Do you just need to ignore other blackjack players?
While we’re huge fans of online blackjack, there’s something special about being able to play at a land-based casino. What you get here is the chance to make your gambling a social occasion. That’s the joy of blackjack: it’s a great and entertaining game, but it’s also one that you can enjoy with friends. You can even make new ones as you play. Read more on the social aspect of Blackjack.
It’s usually those who don’t play blackjack who think that, for players, it’s all about the winning. They truly hold the belief that no player can ever be enjoying a game unless their bankroll is increasing. The reality is quite different. Forgetting professionals, for recreational players it’s all about the experience, and the social aspect is a huge part of that.
That being said, being at a blackjack table by a host of other players can be a little daunting In fact, it can be extremely distracting as you curse their every wrong move. Should you actually care what other players are doing or should you just be getting on with your game and ignoring them? That’s what we’re going to be talking about here.
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Avoid those looking to dish out advice when enjoying the social aspect of Blackjack
When you look around a blackjack table, you’ll always find at least one player who’s keen to tell you how to play. This is true for blackjack more so than for any other casino game. Now, there’s no harm in someone who may be more experienced than you who is merely looking to help. However, the true motives of these people are usually quite different.
You see, they view you as a novice and they believe that any little mistake that you make is going to have a huge knock-on effect on the game as a whole. Now, players should realize that this really isn’t the case. The fact of the matter is that blackjack is player vs dealer. What another player does is irrelevant, so you’d do well to ignore these seemingly helpful players who want to tell you how to play, poorly to benefit them.
The dawning of reality
The thing is, what one player does at the table is not going to have a long-term impact on anyone else. They may play some really bad blackjack or they may play a blinder of a hand. Either way, the impact is in that moment, and as you move on that impact is gone.
Realizing that this is the truth can be a game changer for those who play blackjack. It is a common sight in casinos when supposedly experienced players just can’t hold in their emotions. Perhaps they’ve been trying to play perfect basic blackjack strategy, but then along comes a novice who throws a spanner in the works. You’ll see these players, or rather hear them, as they show their utter contempt for such a stupid move. There will be moans and groans as they truly believe that another player has just ruined their game.
Do they realize how obnoxious they are?
When these players open their eyes to the reality of how their behaving, they should realize how obnoxious they really are. They should also recognize that they’re letting the fun of the game escape them as they get more and more obsessed with winning. The fun can only really make a comeback when a player realizes that the bad moves made by others will simply even out and cause no long-term damage to anyone else. Understanding this is nothing short of liberating.
Enjoy the social aspect of Blackjack but focus on your game
Once you experienced the same dawning, you’ll approach your games of blackjack in a completely different way. Why? Well, you’ll know that the player sitting next to you can’t really do you any harm. You’ll know that one stupid move by someone else isn’t going to destroy the house edge. You’ll know for sure that no matter what anyone else does, they can’t screw with your bankroll.
All this means that you can focus on your cards and the decisions that you’re going to make. It means that, if you want to, you can even enjoy a chat with the other players. This is where the real socializing comes in as your talking to have fun rather than trying to manipulate how someone plays their hand as you think it’ll benefit you.
So, other players cant impact me, right?
Well, not quite. Okay, okay, we’ve spent this long saying that you need to focus on your game and really not worry about other players but, just like in many areas of life, there is an exception. In fact, if you count cards there are actually two:
- The more players sat at the table, the lower the win rate. Those who are serious about card counting will play heads up with the dealer because of this. Every extra player that comes to the table has the effect of slowing the game down. To get the long-term advantage from card counting, you need to be playing as fast as you possibly can.
- Extra players sitting at the table also have an impact on single deck penetration. At worst single deck penetration should only include maybe one or two other players. If you try and play with 4 players, or even more, the dealer will generally need to shuffle after you’ve only played two rounds.
Final thoughts on the social aspect of Blackjack
Generally speaking, other players can’t impact your game of blackjack. More specifically, what we mean by that is that the decisions made by other players will not affect your chances of winning and, in the long run, they’re not going to make you lose. The outcome is always going to be down to the decisions that you make as well as a helping hand from Lady Luck.
While the number of players at a table can have an impact, this isn’t really about how they play, or what they do. It is simply their presence that affects the game. The important thing, overall, is to remember that blackjack is supposed to be fun and you should immerse yourself in the social aspect of it rather than wrongly seeing other players as being your competition.
| 21+ | Terms & Conditions Apply | NJ Residents Only | ||
| $25 FREE on Signup 100% up to $1.000 on First Deposit Hotspot Leaderboard | Visit Casino |
