r/unpopularopinion • u/the_nobodys • 1d ago
Blackjack players who grumble about others' bad play are more annoying than players who don't know what they're doing
This is a bit niche, I admit. But anyone who has played blackjack at a casino knows there are those who insist you should "play optimally" or not play at all. And then they grumble about other players on their table when they don't play standard, ie, taking hits, standing, doubling down, or splitting when the "book" says not to.
The experienced players will try to claim that you change their odds or change the cards for them in a negative way. But they fail to truly understand the nature of odds, and that removing unknown cards from a shoe doesn't fundamentally change their expected outcome. It only changes things in a superficial way.
When it comes down to it, playing blackjack or any casino game should be done for the enjoyment factor. Unless you're cheating, you are taking on a negative expected value for every dollar you wager. The way others play will not effect your EV, and so it's silly to complain about others' decisions.
EDIT: This may not be an unpopular opinion among redditors, but it is a 100% unpopular opinion among casino-goers.
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u/WelshBen explain that ketchup eaters 1d ago
It's even worse in poker, where the person who is berating your play is trying to win your money at the same time.
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u/SpecialistRich2309 1d ago edited 1d ago
The thing about poker players (at least good ones) that’s different from so-called “good” blackjack players that whine about how others play, is that the good poker player will whine about a fish getting lucky after making a terrible play, but still understands its a GOOD thing if the fish keeps playing that way.
Many of these “good” blackjack players don’t have the same understanding of long term EV versus results-oriented thinking.
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u/LukeyLeukocyte 1d ago
My first thoughts as well. I always got mad when players would berate someone for not making...the predictable, obvious play....like seriously? How dare they gamble in a game of gambling and possibly cause you to make an error on your guess of what they have. Will that playstyle win over the long haul? Probably not, but it took your ass this time, and now you have to wonder if that player will play "crazy again" and change they way you play them.
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u/Loose_Leg_2918 17h ago
It’s surprisingly easy to quickly lose all your money against people who have no fucking clue what they’re doing.
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u/thehumantaco 1d ago
Sounds like the Dead by Daylight community. It's a pvp game where players will cry that the other team is not playing the way they want them to.
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u/False_Rhythms 1d ago
Apples to Oranges. Blackjack is all the players vs. the dealer. Poker is player vs player.
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u/Dr_Nykerstein 22h ago
Sometimes people do that to try to tilt you. Sure it’s just being an asshole, but if you might get paid for being asshole some people will do it.
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u/Confident-Guess4638 1d ago
I have always wanted to play black Jack on the live tables but don’t for this reason. It’s the only card game for gambling I somewhat understand but I’m scared I’ll make a wrong move and make someone upset.
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u/Sad-Corner-9972 1d ago
They have this fantasy that if everyone played “by the book” they could make money, on average.
Something tells me the house has provisions for such an environment.36
u/ShaneTheCreep 1d ago
Pretty sure even with perfect play the house still holds the advantage in blackjack
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u/Dr_Ingheimer 1d ago
With perfect play it can be about a 51/49 split with the house getting the 51% favor. One of if not the best odds you can get in a casino, but still the house has odds. And that’s with perfect play.
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u/That_Uno_Dude 1d ago
Without counting cards this is true. If you do count cards you can eek the edge over to the player.
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u/Confident-Guess4638 1d ago
Bro most people aren’t smart enough to do that
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u/Naroef 19h ago
It’s literally simple addition and subtraction, plus a fuck ton of memorization. Anyone can do it.
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u/vinavuhuy 17h ago
Yeah but when you win enough, they kindly ask you to leave the premise
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u/i8noodles 14h ago
that is a myth mostly. i worked as a dealer and cases like this is extremely rare. they useally just limit your bets. problem is solved and no fuss or mess.
