Overheard at the BlackJack tables...

[winr_winr_chicken_dinner!]

Funniest thing i have heard in a while. I was sitting at a table and across from me there is a woman of about 45. She says to the dealer..., "Can you please hold my spot and my turn for me, I have to run to the ATM because I want to double down on that..."

When you have it bad, you have it bad I guess. No, I don't know what the outcome was, sorry.

 

[johndoe]

I'd do that if I had to. Someone recently posted something similar happening to them, after a bunch of splits/doubles with max bets. It happens.

 

[shadroch]

It does beg the question of how long a player should be allowed to hold up a game,though.
As a dedicated comp counter, I should work this into my repertoire.

 

[ihate17]

Not rare, you might do it also

Funniest thing i have heard in a while. I was sitting at a table and across from me there is a woman of about 45. She says to the dealer..., "Can you please hold my spot and my turn for me, I have to run to the ATM because I want to double down on that..."

When you have it bad, you have it bad I guess. No, I don't know what the outcome was, sorry.

I have not used a casino ATM in a long time but if I had a 10 or 11 vs a dealer stiff, no credit line and no money in my pocket to double, I would probably do the same thing and so might you. I do not believe in CC advances but you can withdraw from your checking account for a smaller overall cost.

ihate17

 

[winr_winr_chicken_dinner!]

No $$$...

I guess I could let myself get down that far. I have never outrun my pocket on a table though. I try to play with a very small RoR, but I can see how it could happen. Lol, I know it happens on the $5.00 tables that you buy in for $200, lose down to $30.00, then just push it in for a final bet and get something you HAVE to split or double, sooooo.... you reach back and grab your wallet...

 

[tedloc]

They teach it

I guess I could let myself get down that far. I have never outrun my pocket on a table though. I try to play with a very small RoR, but I can see how it could happen. Lol, I know it happens on the $5.00 tables that you buy in for $200, lose down to $30.00, then just push it in for a final bet and get something you HAVE to split or double, sooooo.... you reach back and grab your wallet...

First thing they teach the dealers in dealers school is: When the suckers on the other side of the table bet their last chips, give them a split or double hand, so they have to go into their wallet. Seriously, it happens all the time and you never see the players put it back in their wallet if they win.

 

[johndoe]

First thing they teach the dealers in dealers school is: When the suckers on the other side of the table bet their last chips, give them a split or double hand, so they have to go into their wallet. Seriously, it happens all the time and you never see the players put it back in their wallet if they win.

Please tell us exactly where the dealers have discretion over what hands they give to the players.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I'd do that if I had to. Someone recently posted something similar happening to them, after a bunch of splits/doubles with max bets. It happens.

It sure does. It's important to remember that if you don't have enough money to split and double, you don't have the same advantage as if you did.

When you see another player in that situation, it's a good time to get a hand interaction play ready.

 

[21forme]

When you see another player in that situation, it's a good time to get a hand interaction play ready.

Suppose you share a split with a player. Do you own one hand and he owns the other, or do you split the overall outcome in half?

 

[johndoe]

Suppose you share a split with a player. Do you own one hand and he owns the other, or do you split the overall outcome in half?

I've only seen it as each player owning one hand, but I suppose you could make whatever deal you wanted.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

Suppose you share a split with a player. Do you own one hand and he owns the other, or do you split the overall outcome in half?

I normally pick a side that I want to play, the reason is I have to make sure I can double it if necessary. If you have to talk someone into a split chances are great you are dealing with a player who does not know BS.

Also you only want to do this if you know which splits are offensive and which are defensive. One time I was playing next to a lady who was afraid to split 88 vs. 7. Her bet was a little bit above my max bet but the advantage of playing one of those 8's is high enough that it justified it. We split together and both enjoyed the result.

Although one time I was playing in CT and saw players share an ace split, and one side won and the other side lost. Dealer pushed both players back their bets, and told them it was a house policy that there's a house policy that the results of ace splits are shared between a partnership. I don't know if she was making that up or there really is such a policy.

 

[Pelerus]

Funniest thing i have heard in a while. I was sitting at a table and across from me there is a woman of about 45. She says to the dealer..., "Can you please hold my spot and my turn for me, I have to run to the ATM because I want to double down on that..."

