Most bizarre play I've seen

[BJBlowHole]

I was just playing at the Aria. About midnight. $50 table. A guy buys in for 1K.

First hand: he gets a soft 13. Stays.
Second: he gets a soft 15. Stays.
Third: Eleven. Stays.
Fourth: Hard five. Doubles.
Fifth: Nine. Stays.
Sixth: Hard 17. Hits.

With each of these plays, the dealer questions it, then calls it out to the pit.
Dealer and I are looking at each other. Guy doesn't seem drunk.

Usually the kicker to this would be that the guy won the hands, to everyone's amazement. But this guy lost them all, and blew through his $1000 in six hands.

As he was leaving the table, he muttered to himself: "I've GOT to find a better system."

 

[Gamblor]

As he was leaving the table, he muttered to himself: "I've GOT to find a better system."

:laugh:

Pretty reasonable system. Playing the right way, casino wins anyway. So just maybe, if I play wrong...

 

[Friendo]

Faith in Empiricism

You have to admire the conviction that blackjack can be beaten by observation, as well as the courage to act on that conviction.

I will never do this, but I am itching to ask these guys I see doubling hard 16s:

• Do you believe that averages are or can be known for this hand?
• Do you believe that the averages can be known, but that the conventional wisdom is wrong?
• Do you believe that the averages are known and correct, but that they don't matter?

I suspect that quite a few fall into the last category: you shouldn't double hard 16, but that's only the general rule, because on this particular hand the ploppy has a hunch: he knows something about that next card which may not be right, but he has extra information which overrides the normal averages.

I think these people believe that blackjack is a matter of observation and hunches.

 

[bjcardcounter]

I was just playing at the Aria. About midnight. $50 table. A guy buys in for 1K.

First hand: he gets a soft 13. Stays.
Second: he gets a soft 15. Stays.
Third: Eleven. Stays.
Fourth: Hard five. Doubles.
Fifth: Nine. Stays.
Sixth: Hard 17. Hits.

With each of these plays, the dealer questions it, then calls it out to the pit.
Dealer and I are looking at each other. Guy doesn't seem drunk.

Usually the kicker to this would be that the guy won the hands, to everyone's amazement. But this guy lost them all, and blew through his $1000 in six hands.

As he was leaving the table, he muttered to himself: "I've GOT to find a better system."

there was a thread about a guy who played like the dealer i.e draw to 17 no matter what. this is another one, draw only two cards

 

[Midnght Cow]

One time I saw a guy whose strategy was to not look at his cards at all and just tuck them, unseen. Basically just playing for the dealer to bust. He actually was making money for a short while. Moreover, it seemed like he was enjoying the attention that his odd approach was bringing. Don't know how it ended up, but obviously this isn't a strategy for long-term success.

 

[paddywhack]

One time I saw a guy whose strategy was to not look at his cards at all and just tuck them, unseen. Basically just playing for the dealer to bust. He actually was making money for a short while. Moreover, it seemed like he was enjoying the attention that his odd approach was bringing. Don't know how it ended up, but obviously this isn't a strategy for long-term success.

Most likely, not Short Term either.....

 

[newbctr]

Recently I was spread 2x800 in 2nd & 3rd to last position with 2 stiffs vs dealer 4 in massive count. 3rd base had pocket 4's and was thinking & thinking. Everything was going through my head... Split perhaps? Double maybe? Hit?... All not overly bad in that count. Then he waives it off. He didn't want to take the 'bust card.' the dealer busted and the table applauded his 'genius'