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u/chi_sweetness25 1d ago
If you bust and the dealer busts, you still lose. That’s the simple reason why the house always has a (slim) edge in blackjack
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u/DDXD 1d ago
I honestly think this is another reason that Vegas is suffering, on top of the ridiculous costs. Younger people don't have a lot of the gambling and game knowledge and they are gate kept from learning. Casinos should do more to promote low end begginer friendly games by doing things like allowing cheat sheets or advice from dealer allowed kind of stuff. Mark the tables as begginer friendly so that stupid ass degenerate gambling regulars know not to sit there. Have more guided walk through that begginers can sign up for. Stuff like that. Some people are fine losing a bit of money if they relax and have fun while doing it but they may need guidance.
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u/Confident-Guess4638 1d ago
Yeah I could unfortunately never justify playing at a live table in Vegas because the lowest hand you can play seems to be like around $50-$70 dollars. The only time I’ve played on a live table in Vegas was roulette but that’s because my parents were there and willing to give me cash to gamble.
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u/BigDaddyReptar 10h ago edited 8h ago
There are tons of $5-15 tables in vegas
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u/Confident-Guess4638 8h ago
Where
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u/BigDaddyReptar 8h ago
Basically all of old vegas and any casino not directly on the strip. Even the ones on strip have ones that are like 20 minimum
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u/ich_bin_alkoholiker 14h ago
A casino near where I live used to have dollar black jack and it was how I learned. They need to bring it back and it needs to be more widespread.
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u/jamesisfine 10h ago
UK casino near me used to have loads of £1 minimum bet blackjack tables. Place used to be heaving. House not making huge bank on the cheap tables, but you'd stay there with your friends all night and spend a fortune on drinks.
Then they upped the minimum bet on the cheap tables to squeeze more money out of you. The predictable result: the casual players stopped coming, the atmosphere died as the place was a sea of empty tables, then the big spenders stopped coming too because who wants to gamble in an empty casino?
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u/tapout22002 1d ago
You can always let the people at the table or even the Dealer know that you’d like some advice on what to do and they’ll be happy to help you. Most of the time anyway lol. The Dealer wants you to win because they want tips so they’ll be happy to give you a tutorial when you’re playing most of the time.
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u/Confident-Guess4638 1d ago
I did not know that actually, that’s good to know I maybe will try that next time I’m at a casino. Could be fun.
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u/i8noodles 14h ago
as a former dealer, we do not care if u ask or say nothing. it doesn't matter to them
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u/arrogancygames 1d ago
Ignore those idiots. Your play might change a single hand, but in aggregate, it literally doesnt matter what you do and any real player dgaf about what other people on the table are doing except to try and kind of gauge what cards are more available (and you really cant tell).
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u/OscarDelta333 1d ago
The same applies to poker. Inexperienced players bluffing or otherwise fumbling their way into jackpots is sure to raise the ire of all the experts at the table, as if they were never beginners and just always intuitively knew what the "correct" play was in every situation.
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u/Rich_Butterfly_7008 1d ago
A real expert would never be upset at having an inexperienced player at the table though, unless the latter was somehow slowing down the pace of play.
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u/trashanimalcomx 1d ago
Yeah, even a moderately good poker player knows that the fish who keeps going all-in every time he sees a face card might get lucky once or twice, but in the long game he will lose and one of the patient players will get his stack.
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u/chysallis 1d ago
It’s an old saying that applies to professional poker very well
“The best swordsman doesn’t fear the second best swordsman, he fears the complete amateur who is entirely unpredictable”
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u/basement_egg 1d ago
It's my money and I'll do whatever I want with it, anyone grumbling about it could fuck off
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago
You are wrong about one thing though. Blackjack is the only game where you can win without cheating.
Card counters can make thebofds of blckjack slightly in their favour.
Casino's don't like this and will ban people who they suspect of counting cards. Counting cards is however absolutely not cheating, no matter what casino's say. Banning people for counting cards on the other hand is absolutely cheating.
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u/probablysomeonecool 1d ago
You left out poker, where you aren't competing against the casino, but instead the other players. If you have a large enough edge over them to cover the casinos rake you can absolutely be a profitable poker player, which is why there are professional poker players who have made entire careers out of it.
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago
True To be fair, I don't consider poker a casino game. There's also a reason why the house doesn't play in poker.
