Four horseman

[blackchipjim]

My recent trip to casino was another one of those days you regret even stepping inside. The day started with the usual walk around the tables with my ice tea in hand and scanning for good conditions. One dealer that I know paticularly gives good pen. and is very good about my spreads was just starting up so I pulled up a chair and got ready to do some damage. I was playing having a good game with a steadily rising count and all seemed well when the gates of hell opened once again. Four of the dumbest idiots in the world sat down and started to play. At first I thought it was a ploy to chase people away as to get the table to themselves but, this was not an act. These idiots would go from table to table and play some of the worst bj I have ever seen and drive everyone in the joint nuts. I'm just thankful that these jerks ran out of money and left after a few hours. I couldn't bear to play a table until they did. blackchipjim

 

[21forme]

OK, I'll be the first one to say it:
The other players' stupidity has no effect on your results.

 

[sagefr0g]

OK, I'll be the first one to say it:
The other players' stupidity has no effect on your results.

right but they sure can drive you nuts with their bofoonery at times. :laugh:
thats when i'd leave if they are so annoying or distracting as a result of their behavior.

 

[EasyRhino]

I thought you were talking about the mathematicians who developed basic strategy...

Anyway, Except for the fact that I wouldn't particularly want to play at at able with five spots filled, it sounds like it would have been fun to follow these guys around for entertainment value.

 

[ihate17]

A double ploppy play, with an assist from the dealer

My recent trip to casino was another one of those days you regret even stepping inside. The day started with the usual walk around the tables with my ice tea in hand and scanning for good conditions. One dealer that I know paticularly gives good pen. and is very good about my spreads was just starting up so I pulled up a chair and got ready to do some damage. I was playing having a good game with a steadily rising count and all seemed well when the gates of hell opened once again. Four of the dumbest idiots in the world sat down and started to play. At first I thought it was a ploy to chase people away as to get the table to themselves but, this was not an act. These idiots would go from table to table and play some of the worst bj I have ever seen and drive everyone in the joint nuts. I'm just thankful that these jerks ran out of money and left after a few hours. I couldn't bear to play a table until they did. blackchipjim

First off: Yagotta love those guys. Without these horrible players do you think casinos would offer blackjack as we know it if everyone either played basic strategy or counted?

I enter this casino looking for a certain few dealers. Where most dealers are cutting 1.5 decks, there are three in the place that generally cut less than a full deck and I spot one of them but he is on a $10 table but there are only 2 other players at his table.
So, play a higher staked table which is crowded and has poor to average pen or play a low stakes table with good pen. So I sit at the $10 table.
The other two players are steadily staying on 14-16 vs dealer 7-A in all counts. Fear doubles and splits on one hand (would not split 2,2 vs 5 or double 10 vs 8) but aggressive on the other hand (doubles 5 vs 5, splits 4's vs 3).
First shoe I get a max bet count for awhile an do well enough for the shoe. The next shoe is hovering around a 0 count when I get 9,9 and split it against a dealer bust card. Land up with 3 nines, the dealer turns his hole, has a total of 12 and hits a 9 to wipe the table. No big deal, we have all experienced this and the good news is that I had 3 low bets on the table when it happend. Guy to my right is now lecturing me (and sometimes I am just not in the mood) about how "everyone who has ever played blackjack more than once should know you never split 9's, 18 is a good hand and splitting will cause the dealer to win." The ploppy parrot, sitting to his right basically agrees with everything he said.
Not being a diplomat, not wanting to waste time with this guy. I just tell him that any time he wants to pay me for my hand, pay me and I will play your way.
Next hand the SOB gets a natural. This stuff has happened to me before and I just can not resist saying "your welcome" to this kind of player, which got a laugh out of the cute dealer taking all this in. Just in case my message went over his head, I go, "split 9's, get a blackjack."
A couple of shoes later it is still the three of us and guess what, I get those evil 9's again, split, get 3 again, get a double and have a 19, 16 and a 15 on the double vs a dealer 3, this time with big money on the table. Dealer turns 13 and busts, I win close to $2,000 on the hand, everyone else won and as Gomer Pile would say, "surprise, surprise", not a word is said till I now predict that this time I get a blackjack because of the split of 9's. Somehow I get a max bet blackjack which now starts both of them telling me how lucky and bad of a player I am. I can live with their scorn. Just give them a rather be lucky than good comment.
Finally, one of these guys asks our dealer about splitting 9's and (if I was 30 years younger, oh well) Ms Cute states, always split 9's against everything except a 7,10 or A (am I falling in love with a dealer?).
To which, the quieter of the two responds, "oh that is that stuff in that book the casinos wrote and you work for them and probably he does also (points to me) and that is why you let him win." They both leave the table, now angry with me and the dealer, thank you. I am heads up with a TC of +5 and I toke the dealer a green. Big tip from me but it was money she earned and did I mention she was cute and knew BS.

ihate17

 

[EasyRhino]

IH17, I hope you used your voodoo powers to increase the size of your bet in that high count.

