Bringing down the house

[David Ottosen]

No this isn't about the book. But it is about blackjack.

Anyways, in a thread below, Mason states: "The average BJ players loses at about 2 percent". I don't believe this to be true. In my experience, the average player loses at very close to 100% in the short run; perhaps the 2% is correct for BS players, but I think this makes up a very small portion of the clientele.

To get back to the point of this thread, I'd like to describe the three things I saw/heard at a table that brought down the house later when I told them to my friends:

Hand 1: Player 4-2. Dealer Ace. Player: Stand; "No matter what that card is, I don't want it. If its a ten, I lose either way. If it's a small card, I'd rather he have a chance to bust!" (This worked for him and he won, and was roundly thanked)

Hand 2: Player: T-4 Dealer: 10 Player: Double down. To be fair, this man had been drinking rather substantially. (He won this hand and very very briefly received some heat much to my amusement. He and I were the only ones on the table, so no comments other than me saying "Sir, you're a braver man than I!")

Hand 3: Player: 4-A-6 Dealer: Ace; Player: Hit. "I have to get that ten out!" (This time, he was punished for his stupidity as the dealer jacked, and then berated by the table).