new to blackjack

[cisco]

I've been playing blackjack recreationally for a couple years now but want to do it more seriously now. My question is how much do other players at the table that either don't know how to play, or do not use bs affect your game?

Thanks.

[RJT]

Cisco,
They don't affect your play what-so-ever. A lot of people find this hard to believe. How many times has the player before you taken that his when you know they shouldn't have and taken that 10 you needed for you double? These really stick out in the memory.
How many times has the player before you hit and taken a rubbish card that would have ruined your double leaving you with a nice 10? You don't remember this so much, as this seems like a consequence of your action (doubling your bet) rather than the other players (hitting when they shouldn't have).
The truth is that as often as poor players take a card that would have been useful to you, they take a card that would have ruined your hand. It all evens out in the end.

RJT.

[EasyRhino]

You're still allowed to be annoyed if players keep hitting and taking more cards in a positive count, but only if they're deviating from BS.

... and you can't let anyone know you're annoyed when this is happening, so it's best to just let it go.

[cisco]

I do find it hard to believe. Especially when you have a 12 the guy next to you has a 13 and he hits and takes the dealers bust card. That happened to me twice in one game.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by cisco

I do find it hard to believe. Especially when you have a 12 the guy next to you has a 13 and he hits and takes the dealers bust card. That happened to me twice in one game.

Don't worry, there are plenty of other bust cards in the shoe. There is no reason to think that there won't be two in a row.

-Sonny-

[Mimosine]

Originally Posted by cisco

I do find it hard to believe. Especially when you have a 12 the guy next to you has a 13 and he hits and takes the dealers bust card. That happened to me twice in one game.

but what makes that card the so-called "dealer's bust card?"

nothing you or anyone else at the table can do will predict with 100% certainty what the next card flipped over will be. not a damn thing.

it is just as likely, in fact more so that the dealer will turn a card that will give a pat total (70% of the time!). this is the absolute first step to making you a better player.

if you play your own hand on these similar "hunches" and not according to basic strategy then you will lose money over the long term at a much faster rate than if you just stick to the facts of the game.

fact 1) there are 13 different cards in the deck(s), without knowledge of the deck composition no player at the table can change the odds of play for any other player at the table based on their hit/stand/double/split/surrender decisions.

the dealer's next card isn't "controlled" by your play since you have no accurate knowledge about what their next card would be. if you're hoping for a dealer bust card (say a 9,10,J,Q,K) then you're holding on to a 5/13 chance, regardless of how the person at 3rd base plays.

and if you play your game agonizing over how someone else at the table is playing then you're ingnoring proven mathematical facts that have been shown over and over again.

acceptance might be a bastard for you on this point, but losing all your money playing hunches will be a worse one.

[Mimosine]

Originally Posted by EasyRhino

You're still allowed to be annoyed if players keep hitting and taking more cards in a positive count, but only if they're deviating from BS.

... and you can't let anyone know you're annoyed when this is happening, so it's best to just let it go.

true dat! X 2

[ihate17]

This biggest effect a bad player has overall is on his own results. As said before, his poor play will help others as much as hurt others hand by hand and work out even over time, but he will be continuously costing himself money.
Of course, card eating in a positive count does hurt, especially the counter. Sometimes though his lack of basic strategy will permit more rounds to be played in a positive count. The poor player will not split 9's and he will stay on soft 18 in situations where splits or doubles or hits are called for. The even worse player might stay on soft 17 and so on. I have no idea if this evens out as far as used or unused cards go, but the poor player does work as both a card eater and card saver.

ihate17

[EasyRhino]

Oh, don't forget that a bad player is going to lead to an unhappy table, from whence bad karma will alter the flow of the cards to punish the nonbelievers.

(please ignore everything I wrote above)

[tribute]

Originally Posted by cisco

I do find it hard to believe. Especially when you have a 12 the guy next to you has a 13 and he hits and takes the dealers bust card. That happened to me twice in one game.

The dealer's bust card is a myth. I have seen players decline a hit, and the dealer still busted. Along these same lines, which dealer up-card do you prefer to see? I see dealers make more miracle hands with a five, or a six showing. Anything can happen in a blackjack game. It's no use getting bent out of shape over another player's decisions. What bothers me most is when I properly hit my 12 and draw a 10 four times in a row! Then, when it's time to double down on 11, the ten's are no where to be found.