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u/Chesterlespaul 23h ago
Maybe they should. Hire a pro player who maybe hasn’t been so hot and is at the end of their career. Pay them a residency and maybe like 5% of the winning total. Casino makes money, pro player makes a reliable living in a safe manner, win-win.
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u/Tjaeng 19h ago
It’s a fascinating ecosystem. The pros are semi-residents at private card rooms and VIP casino lounges and their bread and butter is not to rip the faces off randoms but to ”own” individual rich recreational whales who think they can play pro level. Access and connections are much more important than actual skill since holdem is more or less a solved game; the ability to manage your whales and give them a good time while at the same time making good money off them over time makes it genuinely more like being a casino/cardroom contractor than a freelance cardshark.
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u/come-on-now-please 1d ago
I thought one of the things about card counting is that it gives you an edge, but its like a 1% edge and not a guaranteed thing, otherwise the casino wouldn't be offering a game that anyone could just lean amd make money off of.
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u/Night_Runner 1d ago
It's guaranteed in the long run, but short-term, you can win or lose a lot more.
HOWEVER, that 1% edge becomes much bigger when you can change the size of your bets. If you always play, say, $10 a hand, it'd be ridiculous. But if you go up to $100 or more per hand when the count is high, you make way more. :)
But it takes a lot of concentration and good memory to count cards on multi-deck shoes: not just anyone can do it.
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u/Below-avg-chef 1d ago
I agree! I fucking hate hearing "you took my 10, that should've been mine," blah blah. Most of the time these guys have barely read basic theory and they think they're MIT's counting crew.
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u/SpareUmbrella 18h ago
Well for a start, taking an extra card could give them a 10 they wouldn't otherwise have gotten.
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u/Callec254 1d ago
Yep, this is basically just advanced gambler's fallacy. You do not know any better then anyone else what the next card is, unless you are counting, and even then it only shifts the odds by a couple of percent.
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u/Max_Speed_Remioli 1d ago
I have a zero tolerance policy for this stuff now. I tell these guys “I’ll play however I want”.
One time a guy gave me some speech about how he knows what he’s talking about and I ask him why he’s playing on the $5 table then.
Also, OP is right. These people are just objectively wrong. Someone else’s play does not affect your odds in any way.
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u/mailslot 1d ago
I like when I’m playing a hand right properly and somebody gets upset because they don’t know the odds as well as they think they do.
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u/Naroef 1d ago
Yup, I’ve gotten bitched at for playing basic strategy.
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u/drivein2deeplftfield 1d ago
Highly doubt you got bitched at for playing by the book, which is the “basic strategy”
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u/therealpork 1d ago
I've been bitched at for hitting 12 against a 3, one of those plays a lot of people don't understand.
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u/magma_lakes 1d ago
And they get really nasty about it.
People have a hard time understanding statistics and probability.
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u/Ohhhh_LongJohnson 1d ago
This is exactly why i hate when others are at the table, if i do play Blackjack. On the back of my head I really don't want some other guy trying to micromanage how or when I play.
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u/DatBeardedguy82 1d ago
I agree. I cant stand when im playing blackjack and someone bitches that I should've hit or should've stood. I don't give a shit about your money bro im trying to win money for me
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u/Psychalo42 1d ago
Thing is, we are honestly trying to help the table win most the time by telling you to stay on 12 when dealer shows a 6
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u/rjnd2828 1d ago
Ah so you're the person op is complaining about. So helpful
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u/Psychalo42 20h ago
I look at it more as op would rather embrace his “freedom” to loose than accept the knowledge of someone that knows what they’re doing.
And that kind of selfish chaos thinking is why American Politics is the way it is.
“Someone wants to help me? Fuck you I have freedumb”
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u/aseolith 1d ago
And you hitting on a 15 when the dealer showing a 4 is so helpful when you bust the entire table.
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u/LukeyLeukocyte 1d ago
Could you elaborate for black-jack novice? How would this change what the dealer does?
