Blackjack riddle
- Thread starter Thunder
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kewljason
Well-Known Member
Dealer dealt to last card, there were two cards left and you knew they were both 10 value.
ding ding ding we have a winner. Congrats bilkous on getting the correct answer. Basically the player had indicated he wanted to stand. The dealer dealt him a 5 by mistake. I was about to double down but they opted not to burn the card. I noticed the player next to me who was at 3rd base had 13 and knew the 5 wasn't going to help me but would greatly help him so I stood. Worked out beautifully as the dealer bust.
Automatic Monkey
Banned
Good move, as long as you knew the player was going to take the card. I've seen ploppies in that situation so stupid that they stood.
daddybo
Well-Known Member
Out of curiosity.. without hindsight. Why was this the correct move for your hand? Hole card info? Next card info ?(after the five).
P.S. I'm not saying it's wrong.. just not sure that's what I would have done without further info.
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Having a 9 or 14 is equivalent, as both require the dealer to bust. Giving the 5 to the next player at least improves his hand, and saves it from the dealer (which would be really bad). (Doubling might even be good for that last player)
I would have asked the next player before standing, though... "you PROMISE you're gonna hit if I stand, right??"
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daddybo
Well-Known Member
I think my question boils down to how did you know the dealer had 14 and not 11 or 10 or 9 etc. Would you have stood on the 9 if you Knew the dealer had 14 and didn't know the next card. It's always the right move when you win! I think I would have probably hit the 9 given the info. (unless the count was really high)... But it was nice of you to help the other player.
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I didn't know that the dealer had 14 for sure but I knew that given that the TC was +1 it wasn't that unlikely that they did have that or a soft 15. Either way I knew that the 5 wasn't going to help me and I didn't want the dealer to have it. Given the amount of time spent going over the confusion with the pitboss and dealer, and being told incorrectly that I had to take the 5, I made it very clear to the third base player (knew bs pretty well) that I was going to not take the 5 and would give it to him. If it were me, I probably would have doubled but telling another player to double for an 18 total might be a hard sell so why bother. I already had the dealer pissed at me as it was so it may not have been beneficial for me to try pissing her off even more.
daddybo
Well-Known Member
LOL, I can understand that... I had a dealer expose her hole card to the whole table. (20 total) The Boss comes over and says to let everyone play it. First base hits a 16 and busts. I have a 17 and take a card. Low and behold its a 4!. Not as complicated as yours (this one was a no-brainer) but still fun.
-db
It doesn't matter if the dealer had a 14 or not in this case.
If he stands, he gets a 9. If he hits, he gets a 14, then stands. Either way he ends up with a stiff, and relies on the dealer busting to win. At least this way the other guy improved his hand a little.
The only way there would be any difference at all is if the count were negative enough to hit a 14v4 (or other information were available).
As it was, he helped the other guy out, but I don't think there was any impact at all on his hand, or the dealer's, no matter what he did (hit or stand), as long as he didn't double.
(If you knew the dealer had a 14, and didn't know the next card, I'd double my nine for sure. But that's not his situation here.)
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Strictly speaking, the correct mathematical play is to take the 5, due to the small, but nonzero chance that the player to your left will wave off his hand, giving the 5 to the dealer should he need it. In practice, passing on the 5 is the right move ... but it couldn't hurt to ask the player "Do you want that 5?". They might actually respond "No, I never hit a stiff vs a dealer 4", in which case I'd shrug my shoulders and take the 5.
Automatic Monkey
Banned
The most +EV play of all may have been to offer to sell the next player the 5 for a fraction of his bet. :eyepatch:
But building up good will with your tablemates is also profitable, set yourself up for some nice scavenger plays in the future. I suppose one could play an entire AP game based solely on social engineering, if one was good enough at that.
But building up good will with your tablemates is also profitable, set yourself up for some nice scavenger plays in the future. I suppose one could play an entire AP game based solely on social engineering, if one was good enough at that.
daddybo
Well-Known Member
Trying to sell it to my neighbor would have built up a lot of BAD will since everyone knew that me hitting or doubling my nine to get 14 was pointless. Setting up good will and establish a good rapport with your tablemates can reap huge dividends in the future. I had a guy on the same trip who was willing to let me put in some money infor a double when he had 11. Just that one play gave me my ev per hour.
Automatic Monkey
Banned
Here's one for you- I had a max bet down, hand was A7 vs. 7, dealer flashes a 2. I pay my right-hand neighbor $100 to not take a hit. Of course I double.
And of course the dealer catches a 21.
Automatic Monkey
Banned
No, in fact I really low-keyed it because it was a quick flash and I didn't want to make it too obvious I saw the card.
EmeraldCityBJ
Well-Known Member
This depends on the situation.
If the casino is somewhat busy, or if you're playing somewhere where scavenger plays are generally permitted, there is a lot of merit to this approach.
However, if you're playing at a casino that has a strict "No Side Bets between players" rule (as is the case with most of the places I play), there's little point in establishing the good will you describe. Another approach would be to take the card in an effort to irritate the ploppy, in hopes that they'll leave your table. If the casino isn't too busy and some other ploppy doesn't fill the empty spots, you'll have the benefit of a faster game.