Blackjack Rage

[Farfenugen]

Recently I went to Vegas with a couple friends who are heavy blackjack players. Soon after joining them at a table they began berating one of the players, an older gentleman, for not playing how they thought was optimal.

My friends left in a huff after losing their money and I inquired why they acted like such douchebags. They explained that the other player was hitting when he wasn't supposed to and "stealing my cards."

I could not understand this. It does not make sense to me. The next card is unknown so one player hitting has an equal chance of hurting or helping the other players or the dealer, whether the hit is correct strategy or not. I saw many examples of blackjack rage throughout the trip. Am I right or is my logic flawed?

[DonkeyKongThe3rd]

You are absolutely right, how one perseon act on his/her hand has no effect whatsoever on the hands of the other people at the same table in the long run. For some reason blackjack players (even card counters I know) feel the need to blame other players when stuff like this happens.

HOWEVER, they never seem to recall the times when the other players "played stupidly" (not by the book) and saved their asses. I sure remember that time some guy split a pair of fives and saved me about $200.

[AlienBoy]

Your friends are idiots.

The play of another player has absolutely NO effect on the overall variance of the game! I.e. it's pure BS.

AB

[NickMPK]

[ QUOTE ]
Your friends are idiots.

The play of another player has absolutely NO effect on the overall variance of the game! I.e. it's pure BS.

AB

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't quite true, is it?

If another player is hitting when they should be standing, they are increasing the rate of churn through the decks, and thus decreasing the number of hands between shuffles.

So if a deck has a positive count, another player hitting when they should not be will reduce the advantage of the other players by giving them fewer hands to take advantage of.

I've heard some strategies that involve hitting unecessarily when the deck has a negative count to accelerate the shuffle (usually when working as a team I would guess). So the reverse should be true as well, right?

[DonkeyKongThe3rd]

Actually, just get up or sit out during the negative counts and let the other players eat the cards for you.

In the ideal world, a card counter would just sit/stand back and watch until the deck becomes favorable, then he would sit down and play 2-3 hands at once while somehow getting the other players to sit out until the shoe is over or turns unfavorable again.

[IronDragon1]

Holy [censored] people are retarded

[The Monk]

[ QUOTE ]
Recently I went to Vegas with a couple friends who are heavy blackjack players. Soon after joining them at a table they began berating one of the players, an older gentleman, for not playing how they thought was optimal.

My friends left in a huff after losing their money and I inquired why they acted like such douchebags. They explained that the other player was hitting when he wasn't supposed to and "stealing my cards."

I could not understand this. It does not make sense to me. The next card is unknown so one player hitting has an equal chance of hurting or helping the other players or the dealer, whether the hit is correct strategy or not. I saw many examples of blackjack rage throughout the trip. Am I right or is my logic flawed?

[/ QUOTE ]

Your friends obviously do not know how to play blackjack. Voodoo is more of their forte.

[Hopey]

It sounds like you need new friends.

[CORed]

I remember another player getting very upset when I correctly hit a 16 vs. dealer 10 (negative or neutral count), drawing a 10 and busting. He had 11, doubled and caught a 5. The dealer was either pat or made his hand, I forget which. Of course in hindsight it would have been better for him if I hand stood and left him the 10. However, if the order of the two cards had been reversed, it would have been perfect for both of us. Most gamblers just don't understand probability. Blackjack is a game in which hindsight is frequently 20/20. Most players can't even look back very far. If the dealer makes a hand, they will blame the player on third base, and it generally never occurs to them that if any of the players at the table had played differently, the dealer would have gotten a different card. Casinos are basicly in the business of separting stupid people from their money, and most of the people you encounter in casinos are stupid.

[hoopsie44]

Well said.