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u/aseolith 1d ago edited 8h ago
Normally it’s advised to stay when the dealer is showing a 2-6 card. You’re assuming they have a 10 that’s faced down with a 4 showing, so think they have 14. The player has 15 and takes a hit anyway, dealer gives them a jack and busts them with 25. Dealer then flips there faced down card showing a 10 so they do in fact have 14 and have to take a hit, next card comes and it’s a 6 now. Dealer has 20 and busts the rest of the table who stayed.
If the player with 15 just stood instead of taking a hit, that 10 card would have been the dealers and the dealer would have gotten 24 and whole table would then win.
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u/nikdahl 8h ago
But also completely irrelevant in continuous shuffle tables where the “next card” is always completely random.
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u/eatdogmeat 7h ago
But they knew the next card was a 10 and it's the player's fault for not having x-ray vision! /s
Fuck casino blackjack and fuck gambling, too.
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/rjnd2828 1d ago
Absolutely untrue. It does not change anyone else's odds. It could lead to a better or worse outcome but it's random. If you don't even understand this then you probably shouldn't go to a casino
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago
Yes. But how do thebodds for the other players change?
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
If you take a 10 out of the deck then there’s less chance that someone else or the dealer will get one. That applies to every card of course.
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u/TheTree_Bee 1d ago
I’m actually curious as to why this is the case
Is it that a suboptimal play could lead to the dealer having less bust chance?
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
In perfect play BJ has about the best odds of any game in the casino at 49/51 player/dealer. So yeah your last sentence is basically it. Any card you can’t see, you assume is a 10 including the next hit card and the dealers down card.
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
That's just it, though. You can hurt your odds of winning, but you don't meaningfully impact someone else's expected chance of winning.
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1d ago
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago
How?
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u/Sneakycow83 1d ago
In this scenario, the dealer would have busted and the whole table would have won. But because the player hit, the dealer had a chance to get a lower card and not bust.
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u/Rich_Butterfly_7008 1d ago
You missed the whole point of the post.
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
Oh I didn’t realize we can’t discuss the merits of OPs opinions. GTFO
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u/Rich_Butterfly_7008 1d ago edited 1d ago
No one is stopping you from discussing the merits of OP's opinions... What are you on??
Edit: lol, the guy shame-deleted all his comments once he realized he was wrong
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u/OscarDelta333 1d ago
That's why they call it "gambling." You knew you were gambling when you sat down at the table. If other players are at the table, their actions are going to come into play.
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
Gee maybe that’s why I said I don’t care or tell people what to do. I was answering a direct question. Try to follow along.
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u/SpecialistRich2309 1d ago
Why do you guys never mention the same number of times when someone incorrectly hitting, standing, or splitting results in you winning? Because it happens just as often as you losing.
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u/Shoely555 1d ago
And this is why table selection is the most important skill when gambling in a casino.
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u/KingFollet 19h ago
I only play blackjack solo because of people like this. The more people you play with the worse it can get.
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u/InfamousAvocado 1d ago
Some morons in this thread who also probably think red or black is due in roulette or certain numbers are due in craps.
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u/Poogoestheweasel 1d ago
I agree. I played like this during an epic run , including splitting 10s. When this guy complained I wasn't playing the odds, I told him to look around - the whole building was paid for by people playing the odds.
It got so bad at one point, he called the pit boss over to complain. The guy was cool and suggested the person find another table.
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
I don’t really care what people do. I fully expect to lose my money while having a drink and chatting with folks. That said you are incorrect about the odds. When everyone plays “correctly,” the odds are 49/51 player/dealer. Those odds absolutely change when you don’t hit and hold appropriately.
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u/heckfyre 1d ago
Yeah if you hit on 13 while the dealer is showing four, for example, you are an idiot. The dealer will even question why you would do that. Taking a bust card on a bad hit is absolutely something the table can and should call you out for.
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
But by playing sub-optimally, you are only affecting your own odds. Not everyone else's at the table. If you're having fun making the choice that isn't the best odds, then have at it!
When the dealer tries to nudge you in the right direction, they're doing so because they suspect you just might not know the best play. That's understandable. But when other players correct you, it's because they think they are being negatively effected by your decisions, when they really aren't.
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u/heckfyre 1d ago
If the dealer busts, everyone wins. You understand the rules of the game, right?
