Last night - had a 16 vs. dealer Ace. Count was high and max bet was out. I was in a fairly sweaty pit - the only DD game in action and one other plop playing with me. Dealer was moving fast bypassing my hand assuming I wouldn't be interested in insurance. I froze/chickened out on taking the insurance. Of course I should have - cost me my max bet.
How do you handle this????
Be alert and quick when you see the Ace. React before the dealer gets to you. If you feel the need to explain (though usually it's best to say nothing), cheer for a dealer blackjack and say it's the only way you thought you could avoid losing the hand.
Opinions and Commentary on the Gaming Industry: The Bear Growls
Do what ever the count calls for. If there's any "discussion" just say the issue is whether or not the dealer has a BJ not the value of your hand.
BTW I read in Beyond Counting: Exhibit CAA that insuring a pat hand produces more variance and, I think, loses more in than insuring a stiff hand.
My Ability in Blackjack is a Gift from God!!
Any time that you are unsure of what your play is --
all you need do is FREEZE the dealer by placing your hand over your wager and NOT indicating your decision;
meaning that you do not "wave the dealer off" by moving your hand laterally or hit by pointing downward with a finger.
In the case of SURRENDER -- grabbing a few chips and hovering over the Insurance Bar, looking perplexed works.
In the case where the dealer actually flips over her hole card, if she shows a Face, the Pit Boss will have to let your
(potential) Insurance Bet be made and you'll get paid, as the dealer failed to follow procedure correctly.
It's ok. You have to read a lot of books, then hit the tables, talk to other players, and learn what works for you. There's a decent amount of black and white in this business (insurance in a count game is one of these areas), but there's also a lot of gray. SCG and I are somewhat similar, and we play very differently from Flash, KJ, or Tthree. Everyone's getting the money, though, which is why I try to avoid hating on people who I'm sure can tell their ass from a hole in the ground.Originally Posted by Bigdaddy
The Cash Cow.
very simple solution...esp w/ a 'max bet' out there...assuming your max bet (actually the makeup of it) is not, say, 1 chip...fyi, ALWAYS make your + bets a combo of chip denominations.....simply ask dealer, "HOW MUCH DO I HAVE HERE?"....buys you time to decide...works every time
...also add, of course, it makes no difference if your hand is 'stiff' or 'made'...mutually exclusive....simply betting whether hole is a 10...nothing to do with your hand....everyone knows it's the #1 index play...so easy to understand the math behind the index being around a 3.....back of napkin speaking, there are 4 10s of the 13 ranks...add 3 more and 7/13 are 10s (over half) and it pays 2:1...favorite play, however admit it can be 'uncomfortable' when you need to actually buy in to place the bet (but worth it!)
This is a little tricky, because when you are in a heads-up situation, you want the game to move quickly (faster game means higher win rate and also means less time your big bets are sitting there exposed) and I do want the dealer to assume many of my moves. Just be prepared to stop him/her, especially as soon as you see a hand you might not play in the 'traditional' way.
I would however not advise that 'hovering' tactic that ZM_Flash mentioned. A hand hovering above a wager will draw the attention of surveillance very quickly. A hovering hand is a 'capping' move and just the type of thing they are looking for.
Rainbow wagering slows the game down and draws extra attention from the pit as they often double check or keep an eye to be sure somewhat unusual payoffs are made correctly. Extreme rainbow betting is also now a know tactic of 'shot takers' looking to confuse the dealer and accept erroneous payments in his favor but point out the shorts.
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