Professional Blackjack .....

[wilheim]

Marco - I do sleep believe it or not, but work the late Moderator shift, if you notice I am rarely around during the day. Thanks for the concern.

I used to play a lot of pitch, always the 6 card variety, but the deck was always shuffled well. High-low-jack-and the game, brings back memories. In the service low ball was a popular game along with acey-deucy for gambling. Hearts was popular for recreation non gambling time passing. Gin of course has always been a great money game.


wil.

 

[postaldoug]

Is there a lower paying job in the USA than Rx moderator ?

 

[wilheim]

Not if you are paid by the post.

 

[HacheMan]

Mr Smith, I disagree. When you have blackjack, and the dealer is showing an ace, you take insurance. You are then guaranteed of winning something off of the hand. Anyone that's a blackjack player knows it sucks getting burnt when you get blackjack & the is dealer showing ace, and turn down insurance, only for the dealer to end up having blackjack also and you win nothing. If I have $100 on the hand, I hit blackjack, I may be looking at $150 if I don't take insurance and dealer's ace doesnt run into BJ, but I know if I do take insurance I am guaranteed at least the $100 even if the dealer does have blackjack also.......

 

[SportSavant]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Sick you are absolutely wrong on this one. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

actually, it wasnt sick that wrote that, it was me. But I know that sick agrees with me on this one however...

baseballguy, dont take my word, or even sicko's word.... but trust me... you have absoltely nothing to worry about except your OWN hand vs the dealer... I AM TALKING OVER THE LONG HAUL. You could be sitting with a table of monkey's it doesnt matter.... ALL THAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU PLAY YOUR CARDS CORRECTLY AGAINST THE DEALER. I wish I could explain it better from a mathematical standpoint but I am no mathematician...

Get any book on BJ & you will see...

I think this is the greatest MYTH of BJ of all time...

if you are only talking one shoe...then its all luck... & it is true that someones bad play (DUE TO LUCK) may negatively or positevely affect the outcome of how you do that SHOE... BUT... OVER THE LONG HAUL...it has absolutely no affect on your SUCCESS/FAILURE.

 

[GreenDoberman]

Hache man,
Mr. Smith is absolutely correct. Your expectation is greater not taking insurance versus the dealer's ace than taking it in the long run if you have blackjack.
Whoever it was that said you wouldn't take insurance unless the count was +3 is absolutely correct as well. I believe the number is 2.6 or 2.8 (can't remember exactly).
But people continue to believe the wrong things and refuse to educate themselves and that is why they cannot win in the long run.

Professional Blackjack by Stanford Wong is one of the best books out there. But I would be conservative to estimate that the material is over the head of 95% of the general public.

 

[SportSavant]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> But people continue to believe the wrong things and refuse to educate themselves and that is why they cannot win in the long run. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

GD,

this never ceases to amaze me either... Can you confirm what I am trying to argue or share with baseball guy?

 

[silver7]

First insurance w/BJ is the WRONG play, I will admit that if you have a bet much larger than normal out there the temptation IS great but it`s still the wrong one. As to the "idiot" changing the flow of the game, a myth. Does it affect me? If I let it yes. By that I mean it does not in the long run mean anthing as far as the cards go, but it can piss me off enough so my game is changed. That is why I pay little attention to other players and try to ONLY see their cards as informational. Anyone playing BJ w/o total memorization of Basic Strategy is like an accountant not understanding debits & credits. It`s fundamental. It doesn`t guarantee a win but it`s a must. Far more important I think is the opportunity to play ONLY at casinos that have favorable rules for the player. i.e dbl after splits, 3/2 on a BJ, and ideally dealer stands on soft 17 (very rare). The original post asked about dbl against an Ace. Only and always w/11. I`m speaking of multi deck shoes. I have a theory re. dbling 10 or 11 and would like some feedback. ALL basic st says never dbl 10 against ace or face. OK, but think of this against a 6 deck shoe, which BTW is the norm here in MN, dbling w/a 10 actually gives you 24 more cards to your advantage than does 11. (how many times have you caught an ace on 11) Just a thought. Anyone? As w/any gaming Money Management is the 1st rule. Luck to all.

 

[SportSavant]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>If I let it yes. By that I mean it does not in the long run mean anthing as far as the cards go, but it can piss me off enough so my game is changed <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks for the confirmation silver

still shocking to me how many people actually beleive this is true.

 

[Woody0]

Dealers and players often query your sanity when not taking a sure win of even money on your blackjack.

Since this is a sign of a knowlegeable player I usually say something like "I came to gamble".

 

[silver7]

Consider these rules, hitting soft 17 (dlr), odds on BJ (now 6/5 @ some), only split aces once, only dbl on 10 or 11, dbl after splitting, surrender! These are ALL rules that at one time or another in different locations that have been changed. WHY because as my grandpa said "kid they didn`t build these places losing". In other words they`re rules that are adjusted to favor the house. Have you EVER heard or seen any place where insurance was dicouraged or not offered? Wonder why? Think about it.

 

[BROMOx]

How do supposedly educated gamblers still think it is preferable to take even money? Or that people at the table can affect you negatively by how they play their hands?