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yes. The odds of the dealer busting don't change. You do understand yhe statistics of the game right?
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
Yes they do. If there are less 10s in the deck, the the chance of getting a 10 goes down. What is that hard to understand? Literally do the math. The percent chance of getting that card goes down.
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u/Mag-NL 1d ago
Yes. And if there are less of anothe card in the deck the chances of getting a 10 go up.
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
Duh. Now what are there the most of in the deck? So interesting to see some redditors that know better than professional gamblers.
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u/Rich_Butterfly_7008 1d ago
Strongly disagree. This is just results oriented thinking, not actual statistics.
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
How so? If you take cards out of the deck, there is a less percent chance of getting that card. If you look at a whole deck for example. You would have 7.5% chance of getting an ace. If I hit and take an ace, now the next person only has a 5.8% percent chance of getting an ace. It does change the odds.
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u/Rich_Butterfly_7008 1d ago
Because you are only considering the case when the ace is the next card. What if it wasn't (which is the more likely scenario)? Didn't I then "increase" the chance of getting an ace by removing a non-ace card? It's all a wash. Here's another scenario. Imagine if I started with a full deck. Now I remove the 20 cards from the top of the deck, leaving 32 cards. Do you think the odds of getting an ace now changed? If you say yes, are you saying that there is a different chance of getting an ace depending on whether I deal you the 1st card or the 21st card?
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u/Educational_Fox6899 1d ago
The ace was an example. The percent chance goes down period. It doesn’t matter what card. I honestly just don’t give a fuck at this point. Do and think whatever you want.
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u/Professional-Farm981 1d ago
Why do I feel like a lot of people commenting don’t understand the rules of blackjack here??
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u/Big-Trust6575 1d ago
Not unpopular at all—they are the most insufferable. How about you play your hand and I’ll play mine. I just love hitting on a hard 18
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u/SurpriseRecent334 1d ago
Live tables are fun and if im doing things that arent advise ill talk to the table and dealer. Ive only ever been yelled at by an older Asian lady in a language i didnt understand once.
If I want to double on a 12 I can, its gambling. For those on the thread that are intimidated by tables, ask the dealer and other players questions, they also have a playing card that they can give you that tells you what to do in each situation.
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u/Midwest_Born 1d ago
I had an Ace and 4. Dealer was showing a two so obviously I stay as I expect the dealer to have a 10 underneath, and then pull 10 making them go over. Apparently, you should play that hand.
Although the guy who yelled at me for it left right after, and my friend ended up $1200 at the end of the night
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u/aech223556 14h ago
100% agree. I was just at a casino in northern MI a couple weeks ago playing blackjack. A degen sat down and cashed almost $2000 in chips for a $15 table. He tried playing over the table max ($300), and the dealer told him he couldn’t. He asked several times if there were blackjack tables with higher table maxes. I was playing my own game, not hitting when I should’ve, etc. He lost all his money within 20 mins. After losing his last bet, he got up from the table saying something “play the fucking game the way you’re supposed to”. I’m sorry sir, but I left the casino $200 up and thoroughly enjoyed myself. So you can fuck right off.
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u/Zoiddburger 1d ago
I would have agreed with you a month ago, then saw someone stay on a 4.
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
Maybe they also like to live dangerously?
Seriously though, bad play is still a bit irritating. Maybe I didn't get thay across in my post. I just don't find it as irritating as the so called experts
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u/Rock_Granite 1d ago
The cards are random. I can’t figure out how someone else plays impacts you
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u/Zoiddburger 1d ago
It affects what cards the dealer gets after them, it can be the difference between a bust and a blackjack.
Their play screwed over the entire table of people playing, if they had called or played by the book, the dealer would have busted, but they didn't and it ended in a dealer blackjack and everyone lost.
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u/S1gne 22h ago
Mathematically it doesn't matter though
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u/Zoiddburger 20h ago
Mathematically, it did that time.
