Average IQ of your typical BJ player?

Thunder

Well-Known Member
#1
Anyone aware of any study of this? I am convinced more than ever now that the average IQ of your typical BJ player is below normal. I think I am going to write a book or at least a nice blackjack story about the ploppy's BJ ten commandments.

I don't know if it's because I'm having a weird stretch of time or what but lately I've been getting far far more heat from the ploppies than the casino. Nobody ever said anything about dealing with ploppy heat when I had aspired to become an AP. But try wonging in at a certain H17 joint in AC, doubling down on a soft 19 and leaving right after that one hand because the count tanks and see what happens ;) And for good measure, come back the next shoe when the count again rises and leave after two hands having won all 3 hands while they're grumbling about their losses. You'll soon learn the first commandment of the ploppy. THOU SHALT NOT DISTURB THE SACRED FLOW OF CARDS!!!
 

Jack_Black

Well-Known Member
#2
Money changes people

Although I don’t disagree that there are many degenerates that frequent the casino, I will state that the potent mix of alcohol and gambling can turn anyone from a Dr. Jeckyll into a Mr. Hyde. Most of my friends and acquaintances I know that gamble but don’t AP, are of average or above intelligence. But the allure of fast money is mood changing. Then throw in all your common myths, aka flow of cards, standing 12v2, etc, and you’ve got your ploppy. Weren’t there a few millionaire businessmen in the news that lost millions in a casino? I’m sure they didn’t become millionaires without some amount of IQ.

Here’s some proof about how gambling changes people. I once had a ploppy steal some money from me at a table. When I got to talking with security there, they told me some awful arrest stories. They mostly catch grandmas stealing from each other. But they’ve also caught off duty cops, and even priests!!!
 

LIB

Active Member
#5
Thunder
Any studies on gamblers that I'm aware of are concerned with classical conditioning and neuroscience. Without any search, I would guess that there is no such studies properly carried out and these are the reasons that I can think of at the moment.

1.) Difficulties with gathering participants in the first place.
2.) Difficulties with developing an evaluation criteria to determine what really constitutes as a typical BJ player.
3.) You're assuming that the typical BJ player's strategy in the long run has an association with the said player's IQ (refer multiple intelligence).
4.) The study will not be feasible to be carried out if it does not assume that the typical BJ player does not alter his strategy, which isn't necessarily true.
5.) It required simulations, which are emotionally unbiased of course, entailing numerous rounds to develop a proper strategy.
6.) Intelligence Quotient, despite its ambitious name, is not a dead on measure of intelligence level in real life application.

My score was 2 SD above (not the one on Facebook...) the mean score and apparently that makes me intellectually gifted. Despite that and my currently limited skill at the game, what made difference to my performance was practice, not intelligence level.

Jack Black
Your anecdotes reveal nothing about the baseline behaviors other than what would be expected from the stereotypes in which they belong, none of which is hardly a proof.

Nightstalker
IQ scores are calculated so that they take normal distribution with mean score of 100 (Think SAT). In that vein, I would think the average IQ of an AP would be 100 unless otherwise proven off the top of my head. In other words, the null hypothesis would assume that there is no difference between an AP and non AP with regards to their IQ scores. If a proper study disproves Ho:u1-u2=0, you would accept the alternative hypothesis formed prior to the study depending on the context and intent of the study.

EDIT:
Nightstalker
If you were wondering about the average IQ level when the population is all APs instead of all people, the IQ score must be 100 by default.
 
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WRX

Well-Known Member
#6
As in many other areas of human activity, I doubt that a lack of innate intelligence is the biggest reason people behave stupidly in the casino. Far too many people are conditioned to neglect the nurturing and use of their natural abilities. Take a group of people of normal or even superior intelligence, and under the right conditions, they'll act like blitering idiots.

A related problem is that gambling is an addictive behavior. I don't care what the casino apologists say, a very high percentage of casino customers are addicts. It's no coincidence that so many casino patrons also smoke, and drink heavily. The addictive personality is likely to be afflicted with multiple addictions.
 

HockeXpert

Well-Known Member
#8
Who is smarter? Ploppies or casino gaming employees?

Since Nightstalker pointed out that the average IQ of any group has to be 100 by definition (and everyone here is inately anal about not talking in general terms), who ranks higher on the intelligence scale, ploppies or casino employees involved in the operation and management of all the games not including the hotel staff, engineering, housekeeping, etc.?

I say that ploppies are dumber hands down and the casino staff is lazy, complacent and not very motivated.

So who is smarter? Ploppies or casino gaming employees?

