BJ??

[Freddie]

OK, I may be hooked. One of my friends taught me how to play BJ last night, first time I ever played. I liked it... a lot. I did okay at the first bar, turned my 5 into 20, but then lost it at the next place. Anyway, I hear people talking about the strategy cards or something like that, that you can get and have at the table with you. Where do you get those? I am still learning when to hit and stand, and all that stuff. I just kinda go by my gut instinct, but I guess there is a strategy that you should follow (that's what they told me last night, but who could remember! :D )

Any advice would be great! T-6 graemlins/beerchug.gif

[Andsen]

Strategy cards are available at the gift shops but they are not very good. Go to-
www.thewizardofodds.com (http://www.thewizardofodds.com)
Here you will find advice plus playing strategies in grid form (Basic Strategy)that you can print out and use right at the tables until you are able to memorize them. All BJ incuding card counting (I don't recommend for the recreational player)depends on perfect Basic. If you don't know the number of decks in the game you will be playing then print out the 4 deck one. It won't be perfect for all games but so close that you'll never know the difference (less than .05% worse case). Good Luck! graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[ July 11, 2002, 10:54 AM: Message edited by: Andsen ]

[HurricaneMikey]

You have much to learn, grasshopper...

Actually Freddie, you can get a "strategy" card at any hotel gift shop for less than 2 bucks which you can use at any blackjack table. The secret is sticking with it, even when it feels wrong. A lot of people play with their "gut" instead of following basic strategy, and it just ends up costing you money (plus it can irritate some of the other players at the table... :mad: )

Anyhow, basic strategy just tells you when to hit or stand based on the dealers "UP" card, and when to split, double, or surrender. Thats it.

It's a simple game to play, but a little more difficult to play "right".

Between craps and blackjack, you're going to have one fine trip to Vegas next week!

Mikey

[brooklyngirl]

There are times when I follow my gut feeling and it works most of the time. For example, when I have 12 and the dealer has a 6, or whether I should double down or not.

[ChipCollector]

Plese don't tell me you hit 12 against a dealers 6. Barry

[brooklyngirl]

No. I usually don't, but sometimes I get the feeling that I should hit and I go right ahead and do it. Most of the time it works to my favor. I think it's a woman thing, my sixth sense. graemlins/wink2.gif

[HurricaneMikey]

That "sixth sense woman thing" always seems to cost me money :rolleyes:

Mikey

[Andsen]

Don't knock it Mikey-women's intuition is what got my ex's those Big Bucks in alimony. At least with this way of thinking I may get some of it back through the casinos. :D

[HurricaneMikey]

Andsen...

I wouldn't knock it unless I had a couple of $25 bets down and she's sitting at 3rd base at my table, and gets her 'sixth sense'. Then I might be a tad dismayed. graemlins/cussing.gif

Mikey graemlins/laughing.gif

[Freddie]

So, for a beginning player, where is the "safest" spot to sit? They made me do anchor the other night, but Curt was there telling me what to do (don't know if that is good or bad). I have been practicing with a couple differnt things, one is the hit or stand website, but I'm only at about 80 some percent, so..... :rolleyes:

[HurricaneMikey]

Freddie-

Anywhere in the middle. If you sit at third base and make a bad play, people tend to let you know about it.

But if you stick to the cheap tables, it really doesn't matter much. Besides, the dealer will generally tell you what is the right play (except at Imperial Palace--When we were there a couple of weeks ago, a dealer was saying that they were no longer allowed to tell the players the best play. Said he'd get fired for it. Personally, I think he was full of it)

Mikey

[brooklyngirl]

Men!!!! :rolleyes:

Actually, Freddie: I stay away from third.

[ July 12, 2002, 01:29 PM: Message edited by: brooklyngirl ]

[Freddie]

So, is third base the same as anchor? :confused:

[ChipCollector]

Besides, the dealer will generally tell you what is the right play

Most dealers don't know themselfs. Once a dealer told me I was wrong for spiltting 9 against a 6. Barry

[HurricaneMikey]

I've never heard it called "anchor" but I assume that's 3rd base. It's the last player at the table, who gets cards right before the dealer.

Mikey

[Freddie]

Yep, up here they call it anchor. Trust me, I will stay away from that!!! My buddy, Curt, he loves anchor/third base. I figured it was the same, but wasn't sure. I would rather play alone for now, so I don't think you will see me at a full table. I'm not that gutsy! :D Oh, and I don't think I would trust any dealer other than Bill at the Queen here (local bar) because he is cool. The others up here are nasty :mad: Not helpful at all! And here I thought being a busty blond would help! graemlins/ssst.gif NOT! graemlins/beerchug.gif

[Fritz]

Freddie, I'd give you pretty much the same advice that Mikey gave you. Print out a basic strategy card and keep it with you while you play until you've got it memorized. If you stick to basic strategy you'll always give yourself the best chance of winning.