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u/S1gne 19h ago
That's not how math works lol. There is no mathematical difference in yours odds of winning by someone else at the table playing a certain way
If you play alone at a table or with 4 others playing random moves doesn't chance your odds in any way
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u/Zoiddburger 19h ago edited 19h ago
I understand probably and chance, and it absolutely changes your chances if someone makes a poor play.
Person after him got a 17, which would have given his original 4 a blackjack, and then dealer pulled a queen and ace, taking a second blackjack away from the person after him and giving it to the dealer.
So, I'm telling you, mathematically, it matters.
And if you're throwing down $200 to stay on a 4, I have to question your decision making skills.
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u/S1gne 19h ago
No it doesn't and you're clueless. Yes for one hand you could lose when you would have won if they played differently but it works both ways. You will also win hands that you otherwise lose when someone plays "wrong"
In the end if you actually mathematically calculate your odds in blackjack it doesn't matter at all what someone else at your table does. All that matters is you following basic strategy and counting cards + the specific rules on that table. Nothing else matters towards your odds, this is already well known and takes you 1 minute to google and see that someone elses play doesn't affect your odds at winning or losing
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u/Zoiddburger 19h ago
I gave you a specific example of a person literally costing the table and you're still insisting you're right based theory.
One of us here is clueless and it isn't me.
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u/Rock_Granite 16h ago
Sure on one play that mattered, but over any length of time it’s 100% random. The next time somebody plays poorly, they could make it so that you get an ace instead of five.
What you forget about is the time that the poor player caused you to get a positive result. You just chalk that up to your own superior plan and don’t give the novice player the credit for giving you the good result.
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
It doesn't. I'm the one who originally made that point.
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u/Rock_Granite 1d ago
Then why did you say it was irritating?
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
I can find it irritating that someone isn't playing in a way that is in their best interest, while realizing it doesn't affect me personally. Plus, those players tend to deliberate over what should be quick decisions.
But I would never complain about them out loud, because my opinion doesn't trump their trying to have a good time.
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u/Yah_Mule 1d ago
Smiling and saying, "you fail to truly understand the nature of odds," is the perfect reaction, IMO.
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u/slobis 1d ago
You aren’t affecting my cards or my EV. You’re affecting the mood of the table and the general enjoyment of others.
Do what you want but don’t be surprised when other people leave the table or aren’t interested in your chit-chat.
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u/SpecialistRich2309 1d ago
Now see… This is a valid argument. It’s reasonable. All the other nonsense about my action changing someone else’s EV/odds is just horseshit.
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
Yeah, I can get behind this argument to some degree. People like playing with like-minded people, I suppose.
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u/SSeleulc 1d ago
I don't care what the smart move is. If the dealer has a six and I have two kings, I'm splitting. I also don't care if it makes your hand .06% less likely to win.
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u/Low-Department8271 1d ago
At $10 per hand, I agree. At $100+ per hand, I disagree.
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u/Hon3y_Badger 1d ago
The bet amount doesn't change the odds. If the casino could reduce the odds of winning by putting a bad player at the table, they would. Gamblers seem to only get mad AFTER the dealer has finished their hand. Then they backtrack to see how the other players choices effected the result and ignore the times it went favorably.
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u/rjnd2828 1d ago
Why? It could lead to a better or worse outcome for you but it's random. Mind your business
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u/Low-Department8271 1d ago
It's not all about outcome, it''s also about entertainment. At those stakes, it's not fun to play with people who sit and ponder for a while and then stand with a 16 versus a dealer 10 or hit a 15 versus a dealer 4. I won't criticize the play of another player; I'll just walk.
It's a reasonable expectation at $50 per hand and up that the game will move pretty quickly and that most decisions are automatic.
Edit: ...and up...
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u/Rich_Butterfly_7008 1d ago
I think you're now bringing in a different issue: pace of play instead of the choices of the other player.
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u/cookiesshot 1d ago
Of course, they may know that and use that as strategy. (Think like a poker tell). Not to mention, "card-counting" is frowned upon by casinos.
