jaygruden
Well-Known Member
I sat down at 3rd base to play BJ at fairly new store (only 1-2 yrs old) for the 1st time and buy in. The PB comes to me to ask for my card. I tell him that it's my first time here and I don't have one. Of course, he asks if I want to be rated. I decline and give one of my top 5 canned reasons why I don't want to play rated.
Since it is a newly opened table I have time waiting for the shuffle so he continues with conversation telling me that he came to this store shortly after they opened from a store in a different state that he had worked at for nearly 20 years. He says that they were heading for the toilet and he saw the writing on the wall. He got out while the getting was good and likes this new store a lot better. I concur with him about the negative downturn from where he came and suggest to him that if they would add LS on their games they could better compete. I bite my tongue immediately realizing that I have now just shown that I know more about this game than I want him to know.
He then tells me that "LS is a sucker bet and gives the casino a huge edge". I take this opportunity to cover myself with a "Really? I didn't know that. How so?". He says "You wouldn't believe how people throw their money away on both LS and insurance". I say "Isn't it good sometimes to surrender 15/16 vs 9/10 up?" He says, "No, you're way better off taking your chances and hitting." I tell him that I sometimes hit if I only have a little money out but I'm scared to hit 15/16 when I have a bigger bet on the table, so I will sometimes surrender."
He tells me that I should never do that bc I am just donating money to the casino. I ask about insurance too and he says the same thing about that bet. I say that if I have a bigger bet out I would rather take the even money on a BJ rather than risk a push. He tells me that's not a smart play and I should take my chances to earn the 3 to 2.
So the game finally begins and he walks away to do other duties. The first time he comes back to my table I have an opportunity to demonstrate what a fool I am, and surrender 16 vs 9 in a neg count while he's watching the table. He shakes his head as the dealer turns up a 6 in the hole. The dealer hits and catches a 5 to make a 20. He says "see, I told you so." Then sticks around to watch the first card out on the next hand and sure enough, it's a ten to prove his point. "You would have had 21 and the dealer would have busted".:whip: I said something like "Yea, I guess I'm still learning this game.":sad: Shortly after I insure my BJ on a neg count vs dealer Ace and of course he didn't have it. The PB points out to me that I just gave away $12.50. "Yes", I say, "but at least I won $25".
For the rest of the session after my successful idiot audition, I am surrendering and taking insurance ONLY at the proper index and, of course, these are usually working out for me now. I cash out a +40 unit winner and he congratulates me but tells me that I would have won more if not for surrendering all those hands or throwing money away on insurance. I tell him that "I'd rather be lucky than good, and the only way to beat this game is to get lucky":devil: and went on my merry way.
I will feel fairly safe in this guys pit in the future, now that he has me pegged as a knuckle-head who got lucky making bad plays.:grin:
Since it is a newly opened table I have time waiting for the shuffle so he continues with conversation telling me that he came to this store shortly after they opened from a store in a different state that he had worked at for nearly 20 years. He says that they were heading for the toilet and he saw the writing on the wall. He got out while the getting was good and likes this new store a lot better. I concur with him about the negative downturn from where he came and suggest to him that if they would add LS on their games they could better compete. I bite my tongue immediately realizing that I have now just shown that I know more about this game than I want him to know.
He then tells me that "LS is a sucker bet and gives the casino a huge edge". I take this opportunity to cover myself with a "Really? I didn't know that. How so?".
He says "You wouldn't believe how people throw their money away on both LS and insurance". I say "Isn't it good sometimes to surrender 15/16 vs 9/10 up?" He says, "No, you're way better off taking your chances and hitting." I tell him that I sometimes hit if I only have a little money out but I'm scared to hit 15/16 when I have a bigger bet on the table, so I will sometimes surrender." He tells me that I should never do that bc I am just donating money to the casino. I ask about insurance too and he says the same thing about that bet. I say that if I have a bigger bet out I would rather take the even money on a BJ rather than risk a push. He tells me that's not a smart play and I should take my chances to earn the 3 to 2.
So the game finally begins and he walks away to do other duties. The first time he comes back to my table I have an opportunity to demonstrate what a fool I am, and surrender 16 vs 9 in a neg count while he's watching the table. He shakes his head as the dealer turns up a 6 in the hole. The dealer hits and catches a 5 to make a 20. He says "see, I told you so." Then sticks around to watch the first card out on the next hand and sure enough, it's a ten to prove his point. "You would have had 21 and the dealer would have busted".:whip: I said something like "Yea, I guess I'm still learning this game.":sad: Shortly after I insure my BJ on a neg count vs dealer Ace and of course he didn't have it. The PB points out to me that I just gave away $12.50. "Yes", I say, "but at least I won $25".
For the rest of the session after my successful idiot audition, I am surrendering and taking insurance ONLY at the proper index and, of course, these are usually working out for me now. I cash out a +40 unit winner and he congratulates me but tells me that I would have won more if not for surrendering all those hands or throwing money away on insurance. I tell him that "I'd rather be lucky than good, and the only way to beat this game is to get lucky":devil: and went on my merry way.
I will feel fairly safe in this guys pit in the future, now that he has me pegged as a knuckle-head who got lucky making bad plays.:grin:
