforded us 70+ers, that wb4h mentioned above..

When I left y'all I was heading to the Casino for gambling and golf:
Monday: played bj for about 3 hrs and was down $1500, so I joined a friend at the 3 card poker table (never played before). Bought in for $100. He was betting 10 10 10 on the top three spots (6 card bonus, pair +, and ante) so I did the same for a few hands.
Well the beers started to take hold, and I decided to "take it up a notch" and bet 25 25 25. First hand I have two 10s and dealer has three 2s - boat time, 25x on first quarter and I think 6x on pair+ - anyway it totaled about $900. So we keep playing but drop down to 10 10 10 and keep drinking. Played about 3 hours and lost about 3-400 back. Then I get dealt 555 and dealer has k59 - 4 of a kind, Don't remember exact pay out but somewhere around $700. Played a little more and finally cashed out $1k for a $900 profit (but still down for the day).

Friends are gone to bed or playing craps or something, so there was no one there to tell me to get my ass to bed. Consequently, I stopped by the bj table where I had been prison-raped earlier. Bought in for $200. Won every hand in the 2 deck shoe, except the last one (-$250). Then lost the first 2 hands of the next shoe ($50 & 50), and said "have a nice day" and went to bed - won $1100 in about 14-15 hands (1 shoe + 2 hands - probably 6-7 minutes.
Plus $500 for the day
Tuesday golf report later...

Tuesday golf: Sucked! Worst score in my 59 years of playing. Hadn't played in 4 years, but my performance was an insult to the game and all it stands for >100!!!
We were real tired after golf (97 degrees). Came back, showered & ate. Went to 3 casino and couldn't find a decent available table, so I didn't play a hand.
Today: Won $700 at bj, won $50 at craps, and then lost $400 at bj and went home. Was supposed to stay tonight but didn't feel it. Won $850 for trip.
Probably won't play again until the tournament Sunday (8/2-4)...

I would NEVER EVER have guessed that you are 70+. From your first two or three posts here, I had thought younger than 25.

Thanks, I guess - I enjoy myself, but have to remind myself that I am 71.75 and have to act accordingly. Not really, I'll continue to do whatever I want until the money runs out…
Two tournaments next week. Ready to go!

Do you like to be perceived as younger or rather not?

From my experience it is somehow two sided thing. I am female and on one side it is cool when the guys assume me younger. But on the other side it is also somehow very uncomfortable, when they treat me as if I haven't lived the last 10 years.

Never thought too much about it, but probably rather be perceived as younger. I bet that it really is tough for a lady. Don't ever ask a guy to guess your age - nothing good can come out of that...

Well, I'm off to the first of three BJ tournaments. Will probably be home Tues unless some real good things happen. There will be drinking, and much gambling before and after. Got to pace myself because another tourn starts Fri...

I'm back Tues eve, so not much good news. Won first round of BJ tournament, but lost 2nd - you must win 3 tables to get to the finals.
A brief recap of the horror of BJ for real money:
Session one - Played 13 minutes at a $25 table. 3-11-1 = -300.
No bjs, 1 double down (lost), one 20 in 15 hands (she had bj).
Session two - High limit room, played 45 minutes, made two $250 bets (after wins)
(I had 18 18, dealer had 19 19). Split 9s 3 times with a double down on one
(4 hands of $150 ea), against a dealer 6, dealer turns over a 10 and hits a 5.
$1200 swing. Changed table went 2-10 and gave up. Total loss =$1800
Session three - played about 30 minutes @ $25 table and won $500.

Lost $1600 for trip. Going back Thur for next tourn. I need some luck!!!

Heading back for a bigger tournament. Plan to take a good shot at 'em tonight.
Tourn starts tomorrow...

Is BJ the optimal investment of your time and money? I mean you have not a lot left. Is BJ that what gives you the most fun for your investment?

lapka, sorry for the late reply, but I just got back this eve. Stayed longer than I thought, but that's a good thing. I wound up winning $700, but had some wild swings:

1) Thur, bought in for $2k, immediately dropped to 1300 (normal for me). Got back to even, then lost 9 in a row. Wound up losing 1500 for the day.
2) Friday, won 1st round of tourn - this saved a $250 rebuy fee. Bought in for $150 on a $25 table and cashed out $1500. Lost $700 at MS Stud and 3 card poker. Down $650 (for trip) at the end of Fri.

3) Sat, lost in the BJ tourn, Played on $25 table, was up a few hundos and had this happen - 1-16-4 (yes that's right, 1 win, 16 loses, and 4 pushes). Never seen anything like it. On to the High Limit Room ($100 min). Played 8 mins and lost $1k (last hand, bet $250 got KK dealer 7+2+2+10. Took a break. Back to HL and buy in for $700. Finally got lucky, and cashed out $3000.

Total for trip +$700.
Hope this isn't too boring, but it's a good way for me to keep up with my play...

Time, money, or both.
All things considered, and I have done just that, this works best for me now. It's risky, but I've done ok over the last 5 years.

are you, like, advantage playing? got any bj tips for me?

In my opinion, counting cards is overrated. I only play double deck, and the deck penetration is barely over 1/2 (best I see is 5/8 - about 65 cards). With that many card unseen, it's hardly worth the effort. Sure, with 60 cards dealt, I would like to know that the count is +2, but do you really think that matters. Luck, money management, and self-discipline are the most important pieces of the puzzle.
Again, this is just my opinion...