Seat

[Bodarc]

There is something about best seat that I don't understand. According to Norm's book, most pro players would rather sit at third base. Let's assume no advantage for peeking of any kind. Say I am sitting at first base. The tc is +4 so I make my bet based upon that count and put up $ 50 for example. Now the pro at third base puts up $ 50 also based upon a +4 tc. Two other people are playing between us. The cards are dealt. I get a 10, the next person gets a 10 and the next gets a 10. Now the count is +1 and it is the pro's time to be hit. He bet $50 based upon a count of 4 but now the count is +1. He would have only bet $10 on a +1 count.....all of the other players ate up his cards, but the first base player had no one to eat up his cards and he was dealt his first card on a true count and bet accordingly. Why would a person prefer 3rd base after making his bet knowing there are going to be other players that eat up cards before it is his turn and the count will change before it is his turn?? It just doesn't make sense to me to choose 3d base over 1st base if there is no peeking opportunity. Would someone please explain the reasoning? Thanks

[Renzey]

Say I am sitting at first base. The tc is +4 so I make my bet based upon that count and put up $ 50. Now the pro at third base puts up $ 50 also based upon a +4 tc. Two other people are playing between us. The cards are dealt. I get a 10, the next person gets a 10 and the next gets a 10. Now the count is +1 and it is the pro's time to be hit. He bet $50 based upon a count of 4 but now the count is +1. He would have only bet $10 on a +1 count.....all of the other players ate up his cards, but the first base player had no one to eat up his cards. Would someone please explain the reasoning? Thanks

What happens when you get a 4, next person gets a 5 and the next gets a 6? Now the count is even higher for third base. Point is, if the TC is +4, every card in the shoe has a 34.3% chance of being a 10 -- not just the next one. If you did receive that 4 and then a 7, and you could choose to double down with either the next card -- or the very back card in the shoe, which should you choose? Makes no difference unless you have more info than just the count.

[Smartpart]

Some possible reasons:

Endgame playing deviations
More time to think when not heads up for the non 'pro'

I don't know the context of what you are referring to though.

[Bodarc]

Thanks Renzey and Smartpart. That answered my question.

[RS]

For me, it's...

More time to think and process all the other cards -- as well as getting that extra tiny bit of info, especially if it's a pitch game, where seeing an extra card or two can often times be the difference between hitting and staying.

[Nyne]

The advantage to third base is you have additional information when you make your playing decisions. Your bets will be the same at first base or third, but your index play will be more accurate at third.

[Kat]

Would you prefer a plop at third base or an AP? Would either make any difference? ... seeing as the last play could make or break the whole table...

[RS]

Would you prefer a plop at third base or an AP? Would either make any difference? ... seeing as the last play could make or break the whole table...

Doesn't matter who is at third base, AP or plop....unless the AP is me.

[ZenKinG]

How would the true count go from 4 to 1 with 3-4 cards being played LOL.. is this a pitch game?

[DSchles]

You got lots of answers, but no one quite stated the obvious: on average, you get to play each of your hands at deeper levels of penetration than the player at first base, and this directly adds to your advantage.

See BJA3, pp. 46-47, where I discuss this phenomenon, especially for SD, in great detail.

Don

[Freightman]

How would the true count go from 4 to 1 with 3-4 cards being played LOL.. is this a pitch game?

In the old days, (about 3 or 4 years ago>, was playing a juicy 4 decker game with 4 spots taken - I was playing the third, I made an appropriate $20.00 bet. By the time the dealer came to me for my decision, it was then appropriate for me to double 10 v 10. Things can happen very quickly.

[stopgambling]

We should read more ! BJA, Modern bJ 2 , BJ for blood , BJ life , BJ blueprint, and pro bj and a few i didn't have a chance to get my hands on.They all gave me the answer to most of the basic questions that are here and in an easy to understand way as well. I reread them as well so to pick up things that I might have missed out.

[Rainmaker]

There is something about best seat that I don't understand. According to Norm's book, most pro players would rather sit at third base. Let's assume no advantage for peeking of any kind. Say I am sitting at first base. The tc is +4 so I make my bet based upon that count and put up $ 50 for example. Now the pro at third base puts up $ 50 also based upon a +4 tc. Two other people are playing between us. The cards are dealt. I get a 10, the next person gets a 10 and the next gets a 10. Now the count is +1 and it is the pro's time to be hit. He bet $50 based upon a count of 4 but now the count is +1. He would have only bet $10 on a +1 count.....all of the other players ate up his cards, but the first base player had no one to eat up his cards and he was dealt his first card on a true count and bet accordingly. Why would a person prefer 3rd base after making his bet knowing there are going to be other players that eat up cards before it is his turn and the count will change before it is his turn?? It just doesn't make sense to me to choose 3d base over 1st base if there is no peeking opportunity. Would someone please explain the reasoning? Thanks

The likelihood that high cards will come out before the dealer deals to you is offset by there being less cards left to play in the shoe...in other words, while the RC tends to decrease before reaching you, the TC tends to remain static. 3rd base is slightly advantageous because you are making playing decisions with maximum information. In a 6D game, playing first base is fine (although I prefer 3rd). The most important deviation is insurance, and it makes no difference where you sit. The advantage of sitting at 3rd is very small.