Stay away from third base if you're not confident with your play. Sit in a spot where you feel comfortable. I also advise you to watch a few rounds of play at a table before you buy in. If I see people playing crazy I won't play at that table. I'll also get up and leave if somebody sits down at my table and makes a couple of bad plays (like hitting a 12 against a dealer 6). If it's late I take that as a sign it's time to color up and call it a night.

Also, I generally try to play at $25 tables (if I have the cash to) because I've found that there are generally better players at the higher limit tables. If I don't have the cash to play at that level then I look for a table where everyone seems to know how to play. The odds are still in the casino's favor but I've found that all of my winningest nights at the blackjack tables were when everyone at the table played the game right.

[ July 12, 2002, 09:31 PM: Message edited by: Fritz ]

[punkypete]

I've heard it called third base alot. And the first person to get cards from the dealer is called 1st base. Ever heard that? graemlins/beerchug.gif
Anyway, I just returned home last night from Vegas .... a wonderful trip. I will post tomorrow. graemlins/biggthumpup.gif

[SH0CK]

I never like playing at a table with less than 3 people. I made the mistake one time of sitting down at an empty table and taking the dealer, one on one. Nothing sucks worse at blackjack than having a run of bad hands and your the only one at the table. Your $$$ disappears real quick. (Kinda reminded me of Chevy Chase in Vegas vacation.)

[Freddie]

I guess when I hear people talking about "bases", I don't usually think of BJ! ;)

Anyway - I will probably not play a lot, but I will try really, really hard not to upset anyone. I have been practicing on the hit or stand website, and I'm getting better. It is really hard for me to stand against a dealer 6 or lower though, I keep thinking that I should hit, especially when I have only 12 or 13, but it tells me not to risk busting.... I will keep at it though. Almost packed, T-4 :D

Thanks for all the help, and I'll be looking for ya Mikey! If you see two girls walking around with either a Bud Lite or a Sky Blue, that is probably us! Just yell out Freddie or Lady Di, I'll answer! graemlins/beerchug.gif

[HurricaneMikey]

Hey Freddie-

We'll look for ya! Seriously, we'll be playing at the Imperial Palace on Saturday, during the day, either Blackjack, Craps, or the 25 cent Elvis slots. Look for a big bald guy in a Hawaiian shirt. Saturday night, we'll be playing at Binions Horseshoe downtown. (If you just yell "Hey Soul!" pretty loud, we'll find you!)

I think I mentioned it before, but you can see a pic of me and Eddie on my website, on the Vegas page. I would absolutely LOVE it if ya played some blackjack with us. A mini-meet, if you will... :D

That reminds me of a funny story:

In March of 2000, we were in the Venetian on a Saturday night. The casino was super crowded, and there were about 5 of us just moving from table to table, drinking and carrying on in our normal fashion. Well, this guy walked up to us, and asks me if my name was Mikey and if I owned a "beautiful blue Stratocaster". I told him that, yes, that was my name and my guitar, and he said he saw me playing one night in bar in Fountain Hills, Arizona, a year before! The funny thing was, I was just sitting in with a buddy's band for a set, but I didn't remember anything about anyone there that night. Then he asked if I remember "the girl with the animal print g-string on the dance floor". Well my friends, there's a few things you don't forget, and that was one of them. All my buddies got a good laugh about that, all because some stranger approached me in the casino and knew me and we had a good story to tell.

The next time we went to Vegas, a different guy came up to me in the airport baggage claim asking if I was from Phoenix, and asked if used to work in an office over on 44th St and Camelback. Told him yes, and he said, "Hey, I used to work in the office suite right next to you!". Same group of buddies saw this, so now I had a reputation of random people in Vegas coming up to me and knowing who I was. So if it happens again, Eddie's gonna flip out.

So look for us! Besides, newbies are good luck at the tables, and we need all we can get! graemlins/beerchug.gif

Mikey

[Freddie]

I'll be looking for ya! We were actually thinking about going downtown on Sat night, neither of us have been downtown, so we just have to get there this time. Lets see.... I'll wear my red sparkly shirt on Saturday, then I will for sure stand out! Blond hair with red high lights, and I'm tall. My friend is short with brown hair. So, if you see someone that is about a foot taller than her companion, well.... that be me! graemlins/beerchug.gif Looking forward to the "mini meet"! We'll make sure that Eddie freaks! :D

[HurricaneMikey]

OK! Saturday night it is graemlins/biggthumpup.gif I'll keep my eye out for the sparkly outfit.

We'll be wandering around in Binions about 8:00 pm.

See ya then!

Mikey