Let’s hear it for the bad blackjack players

[zdgp]

Various posters on these boards have had negative comments about bad blackjack play. Some say these people shouldn’t play at all. Others don’t like playing at the same table as the bad player, because they entertain the ridiculous idea that the bad play somehow affects them.

I say hooray for the bad players. Without them, the cruise casino would have to tighten up the blackjack rules for all of us, to make money. They also provide additional entertainment at the table.

On HAL, blackjack is dealt from an eight deck shoe; dealer hits soft 17; double on any two cards; split three times; double after splitting allowed; and one card on split aces. With these rules, the house edge is 0.66%. If everybody played perfect basic strategy, and bet the minimum, the house wouldn’t make enough to pay the dealers. It’s the bad play that makes the game profitable for HAL.

I usually bet the table minimum of $3 or $5, depending on the table and/or time of day. I have seen players betting $20 to $40 a hand do things like split 5’s or double on 9 against the dealer’s 10. (I’m not making this up!) The house makes plenty from these folks.

[jimh49]

Right on! As an advantage player, it doesn't bother me at all how many bad players are at my table. The casinos make most of their money from those players.

It's not the bad players that bother me, it's the idiots who blame their losses on the play of other players.

[tom-n-cheryl]

As I just posted on another thread - my all time favorite STUPID play was on the Carnival Inspiration last month...

A fellow STOOD on a 7-4... yep he STOOD on an ELEVEN. Nobody at the table, nor the dealer, could convince him to hit. He lost (I lost too). In situations like those I am WANTING the idiot to lose, not that he will actually LEARN anything from it...

Tom

[dvrdude]

I've witnessed some goofy plays, but nothing to top that one !
My last sailing on the Westerdam I did, however, play at a table where the third baseman routinely split 10s into whatever the dealer had showing. And if/when he got a third, he'd split it again!! He didn't last very long.

[Harry and Lucille]

Out of my last five cruises, I have paid for three and a half of them on the blackjack table. Luv the game. I always try to sit in the anchor seat. That means that I am playing one on one with the dealer. Many folks just can't play the math and thru poor play can cost the table more hands than necessary. The problem with the last seat is that you have to have a shell as tough as a turtle to put up with some remarks from the other players. Sat at a table where everything I did brought ridicule from a grouchy old player sitting about mid table. I couldn't do anything right in his mind. I was winning consistently and he didn't seem to be able to catch a hand. I politely offered to exchange seats with him and that quieted him down for a while. After a few hands, he started up again. Time to get mental with him. Dealer delt me a pair of face cards and had a six on top. Yep. I split my tens and won. He got so upset he left the table. The other players applauded my audacity and thanked me. Things went smoothly after that and yes, I believe everyone at the table started making money. As I remember, in the next hour or so, we had four different dealers thrown at us. Go figure. As far as Blackjack As An Investment? That the title of a little 13 page pocket sized booklet that I published on Blackjack many years ago. Rules, strategy, odds and money management. Chip management and time spent are the key. I'll be weighing anchor chair in the casino of the Ruby Princess Dec. 6. Good luck all.