oooh...a PROFESSIONAL!

[PhillyNewbie]

Last weekend I had the distinct and rare privilege of playing at the same table as a "professional" blackjack player. He announced as soon as he sat down that he was a "professional, so sometimes the way I play doesn't make sense or pisses people off, just so everyone knows".
1) He had been standing behind the table for 1/2 a shoe (8d), and sat down around TC -1
2) He played table min for about 5 hands, then announced that we were all wasting our time with this shoe (TC was up to 2 when he "wonged" out)
3) Stood on 8-8 vs 6, saying only idiots would split 8s against a 6, since the dealer surely had a 10 underneath (dealer had a 9 and busted)

After the esteemed pro left, I mentioned to the pit guy "I thought casinos didnt allow professional gamblers to play" His answer? "We don't, but that guy can play all day as far as Im concerned"

I just wanted to share my exhilaration at breathing the same rarified air as a genuine pro, and feel so so lucky to have been able to sit at the same table. I just hope I dont get flyered, having been seen talking with him and all

[Exoter175]

I aspire to one day be such a professional as to be able to "announce" to everyone that I am a pro.......lol.

[seriousplayer]

First, one would not announce to everyone that I am a pro at blackjack if that person is really a professional. Second, splitting a 8,8 vs 6 is a good play according to basic strategy. As you mention that he stand on 8,8 vs 6. I am not aware of any professional card counting system that would stood 8,8 vs 6 in an 8 deck blackjack game. From my understanding no counting system will reveal the dealers hole card. It is not even a correct hole card play for not splitting 8,8 knowing the dealer surely have a 16.

Another guess is that he might be calling in a big player. "Saying only idiots would split 8s against a 6" could be signaling somebody.

I don't think from the situation above that guy is much of a professional. I could be wrong.

[Three]

I have been accused of being a pro by other players. I just laugh it up and make a joke about it. It is a really good straight line so there is an endless supply of comebacks.

[PhillyNewbie]

So now he's moved to Philly?

It was probably just a pit stop on his way to those juicy 6:5, 50% pen, 8d games in Atlantic City

[Norm]

I always say I'm a baccarat pro when I sit at a baccarat table. But, they get confused when I split eights.

[Exoter175]

I have been accused of being a pro by other players. I just laugh it up and make a joke about it. It is a really good straight line so there is an endless supply of comebacks.

There's a couple dealers at my local place that call me "The Professor" because of my basic strategy on the table, makes me a little nervous but I play it off well.

I think that goes without saying ex man. lol

I have to laugh at the many NFL Pros I've met over the years. Not For Longers.

Typically, they come up and buy enough chips to play 4 to 8 hands. This is about the time I have sudden urge of thirst come upon me and I seek the waitress that has already ask me 18 times in 20 minutes if I wanted a drink. Then it's time to engage in some light conversation - hows you're boy doin at basketball practice etc.,

NFLs face brightens as he wins the first hand of 20 against the dealers 19. The second hand is a blackjack and kudos for giving the reds and whites to the dealer. Now they get a pair of 8s vs 6. And split and win again. This is usually about when they start to tell me how great they are. A ten and another 10 dealers busts. In the tone of Forrest Gump "I am winnanga"... "Good job sir." Now they boldly bet half of their remaining chips...trouble is the count is now like a -6. Oh boy, they got 16 and the dealer has a 7. Yep...you guessed it - they stand. Dealer flips over an 8 - a quick sigh of relief - follow by "O f*** I can't believe it" look as the dealer gets a 4.

The bright face is starting to transform into a flashing neon light reading "stupid" across their forehead. The only one ahead is the dealer and the player has won 80% of his hands. Life just became Seeereeeeouus. Lightning couldn't, shouldn't, wouldn't, won't strike twice...not to me I'm an NFL pro. So they bet their remaining chips. Oh boy i got 6 and 4 that's 10. Crap...dealer has a 10 up. Their eyes slowly look up to the dealer and then over to me "what should I do?" I dunno, your the pro as I watch the neon sign on his forehead begin to flash rapidly with a -8 count. To even ask that question. Digs in his wallet "o thank Gawd...I got enough to double down". He gets an 8 so 18 isn't bad...right? Dealer flips over a 2 followed by a 4 and a 3. Yesss. I wha-un in FG tone. No sir...you lost dealer sadly replies. Whaaat? Are you sure? yes. 10+2+ 3+4 is 19 - you have 18...Sir.

He walks off in step to the beat of "Another one bites the dust" singing the place just f*** me for the last time...I ain't ever coming back. We both smile...could I get a new shuffle - sure Moses and she shakes her head.

So now he's moved to Philly?

You pretty much described 75% of the regulars I play with hahahahaha.

[bigplayer]

Maybe he really is a professional and he's just using reverse psychology/game theory on the casino (knowing that they know that no professional would announce such a thing therefore he couldn't be a professional).

[Nikky_Flash]

once its past 11pm , I call it "the circus"

[Zach Black]

I also played with a self proclaimed pro who made the same claim last summer in LV. It could be the same guy. A few hand after he made his proclamation I pushed out a 15x bet and the pro still had table min playing

[21forme]

It was probably just a pit stop on his way to those juicy 6:5, 50% pen, 8d games in Atlantic City

Every professional knows 6:5 is better than 3:2. 6:5 adds up to 11. 3:2 only adds up to 5, so it's more than twice as good!

[RS]

I may have shared this story before. It was a while ago, so I'm a bit rusty on the specifics. But it went something like this:

I'm playing a BJ game, I think the min was $5-15. Not long into my session, this guy approaches the table, before sitting announces "Make this a quarter minimum table. I am the best blackjack player in the world." Casino is fairly quiet and slow, so the boss makes the minimum $25. I think the player was attempting to get the table to himself, he looks at me smugly (without looking at my stack), in a way like, "Ha! I just kicked you off the table because you can't bet $25 minimum." Except.....I was min-betting $50, and I had something like 2 hands of two or three hundred out there. That kinda put a damper on his "I'm hot sh**, I'm a big player" attitude.

He bought in for $3-400 and was a big shot betting 1 hand of $25. After every hand, he'd say to the dealer, "I'm the best blackjack player in the world, aren't I? Tell the other players who good I am, no one else is better than me." He says the same kinda stuff to the pit boss when he wonders over. After getting away from this lunatic, the boss stayed the hell away from our table, so that was pretty cool.

He most flat betted 1x$25, but "when the moment was right" (at a TC -1) he would spread to 2 hands of $50, and start talking about his conspiracy theories how the cards are ordered in a certain way, and if you're winning the first half of the shoe, it'll naturally turn around against you, so you gotta "switch it up" and bet 2 hands so you keep winning. For the most part, his basic strategy was pretty good. But he had some bizarre plays, again, "when the moment is right", he did something most ploppies wouldn't even do, like split 4's against "the dealer's Ace" (2), but wouldn't double-after-split his 11vs2 because "You don't double 11 against an Ace, so you don't double 11 versus 'the dealer's ace'." Something else weird happened, I think he split his 3's against a 6, and re-split them again (totalling three hands)...but wouldn't resplit again, so he ended up playing one of his 3,3vs6 hands straight out without splitting it.


He wasn't your typical ploppy, but, he was definitely a ploppy.

[Aslan]

Six 5s are better that three 2s-- what's the problem?