Chapter 27: Fundraising through Gambling Part 1
The sunlight hitting his eyes woke Michael up at 7:30 in the morning. Despite only getting a few hours of sleep after a long night of writing academic papers, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Pushing off the fatigue, he got out of bed and headed to the kitchen.
His mother, Myra, had already prepared breakfast. "Good morning, Michael. I bought pandesal and eggs," she said, placing the food on the table.
"Thanks, Ma," Michael replied, pouring himself a cup of coffee and sitting down to eat. The pandesal was warm, and the eggs were well-cooked - a simple but satisfying breakfast.
"What are your plans today?" Myra asked.
"I'm going to do some stock trading and then head out," Michael answered.
"Where to?"
"To Newport Manila," Michael replied.
Newport Manila is a luxurious hotel situated in Pasay City. It's known for its upscale facilities, including a casino that attracts a lot of visitors.
"Are you going there for trading?" Myra asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"No ma...I'm going to raise funds for my business I'm planning to start," Michael clarified.
"Business? What kind of business?"
To implement this strategy, Michael assigned a value to each card: +1 for low cards (2-6), 0 for neutral cards (7-9), and -1 for high cards (10s, face cards, and aces). As each card was dealt, he silently added or subtracted from his running count.
For example, if the first hand dealt was a 2, 5, Jack, and 9, Michael's count would be +1 (+1 for 2, +1 for 5, -1 for Jack, 0 for 9). This count helped him gauge the composition of the remaining cards in the deck.
Michael started with smaller bets, watching the flow of the cards and adjusting his count. As the game progressed, and he sensed that the deck was rich in high cards (a positive count), he increased his bets. When the count was low (indicating a deck rich in low cards), he reduced his bet size or chose not to bet at all.
By using card counting, Michael could make more informed decisions on whether to hit, stand, double down, or split. This strategy significantly reduced the house's edge and increased his chances of winning.
As he played, Michael won several hands in a row, his stack of chips growing steadily. His careful observation and calculated betting did not go unnoticed by the other players, who looked at him with a mix of curiosity and respect. Michael remained focused, aware that the casino staff might be observing his play. He continued to employ his card-counting technique, but he did so subtly, avoiding drawing too much attention.
Once Michael felt that his winnings were substantial, he discreetly left the blackjack table and made his way across the casino floor to another blackjack area. This move was strategic; it minimized the chances of drawing too much attention from the casino staff and players who might have started to notice his consistent wins.
At the new table, Michael continued his card counting strategy, but he was careful to vary his betting patterns. He didn't want to make it obvious that he was counting cards, as this could lead to him being asked to leave or being banned from the casino.
Michael's technique at the new table involved a mix of conservative and slightly more aggressive betting, depending on the count. He also engaged in casual conversation with other players and the dealer to blend in and appear like a regular player enjoying the game.
Despite his fatigue from the lack of sleep and the mental effort required for card counting, Michael's focus remained sharp. The neuroenhancer pill he had taken yesterday played a crucial role in maintaining his cognitive performance.
As he played, Michael's chip stack continued to grow. He experienced some losses, but they were offset by larger wins when the deck was in his favor.
After a few more hours at the tables, Michael decided it was time for a high-stakes game. Currently, he has decoupled his initial investment, from 40,000 to 400,000 pesos. And there is only one game where he could make that earning into a million. That is poker!
There is a VIP section in the casino, but the minimum is 500,000 pesos. He's one hundred thousand pesos short.
"It can't be helped then, I will play another round of blackjack."