How to make friends and influence people at the tables. By Al O’Grady
Ia previous article, I have written about how I have you pegged in the first five minutes as to the type of player you are. I can tell if you are a serious, experienced player; I can tell if you are a good player and I can tell if you have not got a clue.
I can do this by how much you buy in for, the currency denominations and the quality of the bills. If you buy in for $2500 at a $25 table with primarily $100 bills, my first thought is that you are in the seriously experienced group. If you are buying in for $500 with $50s and $100s, you are probably a good player. And if you buy in for $50 with crumpled $5s and $10s, you should not be at the table.
The currency buy-in is not the only test. I am looking at how each player plays. Are they doubling down and splitting in basic situations? Are they hitting or sticking when the player has a 15 against my six or are they making an advanced play of doubling down a soft 18 against my five? The currency buy-in, playing basic strategy and just how you hold yourself at the table are all factors that determine what type of player you are
Smarty Pants
But there is another type of player that is in a specific niche; he is the “know-it-all.” This is either the experienced-advanced player or even a good player who thinks he is better that what he really is. He is quick to critique other players’ actions, and he tells the dealer how to deal and – my favorite – he tries to do blackjack calculations faster than the dealer.
If this is you, let me give you some friendly advice: STOP doing this. I will only make a fool out of you. For starters, if someone makes a basic strategy error, do not jump all over him and tell him the right play. At the end of the day, it is their money and they can play anyway they want.
What you should do is always be respectful and politely tell them the basic strategy and why. The inexperienced player will be far more receptive to constructive criticism than destructive criticism. If the inexperienced player continues to play contrary to basic strategy, other than leaving the table there is nothing you can do about it.Players seem to forget that basic strategy is not a 100 percent guarantee. It is only a percentage play. You can do everything wrong at the table and still win, and you can do everything right at the table and still lose. People will always remember the time an inexperienced player made a strategy blunder that cost everyone at the table. Had the player played correctly, the result would have been different.
But there is another side to that story. People rarely remember when the inexperienced player makes a strategy blunder. Everyone wins when the opposite would have been true, had he played correctly.
To Err is Human
Here is another reason you should not act like a know-it-all when comes to basic strategy, I guarantee you that the so-called expert will make a strategy mistake as well. I love pointing out those mistakes to them. They stick on a 16 and I have a seven showing. I pull a four and then a 10, and everyone loses. Had the so-called expert played perfectly, the opposite would have been true. Depending on how condescending the so-called expert is to the amateur is directly proportional to me giving him advice.
And now for the climax for dealing with the know-it-alls. For some reason, they need to show everyone how smart they are calculating 3:2 odds on blackjack payouts, and they can do it faster and more accurately than the dealer. This is low-hanging fruit for me. They will announce that a $75 blackjack pays $112.50, a $90 blackjack pays $135 and a $150 blackjack pays $225.
The know-it-all thinks he is so much smarter than everyone at the table including the dealer. News flash. Every dealer can do these in his sleep. Blackjack payouts are part of the training program for every casino, and we have shortcuts and tricks for the bigger bets that will dazzle most.
The Rubber Meets the Road
Here is a math test for you. How quickly can you calculate 3:2 odds on the following bets?
1. $275
2. $325
3. $462.50
These were actual bets and the know-it-all did not have a clue. Take your time and try to do the calculation in your head. If you can do it in your head, how long did it take you? If you are intimidated by this,do not worry about it. That is why the casino pays us the big bucks.
These were actual bets. I was able to solve all of them in three seconds or less. I do not want to sound like I am bragging but I will put my math ability against anyone. That does not mean I am better than everyone, but I will put my math ability in the top five percentile.
Here is a dealer’s secret for making these calculations. Break it down to two numbers. For Question One, a $275 wager. That is the same as 200 + 75. A $200 wager pays $300 and a $75 wager pays $112.50: 300 + 112.50 = $412.50. Question Two, a $325 bet getting a blackjack. Break it down to two numbers (300 + 25). A $300 wager pays $450, a $25 wager pays $37.50 (450 + 37.50 = $487.50). The last one was my favorite one, a $462.50 blackjack wager. Break it down to two or even three numbers (400 + 60 + 2), the 0.50 we will address. The result is that 400 pays 600, 60 pays 90, two pays three and the 0.50 pays $1. The result 600 + 90 + 3 + 1 equals $694.
The Lesson
For the know-it-alls, simply keep your comments to yourself. Do not criticize someone’s basic strategy. You too will make a strategy mistake, making you hypocritical. Do not try to show off your math ability to everyone. I guarantee those people could not answer the three questions.
You play your game, let someone else play theirs and let the dealer do his job. Good luck at the table and do not forget to tip the dealer.
If someone wants to count, let them. This would truly make blackjack a game of chance for all.
Good luck at the tables and don’t forget to tip the dealer.
There are also a lot of roulette betting strategies as well as the various casino bonuses but they are for another edition of Casino Life Magazine.
***This exclusive editorial was originally published in Casino Life Magazine Issue 187 **
