Blackjack questions

[garnier]

Hi everybody, happy new year for you all.

Im a amateur player off Blackjack from Portugal and i found this amazing BJ forum and read an learn lots of things with your posts, but some questions jumped on my mind.

In our Casinos we play the BJ that you called european BJ, BJ pays 3:2, stand on soft17, surrenders, CSM machine with six decks, etc. My questions are:

- Do you think that BJ are a individual game or a collective game? Here the experience players play as a team to beat de dealer. Our "rule" is that the dealer must bust not we. Reading your comments i get the idea that for you BJ is an individual game. For us we think that we can play very good but if other player in the table play bad he can bust our game and mak possible to dealer dont bust. As an example if dealer as a hard 15 and the player hit a card when have a 14 or 15 and bust with a 9. That 9 card should go to the dealer to bust. How do you defend yourself from that bad plays?

- So, because that "rule" we stand always whenever we have a 12 or above against the dealer if he have less than 7 in the exposed card. In BJ basic strategy we should hit when we have 12 against 2 ou 3 of the dealer. If i have a 12 i could bust (and it happens a lot) if i get a 10. So why i should risk to bust if the dealer must have always to hit a card in that cenario and, because of that, get a probable bust?

- I learn about "hole-card" here with you and i get amazed of what you can do. Amazing. My question is: Seeing the "hole-card" is only possible in your type of BJ or it can be possible in our BJ too?

- About the CSM machines, sometimes i think that its impossible that they arent fixed... sometimes the dealer gets a streaks of 20's and 21's and BJ's that are absolutly ridiculous...one night, in ten plays the dealer get seven 21's.... i was completelly pissed off. . I was surprised when some of you said that the CSM are better for us, "normal" players. Is that really true?

- Against CSM can we use some technic or the only thing we can do is play basic strategy?

Sorry for some writing errors.

Garnier

 

[EasyRhino]

I'll admit there can be a sense of camaraderie, or at least just fun, in a group if the dealer keeps busting.

But it's important to emphasize that your results depend on your play. And playing a "no bust" strategy is very, very, wrong, and is probably costing you a lot of extra casino advantage.

And look at it from your intuition. If you decide to stand with your 12, you're basically as likely to take a card that would help the dealer as you are one that would hurt him. In other words "not taking the dealer's bust card" is just as bad as "taking the dealer's bust card", and you have no way of knowing which is going to happen. All you can do is play your own hand.


In your game, does the dealer only give himself one card, face up? If so, you're correct that means there's basically no chance of seeing the dealer's down card (hey, I'd like to see that here in the US, but it's very rare).

CSMs are basically the same as shuffling every hand. The streakiness out of a CSM should be the same as streakiness anywhere else. You're stuck with basic strategy against them.

 

[ihate17]

Do your team members cover your loses?

Do you share profit or loss with the other players at the table? If not, then it is not a team game.
Using your example: You have 12 and the dealer is showing a 2. You are saying that the dealer has a 10 in the hole and the next card to be dealt is a 10. That is taking much for granted. The dealer could easily have a 5-9 in the hole, hit a 10 and then take your money. The dealer could easily have an A-4 in the hole, hit once or twice or more times and then take your money.

The dealer might actually have 12, you hit your 12, get an 8 or 9, the dealer gets a 10 and you are a hero to your tablemates.'
The possibilities are near endless. The simple explaination is that only 4 of 13 cards will bust you if you hit. Remember only 4 of 13 cards will actually give that dealer showing a 2 a 12 and after that only 4 of 13 will bust him if he actually has a 12. I think dealers only bust a 2 showing less than 25% of the time.

ihate17

 

[GeorgeD]

And look at it from your intuition. If you decide to stand with your 12, you're basically as likely to take a card that would help the dealer as you are one that would hurt him. In other words "not taking the dealer's bust card" is just as bad as "taking the dealer's bust card", and you have no way of knowing which is going to happen. All you can do is play your own hand.

.

And if you're sitting at 3rd base, no matter what you do someone will probably be PO'd if you "hurt the table". God forbid you hit once and take the dealer's bust card and then on the next 12 don't hit, and the dealer hits for a good hand. The most important thing for the "sacred flow" is being consistent.

If you hit 12, pull a 9 and the dealer has 12 and pulls 10 you are a hero.

 

[Katweezel]

Portugal blackjack

Garnier, Portugal is on my visit list one day. Could you give us the blackjack lowdown there? Such as how many casinos, cities outside the capital with casinos; and probably most important: Are there hand-shuffled-shoes BJ games anywhere in Portugal? Cheers :cat:

 

[garnier]

Its a "rule" here amoung the "good" players that we should not hit a card when having a 12 against a 6 or less of the dealer. And yes i dont share the profits with other players . By the away, here we can play in houses of other players by placing chips in there houses. We dont have any power of decision on that bet, the "owner" of the house is who decides what to do and we just win or lose. We can double if he wants to double, we can split if he wants to split, but if he dont want to do nothing we cant do nothing.

its true that only 4 of 13 cards can make me bust on 12 but that happens so many times... .

We have Casinos in Lisboa, Espinho, Figueira da Foz. In Algarve we have Casinos in Vilamoura, Portimão and Montegordo. Soon will be a new Casino in the new Troia Resort ( appears to be something amazing). Dont expect a Casino like one of those big casinos that i watch on TV in Vegas. Here in Portugal the things are a litle bit smaller but we gave, instead, simpaty and good lookings.

i think that in Portugal every BJ tables have CSM. In Estoril, Lisboa e Portimão, the Casinos i already play, the BJ is only with CSM. We have tables with limits 5€-150€, and in private gamble room (by private means you have to buy "ticket" to enter) the limits are 10€-300€.
Our blackjack tables can have to 7 players. We have 7 houses. We only can play sitdown. All seven houses could be taken but its possible to everybody plays in 1 or 2 or whatever number of houses we, players, want.

The olders tell a story that a few years ago 3 ou 4 americans play BJ in Estoril and win lots and lots of money. Its when they decided to use CSM.

 

[ihate17]

The casino has taught you how to lose very well

Its a "rule" here amoung the "good" players that we should not hit a card when having a 12 against a 6 or less of the dealer.


Garnier

Unfortunately your "good" players are just bad players! While hitting a 12 vs 3 is a borderline decision, not hitting 12 vs 2 is throwing your money away over time, especially in a CSM game where you can not count.

I do understand that you feel you bust much more often than 4 of 13 but that is really selective memory. You hit a good card and the dealer busts or you beat him and it is shortly forgotten, you bust and the dealer makes a hand and the memory stays with you. In order to play blackjack properly, you must get beyond this. Unfortunately, with all your games being CSM games, the only advice you can get here is how to lose less and not how to win.

ihate17