Lessons learned at the tables.

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It really is amazing what you can learn from the right dealer or player while playing the game. I used to think that learning the ins and outs of this game required book purchases and software use, but really all you need is the right dealer. I learned this last night, and used the knowledge to make over $100 an hour in a 2 hour span!

The first lesson involved the deadly hand 16 vs 10. I wasn't going to hit, but I was also at third base and wanted to try and look a little dumb. I thought about it for 10 seconds, hummed and harred, then asked the old guy at first base what I should do. He must have been studying the flow of the cards more closely than I was, because he told me that there was a small card coming next. I would normally use information like this as a reason to *hit* my hand rather than stand, but you see, I wasn't seeing the whole picture. He told me that I should let the dealer have it, and that the next card would bust him. Sounded good to me. I stand, the dealer flips a 5, the table gasps, and he flips a face card to bust. High fives and smug looks all around.

My next lesson involved the dealer bust rate. I only pegged the probability of the dealer busting with a 5 up at 42% or so, but I was informed by the dealer that they say the dealer usually busts 60-65% of the time with that card up. I couldn't believe my ears! That would mean you would split tens against a 5 every single time. I asked the dealer why you wouldn't split tens if you would win your hands 2/3 of the time with the dealer busting. He corrected me. Apparently doing this changes the flow of the cards, and the dealer won't bust as often if you do that. Damn.

I also learned that you should sit at first base instead of third. From the data I gathered last night, the guy at first base gets about 10 blackjacks in 2 hours, and the guy at third base goesn't even get one. That one went in my notebook as soon as I got home.

Any other sweet tips you guys have gathered from experts at your tables?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by scanner

I only pegged the probability of the dealer busting with a 5 up at 42% or so, but I was informed by the dealer that they say the dealer usually busts 60-65% of the time with that card up. I couldn't believe my ears!

You shouldn’t! The dealer was completely wrong, as they often are. You are correct that the bust rate is around 42%. The dealers are not trained to know that kind of stuff and they rarely read any books about BJ. The advice you get from dealers will almost always be incorrect. You can find the correct dealer bust rates right here.

As far as the “flow of the cards” goes, it’s all just superstitious silliness. If that guy really knew what cards were coming out of the deck he would be playing alone in the high limit room. Trying to predict the flow of the cards is just another system that gamblers use as a substitute for proper strategy and intelligent play. Don’t let the ploppies fool you. If they knew what they were doing the casinos wouldn't be so big.

-Sonny-

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Hmm. I don't want to say "duck" to a moderator and get in trouble.... but the post was tongue-in-cheek.

Sorry if it wasn't clear enough. I was trying to sarcastically make fun of all the crap that came up last night.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by scanner

Hmm. I don't want to say "duck" to a moderator and get in trouble.... but the post was tongue-in-cheek.

Sorry if it wasn't clear enough. I was trying to sarcastically make fun of all the crap that came up last night.

Oops! Sorry, my bad. You'd be surprised how many people actually believe that kind of stuff.

-Sonny-

[Canceler]

I was hoping that original post was a joke, but I wasn't sure. Glad to see that it was!

[Licentia]

Originally Posted by scanner

Any other sweet tips you guys have gathered from experts at your tables?

Play the way you like to play. But I would certainly not play unless I am certain that I have a positive expectation at the casino. I do not find losing my hard earned money entertaining.

The problem is that all of what you present is guesswork and some false info from a mistaken dealer. I am guessing that this post could be sarcasm but I am unsure. In my experience, I have rarely seen anyone at the casino who knows proper basic strategy. I even sat beside a poker player once who was playing BJ while waiting for his game to start. He thought he was a big shot because he played Poker. He thought he was a know it all with his cool shades. But he was playing the poor man's basic strategy that most people at the casino play. He mocked my Double Down A-8 vs a 6. I was silent. I quietly laughed in my mind at his foolish pride.

You can do as you wish, but don't expect to win in the long run on hunches about what card the dealer will deal next. I see people do that all the time, and often it works out, and just as often it doesn't.

Licentia.

Added: I read the rest of the thread and I realize that it was indeed sarcasm.