The story of how a no hole card won me and everyone big

[capone1]

I am living in Europe (ireland) for 4 months, so coming over here and playing blackjack was quite an adjustment to the rules: You can surrender, some casinos you can only double on 9,10,or 11 (i dont bother playing those games)..but the big thing was there is no hole card. A lot of people say you assume the hole card is a 10, but with a little card counting you start to get an idea.

I was sitting in 3rd base position (some people say it's the worst place you can sit in, I think it's the best and here's why) and was dealt a 7 and the dealer showed an 8. Four players at the table plus me and everyone but one person had a 17 hand...so naturally they think theyre all in trouble. Well, I hit the 7 and out comes an ace for an 18 hand.

Here's the problem. BS says you stand, even with a soft hand...now the count was around +5 and I had a green chip out and it was gonna be my last play of the night as I had to leave. I figured if I take a card, there's a decent chance it's a 10 and I can avoid a push and potentially win this hand. Sure enough, I got the picture card and stood. Dealer turned up a 5 and busted with a picture.

What happened in the end? Instead of only one person winning, EVERYONE won. There was a lot of luck, especialy when I turned up an ace, but everyone was thanking me after that hand, because there were a few max bets in play lol.

Morale of the story? Don't look at rules like no hole card as a detriment, it can be used to your advantage, especially if you know how to count.

Capone

[moo321]

Originally Posted by capone1

I am living in Europe (ireland) for 4 months, so coming over here and playing blackjack was quite an adjustment to the rules: You can surrender, some casinos you can only double on 9,10,or 11 (i dont bother playing those games)..but the big thing was there is no hole card. A lot of people say you assume the hole card is a 10, but with a little card counting you start to get an idea.

I was sitting in 3rd base position (some people say it's the worst place you can sit in, I think it's the best and here's why) and was dealt a 7 and the dealer showed an 8. Four players at the table plus me and everyone but one person had a 17 hand...so naturally they think theyre all in trouble. Well, I hit the 7 and out comes an ace for an 18 hand.

Here's the problem. BS says you stand, even with a soft hand...now the count was around +5 and I had a green chip out and it was gonna be my last play of the night as I had to leave. I figured if I take a card, there's a decent chance it's a 10 and I can avoid a push and potentially win this hand. Sure enough, I got the picture card and stood. Dealer turned up a 5 and busted with a picture.

What happened in the end? Instead of only one person winning, EVERYONE won. There was a lot of luck, especialy when I turned up an ace, but everyone was thanking me after that hand, because there were a few max bets in play lol.

Morale of the story? Don't look at rules like no hole card as a detriment, it can be used to your advantage, especially if you know how to count.

Capone

Um, you're not doing it right.

[johndoe]

Yeah. Uh, no.

[capone1]

I know.

Why did I do it though?

Gut feeling...(which was helped by the count).

The main flaw of basic strategy is it only works best if BJ is an independent based event game. As soon as the first card is dealt, the odds change. Now, BS, is great because it's done over the long run but it forgets the dependent based event.

You're not gonna make money playing BS, you are going to make money though if you make plays according to the count.

[FLASH1296]

Yikes.
You have "a lot to learn".
Paying attention to your "gut feelings" is ill-advised.

[moo321]

Originally Posted by FLASH1296

Yikes.
You have "a lot to learn".
Paying attention to your "gut feelings" is ill-advised.

Yep.