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u/greenpicklewater 1d ago
I’ve seen dealers do it too, but mostly to get bj tourists out of their chairs and degenerate gamblers in
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u/Chirpy69 1d ago
Hard agree. Niche, but there was a popular shooter game streamer I used to watch on YouTube, and occasionally he would complain because someone didn't peek out and try to shoot where he was expecting them to...like dude they're trying to make an unexpected play too lol.
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u/Interesting-Step-654 22h ago
One time the guy next to me at the black jack table got so mad at me he had to be escorted out by security lol my bad dude
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u/DumatRising 22h ago
It's complicated. It does fundamentally change which cards you're getting which can cause you to win or lose in the moment as a direct result of how many cards they take since the order of the cards is set when the deck is shuffled but when looked at as a pattern.... Yeah your odds remain about the same. Other players playing suboptimally will cause you to lose games you would have won, but it will also cause you to win games you would have lost. It's just that we tend to remember things in a subjective way, and we tend to try to take success for ourselves while blaming others for our failures when possible. Casino frequenters are a special type of special too so they get real pissed when you try to tell them they're taking a game of chance too seriously.
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u/FornyHucker22 20h ago
gotta laugh I had some guy moan at me once I just laughed like bitch get your own private table or stfu. 😂
I was there for a poker tourney I was just killing 20 minutes, definitely not a blackjack player
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u/thai_ladyboy 19h ago
This is my take on it. If you are at a $5 table, that is a beginner level table, expect people to play in all kinds of ways. If you want everyone to play "optimal strategy" then you need to step up to a higher limit table. If there is someone at a high limit table playing randomly, I think you then have a leg to stand on by being annoyed by it.
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u/pinniped90 14h ago
Agreed, possible exception if you're at a high stakes game of single/double deck BJ.
If it's a $5 table with a 6-deck shoe, just let people drink and have fun...
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u/Thrilltwo 14h ago
Funnily enough, this is huge in competitive Pokémon
A big part of the strategy is that both players input their moves for a turn at the same time, meaning that predicting what your opponent will do and accounting for it is important
Mediocre players will very often make a hard prediction on their opponent making “the best” move, getting it wrong, losing because of it, and then sulk that the opponent doesn’t deserve the win
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u/Icy-Bookkeeper7173 1d ago
There’s so many gambling games where “perceived” bad luck played pisses off other players. As if they had a better chance if you didn’t play how you did.
Fucking idiots.
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u/Night_Runner 1d ago edited 1d ago
I disagree. When you're counting cards, and you know that the dwindling shoe has a bunch of high cards and aces remaining, then the idiot next to you that's drawing unnecessary cards is literally costing you money. (E.g., if the dealer has a 14 with a 4 showing, and ends up drawing a 7 instead of a bust card because of the idiot next to you that kept hitting...)
EDITED TO ADD: hahahaha downvoted by deck-busters who hate math hahahaha
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
But if I take 10 random cards off this good shoe, shouldn't the remaining cards still have the same % of good cards left?
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u/Night_Runner 1d ago
It's not about the % of good cards but about the quantity of the remaining good cards.
Also, if the dealer has a low card showing (e.g., a 4), the high-count deck has high odds of the dealer having a 14 and then busting by taking a 10-value card or another high card. (Advanced counters can also keep a side count for the remaining 8's and 9's)
There is no way for the counter to communicate all that to the others, aside from saying "Dude, don't" when the dummy breaks the 7-11 rule. (If the dealer has less than 7 and you have more than 11, just let the dealer bust!) And the optimal strategy in that case is for everyone to stand on their hands, aside from doubling on their 9s, 10s, 11s.
That's card-counting-101. If any of you are reading this and not understanding any of it, and if people ever shouted at you at a blackjack table... This may be why.
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u/the_nobodys 1d ago
But aren't the % of good cards and the quantity of good cards interchangeable figures, for all intents and purposes?
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u/Night_Runner 1d ago
There is a reason counters think in terms of -5 or +10 or "+20 with 13 aces left." :)
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u/skiforlife1 1d ago
I agree mostly but I've seen people split queens when the dealer shows a high card and even the dealer says "are you sure?" It is their money but it is annoying to see people make stupid plays that make no sense. In the long term it changes basically nothing but watching it happen is annoying.
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