We've had these discussions before and the same people come out and defend the same (wrong) positions. LEARN people. Move forward. Get better.

 

[acosta]

I wish I had just a small fraction of the money that the casinos make from players taking even money. Most casino personnal on the floor think it's the right play and give advise to take the 'sure win' Imagin what kind of lawsuit you would have against a professional in another line of work who deliberately gave you such blantant advise.

Not to take even money is maybe the easiest play in BJ to prove. With your bj and dealers ace, you see 3 cards, one ten and one non-ten. This leaves 49 unseen cards of which 15 are tens and 34 are non-tens. If you don't take insurance on your bj, you will push the 15 times the dealer has the ten and win 3/2 the other 34 times for a profit of 51 units on the 49 possible outcomes. If you take even money, you will win one unit every outcome for a total of 49 units.

 

[tkf18ny]

silver 7,

I think by 24 more cards you are referring to the 24 aces which would give you 21 on a 10

However think of it this way-

you double a 10- 192 cards give you 20, 24 give you 21


you double an 11- 24 cards give you 20 (nines) while 192 give you a 21

It does suck to get an ace on an 11 but in reality you are better off doubling the 11

Do not double a 10 vs 10 or ace or an 11vs A unless you are counting


Professional Blackjack is a must if you count cards.

 

[tkf18ny]

And one more thing

Even money is a ripoff

The only thing "guaranteed" is a 7 % loss by taking it

Granted people look at me cockeyed when i dont insure a bj, but then insure a 14 later on but I just laugh to myself because they dont know what the count is and I do

 

[packer2012]

The deception on the part of the casino is in calling it "insurance".

Gives people the wrong idea.

Regardless of your hand, you are simply making a side bet on if the dealer has blackjack. Pure and simple.

But..... if it makes people feel warm and fuzzy to take even money.... it is a bad math decision "long term". But, it changes absolutely nothing for the table. Does not change the number of cards from the shoe. No effect on anyone else.

Another thing.....

Often overlooked is this fact... How many people here will ever play anywhere near enough hands of blackjack to give a shit about the "long run". Very few! Almost none!

The game is hard enough to beat under any circumstances. When ignorant people sit down and have no idea how to play... real players have no choice but to be a little pissed. We are experienced enough to see not only what the first stupid play cost us but what it cost us several hands down the line.

Of course... we might easily forget the times the shitheads MADE us money by making a stupid play.

All these things are part of the "TRUE" house advantage. Along with the acual percentage advantage there is also any other thing that distracts and influences the behavior of any half way decent players. Then of course player GREED and Uncle Al add to the house edge.

Uncle Al, as we all know, being alcohol!

 

[Marco]

I've never been one to take even money on a blackjack, and don't take insurance either...

Only way I could justify insurance was if the deck was saturated with 10's and concluded by this that the dealer had a really strong chance of having a ten count to back that ace of his.

....been years since I even set foot inside of a casino....too busy hashing over pointspreads and players to even think about putting money down on more "chance based" adventures.....

 

[UberTout]

Some BJ rules are irrefutable. Unless your count is at 3 or better, DON'T INSURE A BLACKJACK. It is that simple.

Re: Dealers looking at you crosseyed when you don't take even money, well, like lots of folks, they may be misinformed and believe that taking even money is the right play.

Assuming that Casino employees (dealers, pit bosses, etc) know the odds just because they work there is flawed logic. These guys and gals make 15 - 20 bucks an hour, and should not be expected to know ALL the details of the odds.

Regarding others at the table playing poorly - the chances of them hurting your cause are EQUAL to the chances of them helping your cause. This is math, it's not negotiable.

UT

 

[sickgambler]

Key and baseballguy, if you think that what a dumb player does is affecing you, then you are living in a dream world. NO WAY in hell does it affect you. NO WAY.. It goes against you and it goes for you.. How can you figure a players decision can affect yours? How do the cards know what will happen after that guy hits on a card he wasn't supposed to? I will bet you that if you sit there for 1 month on the same table and play with a dumb player who doesn't know what he's doing, I'll bet out of 1,000 hands he was supposed to hit or not supposed to hit, 500 of them you will win thanks to him, and 500 hands will end up costing you.. It's automatic,.. People just remember the ones that cost them, and forget the ones that make them money..

I swear, 2 yrs ago, I sat next to a chinaman with tons of chips on him who had NO IDEA wtf he was doing. Every hand where he had to hit, he was holding, and every hand he had to stay, he was hitting. he was splitting 10's, and freezing on 12 vs dealer 10, and hitting 16 vs the 5. he was all over the place.. And I will NEVER forget that night because I didn't have a losing hand that night thanks to him.. Every decision he made helped me.. He was my man that night. I bought him and his GF dinner after that night, and gave him a big hug. Him being there that night made me 1800. If he's not at that table that night doing his thing, I probably lose 2k.. The kid made me about 4k extra that night..

Don't ever say it makes a difference, Cause you CANNOT be more wrong.. It's all psychological..

 

[Fishhead]

I would tend to agree with Sick Gambler, but I am not a professional blackjack player.