Now I wouldn't go as far as to dare consider myself a counter by any means, I at least like to think I know some things above and beyond basic strategy. I finally encountered a dream scenario at one local PA casino recently that made up for a good number of crappy shoes.
At this particular casino, they have a few blackjack tables off to the side from the main batch of table games; one of these is a $10/$15 shoe game. For the longest time, I was at this table playing two hands with one other gentleman. At one point, he had a $100 bet up, and had a double situation - something like 11 v. 10 or something like that. I saw him go to double for half of that, and I asked if I could go in with him. We won our double. He mentioned that that was the only double he'd won that night...a few hands later, he gets a soft 16 against crap, and asks me if I want to go in with him again. He ended up winning that double too. For the rest of the night, any double he made, he let me take half of his double. I think I ended up netting between $200-300 out of his half-doubles as the night went on.
While I was doing well on my own as it was with a good run of cards, those extra units from getting my money in on other double downs helped turn a good night into a great one. I never would have thought to be so vigilant about scavenger doubles before - I damn well will be now!
At this particular casino, they have a few blackjack tables off to the side from the main batch of table games; one of these is a $10/$15 shoe game. For the longest time, I was at this table playing two hands with one other gentleman. At one point, he had a $100 bet up, and had a double situation - something like 11 v. 10 or something like that. I saw him go to double for half of that, and I asked if I could go in with him. We won our double. He mentioned that that was the only double he'd won that night...a few hands later, he gets a soft 16 against crap, and asks me if I want to go in with him again. He ended up winning that double too. For the rest of the night, any double he made, he let me take half of his double. I think I ended up netting between $200-300 out of his half-doubles as the night went on.
While I was doing well on my own as it was with a good run of cards, those extra units from getting my money in on other double downs helped turn a good night into a great one. I never would have thought to be so vigilant about scavenger doubles before - I damn well will be now!