I witnessed the same thing, but in my case I got myself dragged into a possibly dangerous situation. Oh well - it was profitable in the end. From an earlier thread, dated August 2008:

I was at a table with three other players, all of us betting the $10 table minimum. Enter the 'tough guy,' who immediately plunks down a $400 bet with four black chips from his pocket. He wins the first bet. After several more bets of the same size, he has lost the initial $400, and a second $400 from his pocket is in the betting circle. The cards are dealt, and he receives a 9,2 with the dealer showing a 5. As the other players make their decisions, I notice him fumbling for his wallet, and my 'advantage player antennae' immediately go up. Due to the angle that he is holding his wallet at to me, when he opens it I can see about three singles in there, and now I am on red alert.

As the action comes to him, he requests to run to the ATM to come up with the money for a double down, and the dealer calls over the pit. The pit boss explains to him that they can't stop the hand for that purpose, and I realize it's now or never - "I'll cover it" is what I interject, waiting to hear his response rather than proposing any specific arrangement immediately. He says "Ok, how about we go halves" and I immediately agree. After some confusion at the table, with the other players seemingly all wanting to have a say in how the arrangement should be made, the decision is made that a win on the double will result in me getting my $400 back plus $200, while in the event of a loss he will have to repay me $200, presumably from the ATM.

After much ado, with me contributing $200 in green and another $200 in cash to form the double down, the moment is at hand: he asks for the card to be dealt face down, but the pit won't allow it. How I wish they had! ... It is the dreaded slap in the face - the Ace. When the dealer turns his hole card, he shows a 2 for a total of 7, and the sweat is pouring down. His next card is a 4 for an 11, and the sad feeling of inevitability sets in. But then the miracle 5 appears for a sixteen, and then the monkey finally arrives, right on time. :grin:

 

[EasyRhino]

Bear in mind the ATM fee. If you're bet is $100, and you need another hundy, but the ATM fee is $4, hopefully your increase in EV is greater than that.

(This assumes that you're only usign the ATM for that one hand)

 

[ihate17]

8 max bets on a hand---possible but unlikely

It sure does. It's important to remember that if you don't have enough money to split and double, you don't have the same advantage as if you did.

When you see another player in that situation, it's a good time to get a hand interaction play ready.

Especially for the newer players here who may be underbankrolled or just have not experienced the huge positive and negative variance that can come from blackjack and cardcounting.
In the typical shoe and some double deck games you can split to 4 hands and land up with a double down on each, giving you 8 bets on the table at once, and this might be with a max bet.
Now 8 may never happen to you but 4,5, or 6 max bets will eventually come up and if find yourself unable to make the proper plays of splitting, doubling or whatever, you have either overbet your bankroll, comfort level or both. You might land up playing the hands wrong or selling off some of your play to someone else, either way you are giving away money. So if you are one of the guys here who goes to the casino with $1000, planning to spread $10-$100, search within yourself and decide what you will do if suddenly you know you need to put half that triproll on one hand with splits and doubles.
You may need to adjust your max bet downward, or if you can handle it, just increase your triproll.

ihate17

 

[bjcount]

Suppose you share a split with a player. Do you own one hand and he owns the other, or do you split the overall outcome in half?

I bought one hand for a number of splits from the same scared player. After winning my hand four times in a row while he lost his, he changed the terms on the next attempt, we would split the total winnings.
The streak was over... lost both hands.

It's probably better not to share the total split hand winnings if the opportunity arises again. Can the best scenario be determined mathematically?

BJC

I'd do that if I had to. Someone recently posted something similar happening to them, after a bunch of splits/doubles with max bets. It happens.

I had that happen at a NMS table. The day was going really bad so I decided to try a different store. After playing for a an hour or so at the same table for the first time all day I had a high count with a run of consistant wins which I chipped above my normal max bet.
A 7,7 vs 6 was my next hand .

On the second split I received another 7 which left me short on funds. At this point I had three hands of which the first ended up both DD's. So I yelled out wait... I have to hit the ATM!

No problem Mr. BJC the PC said to me, so off I went.

Came back split my hand and thankfully no more DD's. I had 4 hands out with two of them DD.

That was the most expensive hand I have to date, it would have been a beautiful swing......

had I won.

lost them all, 6 x $400

BJC

EDIT: You added this as I was typing:

In the typical shoe and some double deck games you can split to 4 hands and land up with a double down on each, giving you 8 bets on the table at once, and this might be with a max bet.
Now 8 may never happen to you but 4,5, or 6 max bets will eventually come up...

This is a very important point, these are the hands that can make your day or break you in a hurry.