Any way to keep the number of players at the table down (short of splitting tens)?

[Mimosine]

at a packed joint there is no reasonable way to clear a table....
the following two hands happened the other day while i was playing:

player split 5's against a 10! with a disasterous end.
and in the most genius play i've ever seen:
played doubled down on a HARD 6 against a dealer 8 (like it matters) and got dealt a 2 for a doubled hand of 8. i didn't know if i should laugh or cry at the guy.

and yes, the dealers in both instances tried to talk the two players out of it.

and no, neither cleared the table.

 

[MEDITANK]

at a packed joint there is no reasonable way to clear a table....
the following two hands happened the other day while i was playing:

player split 5's against a 10! with a disasterous end.
and in the most genius play i've ever seen:
played doubled down on a HARD 6 against a dealer 8 (like it matters) and got dealt a 2 for a doubled hand of 8. i didn't know if i should laugh or cry at the guy.

and yes, the dealers in both instances tried to talk the two players out of it.

and no, neither cleared the table.

 

[Cardcounter]

Play multiple hands!

In some casinos you are allowed to play up to 3 hands at a time although you have to play a minimum of 5 times the table minimum if you do that. So a $5 table turns into a $25 table instantly. The benefit is you get to play 3 hands at a time which could take your hands per hour from 60 to 150 hands per hour! Playing multiple hands effectivally blocks other players from entering. Personally I prefer to have more people at the table so I can hide some of my winnings from the pit. On a six deck shoe you could probably walk around and find a dealer who has no players on it. Why not give that dealer something to do and go play with him? You will get your own table and not have to worry about keeping the numbers down.

 

[ihate17]

Weekend blackjack in the backcountry

at a packed joint there is no reasonable way to clear a table....
the following two hands happened the other day while i was playing:

player split 5's against a 10! with a disasterous end.
and in the most genius play i've ever seen:
played doubled down on a HARD 6 against a dealer 8 (like it matters) and got dealt a 2 for a doubled hand of 8. i didn't know if i should laugh or cry at the guy.

and yes, the dealers in both instances tried to talk the two players out of it.

and no, neither cleared the table.

Mimosine
Often the table will not clear because on weekends you might have a whole table (except you) of players who double 6, stay on 12 vs 7 and of course always split 5's against everything. Or the players are so inexperienced that they have not learned ploppy logic that tells them that this stuff changes the sacred FLOW of the cards.
At the same time I seem to often chase a few away on the table by just doing things like hitting 12 vs 3, splitting 9's vs all except 7,10 and Ace, and that combination that drives them all nuts, the soft 18: Does not matter if you are hitting when supposed too or double at the right time, it will draw reviews of your play and often empty chairs.

That reminds me. I just this weekend drove a guy who played no-bust blackjact crazy hitting my stiffs and he stayed. The guy lasted perhaps 20 minutes at the table and never busted because he never hit a single stiff. At the same time I (sitting to his left) was getting more than my share of stiffs and making more than my share of hands. He would stay on 15 vs 8 and I would hit 15 and get a 5. Perhaps a half dozen times it made my hand but there was also one or two times where I busted and he got paid. While I never said a word to him, the other player at the table, kept telling him what to do and the guy did not listen but kept looking at me and shaking his head like he was confused about why I was not busting the majority of my stiffs.

In Vegas I am generally on higher stake tables (there is no gaurantee that the more someone bets the better they play) and there does not seem to be those absolutely off the wall plays but still very poor basic strategy. When I am playing at many of the California casinos on weekends, the play goes from poor to complete ignorance. The guy splitting 5's, the guy with a 3,2 debating if he should hit or not because the dealer is sitting with a 5. Let that dealer turn a 5 or 6 in the hole and then make a hand and you can bet if that situation comes up again, the guy will stay on his 3,2 or something similar.

Simply it answers a question.
1. How can a casino make between 2-3% on a game with a house edge of under .5%?


ihate17

 

[Mimosine]

Mimosine
Often the table will not clear because on weekends you might have a whole table (except you) of players who double 6, stay on 12 vs 7 and of course always split 5's against everything. Or the players are so inexperienced that they have not learned ploppy logic that tells them that this stuff changes the sacred FLOW of the cards.

Simply it answers a question.
1. How can a casino make between 2-3% on a game with a house edge of under .5%?


ihate17

i hear you 100% on clearing tables... it just isn't a reality where i play.

is the return only 2-3%? i would have guessed higher, but then again there are people like us playing

 

[Kasi]

In some casinos you are allowed to play up to 3 hands at a time although you have to play a minimum of 5 times the table minimum if you do that. So a $5 table turns into a $25 table instantly. The benefit is you get to play 3 hands at a time which could take your hands per hour from 60 to 150 hands per hour! Playing multiple hands effectivally blocks other players from entering.

I just can't see how a $5 bet at one spot can be equated to a $25 bet over 3 spots.

Either you're probably underbetting to your bankroll in the first place or u're way over-betting in the second place.

Maybe, just maybe, at really high counts but then you are not at 150/hds/hr.