Blackjack has always been a staple casino table game since its beginnings can be traced to French casinos in the early 1700s. Blackjack, or the French game Vingt-et-Un (“twenty-one”), was popular with both aristocrats and regular gamblers. Blast through time to America’s riverboat age and the early 1900s, and we begin to see the modern blackjack card game we know today.
But this post is not historical, nor is it a beginner’s “How-To” guide. It is about Blackjack players, their misconceptions, and the negative ambiance. It’s a response to players complaining that other players’ decisions affect their winning. This happens predominantly in our brick-and-mortar casinos, but is also seen in those little chat windows during online games.
Blackjack Today
The whole idea that blackjack players band together under the same strategy to beat the dealer is preposterous. The game isn’t a team event; it’s one-on-one against the dealer’s hand.
Playing Blackjack has certainly changed. The pandemic raised table limits, and never returned to $5 & $10 being available at many casinos. Here are a few considerations in today’s Post-Covid Blackjack world:
- Finding a 3:2 game is difficult.
- Finding a 3:2 game under $15 in many markets is nearly impossible
- Finding good Blackjack rules is difficult, even with high table limits
- New players woud benefit by practicing basic strategy at home.
- The blackjack table ambiance for recreational gamblers has become increasingly hostile from “experienced players.”
- New players are increasingly berated and bullied due to “mistakes” they make.
It is believed that these mistakes cause losses for those who DO play optimal strategy. It implies everyone at the table should play perfectly for the sake of everyone at the table. The truth is, the game isn’t a team event; it’s one-on-one against the dealer’s hand.
The Vibe of the Table
Encouragement, congratulations, laughing, and positive screams always add to a positive table experience (just ask your friends who play craps!) But sometimes, you sit at the Blackjack table, and you feel an intense, negative feeling with no fun. Look at the interaction of the players. It could just be a bad run at the table. Or it could be players with negative attitudes.
Nevertheless, check the vibe of the table before joining. The above changes to Blackjack today, along with growing labor costs in recent years, have provided casinos with an excuse after COVID to keep raised minimums and closed tables below $25-50 at many casinos. This leaves less desirable seats at positive vibe tables.
Here’s a comment I continued to hear:
You know what really drives me crazy? You sit down at a blackjack table, get a good game going, and then some idiot sits down at third base (the seat of the last player to decide on strategy) and starts messing up the cards with incorrect decisions?
Generally, I don’t even bother trying to dispute this notion when I’m at the table. I just nod my head, change the subject quickly, or ignore it. The fact is, a new player at the table doesn’t bring bad or good karma.
Ken Smith
Ken Smith is regarded as a master of the game, sharing his knowledge through interviews and articles, helping both novice and experienced players improve their skills. His Blackjack Basic Strategy Charts are essential tools for players. These charts provide optimal strategies based on specific game rules, helping players make informed decisions at the table. In the Blackjack Forum, 2013, Ken wrote the following:
[When playing Blackjack]
Other players have no appreciable effect on your results.
Players jumping in and out of optimal strategy doesn’t change the outcome of the game. Additional decisions, such as doubling down and splitting pairs, have the same influence on the same result – nothing.
Reality is a Tough Pill to Swallow
The bottom line is you can win as much, or lose as much, from players and their poor strategy- short- or long-term. Many gamblers stray from the best play because of a “Gut Feeling.” Maybe seeing a small sample of numerous dealer 21s is sticking in their selective memory.
Once, I was playing video poker. I was dealt two tens, but only kept one….three hours of playing will cause that sometimes. On the draw, I was dealt the rest of the Royal Flush. It was my mistake, but I didn’t give back the $1000.
The same things happen at the Blackjack table. A player sitting at third base asks for a hit on a hard 17. The table gasps. The player pulls a three for a safe 20. Instead of that three on the dealer’s 16 (giving the dealer a 19), the dealer pulls a face card and busts. Voila! Each player has a better chance to win as individual players, but not as a team. The player at third base may not even know the correct strategy, but, in this case, it helped everyone.
Takeaway
“Blackjack Bullying” is a reason why recreational gamblers are finding other games. Hostility at the blackjack table for dealers and other players seems to be on the rise. Just remember, other players have no appreciable effect on your results.
So, don’t be that Debbie or Donnie Downer and complain about something that doesn’t matter. Take the good with the bad, and have a positive attitude. Remember, there could be another seat at another table waiting for a “good vibe.”
