Blackjack Minding your manners at the Blackjack table

Start off the New Year with these suggestions for improving your experience at the blackjack table:

Avoid criticizing or demeaning the plays or strategies of your fellow players. If you're so smart and are playing at a $5 minimum table, you should move on to a higher stakes game. It's always best to play the game the way it is supposed to be played, but, as the man said "it's your money". If you are dissatisfied with another player, just keep silent and move on.

Convey clearly and decisively to the dealer all playing decisions, allowing no room for ambiguity. In a face-up game from the shoe, make one pass of your hand, palm down, over the cards to show you wish to stand. If you want a hit, scratch the felt toward you with your index finger. In a hand-held "pitch" game, tuck your cards under your chips in the betting circle when you wish to stand. Scrape the cards on the felt toward you when you want a hit.

Dealers don't expect you to tip when you're losing, but it's always a nice gesture when you're winning. At a $5 game, a $1 bet for the dealer a couple times an hour, or after you've won a Blackjack or a nice bet on a split or double-down is appreciated. You may place the tip bet just outside of your betting circle or atop your own bet and then announce your intentions to the dealer. If you place the tip on your own bet, you are in control of the money and can therefore "parlay" a winning bet for the dealer if you choose to do so. When it's outside the circle, the dealer is obligated to take the money in after the decision.

Wait until you're finished playing and you're ready to leave the table before you push your chips in to the dealer to "color up", and wait until there's a break in the action (the shuffle) to do this. It's rude to interrupt the game. If you have an abundance of nickel chips (we should all have that problem!) and wish to color up for black or green while you're still playing, also wait for the shuffle.

Don't hog the table by using the vacant chair next to you as an arm or footrest, or by spreading yourself all over. There should be room for six or seven people to play comfortably. Everyone should have the opportunity to play, especially when it's crowded. Hogging your space is intimidating to prospective players.

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Source.

 

NOT minding your manners is an acceptable advantage player ploy, good for clearing the table of excess ploppies.

 

And a very good one that could even result in well above 100% EV increase.

 

In the final analysis, the above conventional wisdom for ploppy losers, written by a conventional gambling columnist*, is entirely incorrect for a true advantage player.

*(It was a repost that was credited here to John G. Brokopp.)​

Ps - What makes the Sparky OP here SLOPPY is the failure to truncate the article and including the coupon bonus mentions.

Sparky, tighten up your game here!​

 

Gamblers want blackjack games with shallow cuts and good rules and crowded tables. While advantage-players would like good rules, the big deciding point is how deeply the cut card is placed. They would want empty or close to empty tables and really, really stupid floor people.

 

Frank, are there times when you "fail to mind your manners" in order to runoff excess players?

 

I rarely played with many players at the table. I'd play two hands; my wife would often also play two hands or we'd hit the casinos early morning or at times (depending on the casino) when there weren't all that many players. As time went on, I only played the high-roller rooms and usually those tables were empty or almost empty.

 

Oh, wait, I find it hard to be obnoxious --- and that's why I can't understand why some people dislike me.

 

i play by myself , i hate when people jump in. i usualy leave ,i find it very rude especialy if there are a bunch of open tables. it not entertainment for me , im not here to be your friend in here to make money, if i want a friend i would get married and no i dont want a wife its cheaper to rent

 

Playing alone when you have an edge is always better.