You know who I feel bad for? The civilian that plays pretty good basic strategy, but just loses his nerve.

Few months ago, me and one other player were at the table, small-talking, betting greens, and he mentions "Man, I've lost ten thousand dollars to Harrahs corporation this year." I respond "me too, brother" (actually, not that far off). And he's playing pretty solid BS, but we're in one of stretches of getting (and busting) stiff after stiff, and the dealer's drawing to awesome hands most of the rest of the time.

Then I notice the guy all of the sudden stand with something like a 15 vs a 8 or something, saying "Well, basic strategy hasn't worked yet." And then his game just kind of fell in the toilet, and he was making all kinds of bad plays. Perhaps coincidentally, he also ran out of chips very quickly after that.

Contrast with the fun-loving and seemingly well funded guy who's changing his bets and random, playing horribly, and having a blast... well, more power to him, I guess.

 

[shadroch]

On behalf of myself and the rest of the stockholders of HET,I just want to say thanks for your patronage over the years. Thanks,and have a very lucky day.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

right but they sure can drive you nuts with their bofoonery at times. :laugh:
thats when i'd leave if they are so annoying or distracting as a result of their behavior.

You should have seen what happened to my on a recent trip. I was playing a BJ derivative, used a rather advanced play and the ploppy on my left lost a $300 bet as the action unfolded.

And he slapped me! He slapped the back of my head. Not hard, just in an insulting sort of way, then he stood up, stood over me and berated me and my play.

So what do I do? As always, that depends on the count! The count was pretty good and I didn't want to take a chance of a melee or getting escorted, so I did absolutely nothing. Did not flinch, did not react or say a word, just looked straight ahead and kept playing. That was hard to do to not turn and look at what he was doing, but I figured if he made a move to attack I'd see the dealer react and could turn then. He left after a couple of minutes, and I was kind of pissed as no security or PC's showed up. Security in this place is notorious for letting fights between patrons get fought out.

I left shortly after that, but it was a pretty good trip, up $1200, and about $600 of it from the shoe where I was slapped. I'll take it.

 

[moo321]

You should have seen what happened to my on a recent trip. I was playing a BJ derivative, used a rather advanced play and the ploppy on my left lost a $300 bet as the action unfolded.

And he slapped me! He slapped the back of my head. Not hard, just in an insulting sort of way, then he stood up, stood over me and berated me and my play.

So what do I do? As always, that depends on the count! The count was pretty good and I didn't want to take a chance of a melee or getting escorted, so I did absolutely nothing. Did not flinch, did not react or say a word, just looked straight ahead and kept playing. That was hard to do to not turn and look at what he was doing, but I figured if he made a move to attack I'd see the dealer react and could turn then. He left after a couple of minutes, and I was kind of pissed as no security or PC's showed up. Security in this place is notorious for letting fights between patrons get fought out.

I left shortly after that, but it was a pretty good trip, up $1200, and about $600 of it from the shoe where I was slapped. I'll take it.

I would have fallen out of the chair and act like he hit me much harder. Much higher EV than that count. Probably a few thousand if you pretend to black out.

 

[blackchipjim]

Venting

I know better than to waste my time with conditions that may prevail in any one given game. I needed to vent my frustrations and acheived just that. I usually just take situations for entertainment value and let it go as that. This time was alot of wasted time waiting and watching for the ideal conditions. I never do well in overly crowded casinos too much stupid and not enough seats open for the variables to be put to use. blackchipjim

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I would have fallen out of the chair and act like he hit me much harder. Much higher EV than that count. Probably a few thousand if you pretend to black out.

That creates another problem then: If I take a dive I'm going to be taken to the hospital and could get ripped off there or on the way there, probably for more than I could net out of this clown who slapped me. This was also an IJ, who knows what kind of personal injury law applies in there?

 

[moo321]

That creates another problem then: If I take a dive I'm going to be taken to the hospital and could get ripped off there or on the way there, probably for more than I could net out of this clown who slapped me. This was also an IJ, who knows what kind of personal injury law applies in there?

You can always black out for 5 seconds, then come to and demand compensation. He'd probably give you $500 just to not call the cops.