HockeXpert
 

JulieCA

Well-Known Member
#9
I think the behavior of the average BJ21 player is more related to attitude and education than it is to IQ. And I don't mean education=schooling, but education about casino blackjack.

How does the average player learn how to play blackjack? My guess is they go play with friends and when they move beyond that, they rely on other players and/or the dealer to advise them, if they ask for advice at all. As a result, all the myths and misplays that are common among the misinformed are passed along and few players look beyond that for more information. After all, if the person who teaches you to play blackjack has been playing for years, why question their skill level? Even if they lose money, it's gambling! Everyone expects to lose money, right?

To the average player, blackjack is entertainment. You don't research the inner workings of a Vegas show before you go see it - you just pay your money and go watch and enjoy. There's a similar attitude about gambling. I'd say your average casino guest has a certain amount of money they expect to lose in pursuit of their "entertainment." It has nothing to do with IQ.
 

Jack_Black

Well-Known Member
#10
LIB

take the pole out of your A$$, smoke some weed, and chill the phuq out. this isn't some sociology thread, and we're not trying to conduct a real study to be printed in a medical journal. we're just trading stories and experiences.
 

LIB

Active Member
#11
21forme
Your question seems to be the same one that Nightstalker raised except that the population in question is changed. While there are those who study this area and consider the IQ test as a valid measure of intelligence, there are those who don't. I think JulieCA nailed it more clearly than I did. Also, bear in mind that it's social science.

Jack Black
Your anecdotes would have been fine if you didn't present them as evidences.
I came, I read, and I corrected your fallacy.
For the record, Thunder did say, "I think I am going to write a book or at least a nice blackjack story about the ploppy's BJ ten commandments." You also seem to forget that there is a section with a self-explanatory name "Blackjack - Stories" for trading stories and experiences. Furthermore, aren't you the one who recently corrected a grammar issue from someone else's trip report?

Got paradox?
 

Jack_Black

Well-Known Member
#12
LIB said:
Jack Black
Your anecdotes would have been fine if you didn't present them as evidences.
I came, I read, and I corrected your fallacy.
For the record, Thunder did say, "I think I am going to write a book or at least a nice blackjack story about the ploppy's BJ ten commandments." You also seem to forget that there is a section with a self-explanatory name "Blackjack - Stories" for trading stories and experiences. Furthermore, aren't you the one who recently corrected a grammar issue from someone else's trip report?

Got paradox?
The overall tone of the thread is sarcastic and anecdotal. "I think I am going to write a book or at least a nice blackjack story about the ploppy's BJ ten commandments." sounds so silly that one can only construe that it was meant to be tongue in cheek. Having read several of thunder's posts, leads me to think that thunder makes general statements, humorous observations, and sarcastic remarks. I DO NOT think he is serious about conducting a useless study on ploppy behavior in the "Wild casino kingdom" Do you also view that thread as a serious scientific study of casino eco systems? You seem to forget this thread was posted in the "blackjack General" section. you also didn't notice that thunder said "at least a nice BJ story"

yes I did correct a grammar issue. but that was an obvious, cut and dry rule that was being broken. In this thread, one needs to learn about having a sense of humor, and reading into sarcasm. Please learn about it.
 

prankster

Well-Known Member
#13
How did the plops ever come up with and continue to believe in "the sacred flow of the cards"????? I mean seriously-how do their minds work?:joker:
 

LIB

Active Member
#15
Jack_Black said:
The overall tone of the thread is sarcastic and anecdotal. "I think I am going to write a book or at least a nice blackjack story about the ploppy's BJ ten commandments." sounds so silly that one can only construe that it was meant to be tongue in cheek. Having read several of thunder's posts, leads me to think that thunder makes general statements, humorous observations, and sarcastic remarks. I DO NOT think he is serious about conducting a useless study on ploppy behavior in the "Wild casino kingdom" Do you also view that thread as a serious scientific study of casino eco systems? You seem to forget this thread was posted in the "blackjack General" section. you also didn't notice that thunder said "at least a nice BJ story"

yes I did correct a grammar issue. but that was an obvious, cut and dry rule that was being broken. In this thread, one needs to learn about having a sense of humor, and reading into sarcasm. Please learn about it.
Jack Black, by now it's clear that my comment frustrated you in one way or another. If you were being sarcastic, I'll admit that I didn't get it. But that shouldn't upset you when you consider the implication: I mistakenly made an error. Out of respect for the board, I apologize for my words either way and take full responsibility for the brief mishap between you and me. If you wish to express more thoughts and sentiments, I would prefer a PM. LIB out.
 
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