Playing for the table vs for yourself

samantha

samantha

Member
I have heard many times, that when youre playing at the tables, you're SUPPOSED to play for the table, not just for yourself..... I have seen how the wrong plays can screw up the entire tables hands... So my question is - Do you use the same basic strategy when playing with a table of people, or do you change it a bit, and if so - how? What differences should you make in your play ?
 
samantha said:
I have heard many times, that when youre playing at the tables, you're SUPPOSED to play for the table, not just for yourself..... I have seen how the wrong plays can screw up the entire tables hands... So my question is - Do you use the same basic strategy when playing with a table of people, or do you change it a bit, and if so - how? What differences should you make in your play ?
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You have to play the way that is best for you. Do it by the numbers! It's a myth that too many people have that says any one player's decision will affect the outcome of everyone else. When you learn how to play with advantage... you will make many plays that will make everyone at the table groan... including the dealer. Get used to it. Be confident that YOU know the correct play.

You should now ask about the Sacred Flow of the Cards. :laugh:
 
daddybo said:
You have to play the way that is best for you. Do it by the numbers! It's a myth that too many people have that says any one player's decision will affect the outcome of everyone else. When you learn how to play with advantage... you will make many plays that will make everyone at the table groan... including the dealer. Get used to it. Be confident that YOU know the correct play.

You should now ask about the Sacred Flow of the Cards. :laugh:
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HAHA, a few weeks ago I was playing with my friend and I would just sorta wong in for a hand or two when the count was good then wong out again and just chill at the table, drinkin' my sierra mist and wait for the count to go up again. So anyway, the dealer was complaining that I was messing up the "flow" (just for background I was at the table with a chain smoker in his 50s, my friend, a compulsive gambler who had lost about $500 [at a $5 table!] since we had sat down, and at first base was the professor [we called him that because when the dealer mentioned the flow he was all "I go by statistics" as he was losing $50 bets at negative counts lol]) so when my friend and I decided to leave I made a hilarious comment about how I was going to play one more hand, mess up the flow for everybody, then leave lol. No one laughed at it, and the dealer starts like yelling at me about there will be no sarcasm at her table. Needless to say, we will not be returning to her again lol. Stupid b****** haha.

But yeah, you're there to make money, not friends. (Unless of course you are there to make friends, but then you should expect to not make money haha.) So if someone is complaining about you just apologize, offer to switch seats if you're the last one to play, or just tell them that if they don't like how you're play they're welcome to go to another table where hopefully they'll have better luck.

Itake
 
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There is no way to play for the table. The plays you (or anyone else) make have no effect on others. The plays made will help just as much as it hurts others.
 
Actually I use the playing for the table ruse quite often. Say you have a pair of 8's vs dealer 10, and the count is really high. I don't want to split so I usually say something like " What do you guys think... I know I'm supposed to split, but I don't want to take the dealer's bust card if she doesn't have it." Usually everyone will agree and I'll tuck it.
 
Uh, No

samantha said:
Ok, so in other words, this was a really stupid question, lol and its just another BJ myth.... correct?
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Definitely not a stupid question. How else are you going to learn? :)

Big-time BJ myth. Tell those bass turds it's your money and you'll play it as you see fit. ;)
 
I think you get the drift from the replies so far, but overall tjhe point is that another player hitting "wrong" will help you as often as it will help you. Typical superstitious "gamblers" seem to remember when someone plays wrong and takes (or doesn't take) the dealer's bust card, but rarely notice when another's play helps them.

Unless someone knows what the next card will be, they can't tell if a given play will help or hurt the table. By playing correctly, you will probably find you sometimes piss off others at the table. Especially if you're sitting at third base. Don't let it bother you.


samantha said:
I have heard many times, that when youre playing at the tables, you're SUPPOSED to play for the table, not just for yourself..... I have seen how the wrong plays can screw up the entire tables hands... So my question is - Do you use the same basic strategy when playing with a table of people, or do you change it a bit, and if so - how? What differences should you make in your play ?
Click to expand...
 
Well, my husband is one of those bass turds you speak of....lol He's always griping that someone is playing wrong, and screwing things up, which is why I asked. He's even done the "See.... he just screwed this all up" which is why I said I had seen it.... lol I thought I had... :rolleyes:

Thank you all for your answers, and hopefully I can try to convince hubby that his theory is incorrect, but you know men...so stubborn..... LMAO :grin:

Ooops...... Did I say that out loud? lol
 
samantha said:
Ok, so in other words, this was a really stupid question, lol and its just another BJ myth.... correct?
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It's really not a stupid question. Probably 90% of players believe this and other things that are without merit.

The only way you can play for the table is to know the dealers hole card and the next cards out of the deck. If you can do that... PM me. :eyepatch:
 
samantha said:
Well, my husband is one of those bass turds you speak of....lol He's always griping that someone is playing wrong, and screwing things up, which is why I asked. He's even done the "See.... he just screwed this all up" which is why I said I had seen it.... lol I thought I had... :rolleyes:

Thank you all for your answers, and hopefully I can try to convince hubby that his theory is incorrect, but you know men...so stubborn..... LMAO :grin:

Ooops...... Did I say that out loud? lol
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Hey, we know we're stubborn...we're just too stubborn to admit it. :)

So what does hubby say when someone "screws up" and it helps him win? :confused:
 
Selective memory: A disease that effects many

samantha said:
Well, I dont know if he sees them screw up and help him win...lol
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First off, your question is an excellent question coming from a new player.

You must realize that the vast majority of blackjack players are superstitious losers who are fanatic believers in the religion of the blackjack loser, The Sacred Flow of the All Knowing Cards. Besides the math, if their beliefs had any real value, every single casino would be losing tons of money on their blackjack tables but we know the opposite is true.
What happens is cringe at the moment of a wrong play or not, if the play lands up resulting in a win for other players or makes no difference, it is immediately forgotten. When the players lose, hindsight takes command and these guys are re-creating the hand busy figuring out what would have happened if it had been played differently.

As you learn more about blackjack you will find that the same players who complain about wrong play ruining the Sacred Flow, are guys who constantly make wrong plays because they do not know basic strategy perfectly. You will do things like splitting 9,9 vs 2-9 except 7, or your play on A,7 where you double vs 3-6 and hit vs 9,10,A and you will get moans and complaints from these players but you are just playing basic strategy perfectly.

Finally, and perhaps the most important answer (in my opinion for whatever it is worth) is that blackjack is not a team sport. Yes, you are all playing against the dealer but if you are not pooling your bankrolls, playing as a team, you will find that none of the other players will cover your loses and do not expect you to split your wins with you. Blackjack is not a team game!!!

ihate17
 
samantha said:
I have heard many times, that when youre playing at the tables, you're SUPPOSED to play for the table, not just for yourself..... I have seen how the wrong plays can screw up the entire tables hands... So my question is - Do you use the same basic strategy when playing with a table of people, or do you change it a bit, and if so - how? What differences should you make in your play ?
Click to expand...
ALWAYS the SAME basic strategy... do you know correct basic strategy? zg
 
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