I rarely do anything but smile. That either pisses them off more, or convinces them that you're an idiot. I could no more care about them than characters in a video game.
I generally don't let the ploppies get to me, but sometimes it's hard. On my last couple sessions, I had the pleasure of sharing the tables with some real "knuckle-draggers". These people are dumber than your average poppy. In situations like this, it's hard to bite your tongue. Just don't let them influence your play and just nod your head and smile.
Last edited by Ryemo; 07-25-2015 at 09:01 PM.
Most of you speak from the Las Vegas perspective "what do I care, I am not going to see them again". However, for those of us who are regulars at a local casino, we are going to play with the same ploppies several times a week. Thus, some politeness and ocassional concessions, as long as they do not cost you tremendously, are okay. For example, there are a couple who do not like me switching from 2 hands to one and back. When I happen to sit at a table when one of them is already there, I will sometimes play one hand only or let them know ahead of their placing a bet that I am cutting back to one hand (always, they reduce their bet to a minimum because they are convinced it would screw up the table). On ocassion, if it is close, I am at third base and have a 12 against a 2 or 3, I might ask the table if they mind if I hit. Mostly they shrug and I do what the count requires (they don't ***** if they failed to say anything) but sometimes they might say (don't hit!) and if it works out, I thank them for their advice. If it does not work out, they usually stop telling me what to do the next time.
Hey, ZB!
You nailed it on the head again as far as I'm concerned. The OP didn't say what kind of situation he was in but it's well worth exploring. The way you handle stuff like this is the key to longevity at a local joint for a PTPP. You just cannot play perfectly, like a CC robot, if you want to blend in and be welcomed at the same 2-3 joint(s) over and over and over... for years! There are countless examples and it's not something where you can just list off all the things you have to do to blend in.
Rather, it's something you pick up after MANY hours of carefully observing what will work and what will cause trouble at any moment. This can vary depending on the table, your bet, other players' bets, the seat position people are in, the dealer, the floor people, the time of day, whether the drink lady has just arrived, what song is playing on the Muzak, the number of low (or high) cards on the table, etc., etc. The list is endless and it requires judgment, timing, alertness, creativity, etc. in an effort to try to blend in while still playing with an edge.
E.G., if you have a minimum bet out and you KNOW your 'normal' play will cause problems for some reason, you can ameliorate the problems by being creative. Ask, "What does the book say" if you know that's what you want to do anyway. Or, ask the guy in 3rd base what he wants you to do (since your bet is only a minimum bet). Or, ask the guy with the BIG BET (at the moment) out who is sitting to your left what to do and make a big deal out of NOT screwing up his hand (remember, you've only got a minimum bet out so you're just buying good relations at the table). If YOU have a large bet out, you can "go with a hunch" and do something you know people don't like but, if you have built up a reserve of good will with the people at the table, they will often "forgive you" for screwing up this time and the moment will pass, unnoticed.
Again, this is for the PTPP who is at the same place(s) over and over and needs Extreme Longevity. The mind set for such a PTPP must be completely different than the typical martial approach recommended by others to CC.
Thanks for sharing your experiences!
SiMi
Was not sure if you meant "educate" or "etiquette" but the word you used was not either.Originally Posted by Cajun
To the matter of your comments:
There are numerous smart ass remarks I can enlist for such but if I feel a response is necessary then the first one is that "I am here to gamble and I play my hunches and I assure you that any play you make will not upset me".
All of my other comments tend to piss them off anyway, so "attract no attention" is the first priority.
On numerous occasions I have been asked to wait to enter until the shoe ends and I reply "I would rather not wait and place my bet". If it escalates, I simply leave the table since I am generally doing this at a 2 X chunky black which has its own ability to generate attention.
Correct NO ONE on their play mistake, if asked plead ignorance. Sometimes she is so cute you must reply, so "well, I'm not sure but I would......" otherwise "do whatever you like, it will not bother me".
Being sociable but not so visible is a worthwhile skill to develop.
Last edited by Stealth; 07-26-2015 at 10:21 AM.
Luck is nothing more than probability taken personally!
Playing your hand "wrong"with a modest bet generally
has an e.v. change of minus a few cents (¢'s), not dollars.
So very often, what you do means next to nothing.
I have seen many Card Counters that I have trained
getting upset (while winning $500) because they made
a (supposed) error that cost them the royal sum of 21¢ !
Same here. I rarely do anything but smile, too. Most ploppies will calm down after the vent. But some extreme ploppies response are "Are you idiot or stupid, why are you smiling after losing money?" Or "you just cost me two thousand dollars, a$$hole."
That being said, I find a way to quantize the table factor. Supposed I should split tens against upcard six at TC +4.5. When there is a loud ploppy at the table, I will only split at +5.5 or above. When there is an extreme ploppy at the table, I will split at +6.5 or above. However, if the TC is +7.5 or higher, three above the split index, I will split no matter what.
Agree - situational awareness and reverse psychology is important. Good example just tonight - I got back from my local store where I was playing a DD pitch game. The count was way underwater. I had minimum bet out and I get 12 v. dealer 5, so I hit. I figure who watches that close in a pitch game to figure out what each person did after the hand's over. Well the local ploppie/governor/third base notes my play and starts publicly advertising my error albeit in a congenial/paternalistic way, but he's still a little miffed because the table got wiped out on the hand. He has the whole table nodding his way, including the dealer. What did I do? I apologized profusely and said I thought you had to hit 12. Best part of this is that the dealer writes me off as a loser, and the "governor" probably tells his pit crew buddies what a loser I am. On my last shoe, the count tanks after the first hand so I colored up a $500 win. The governor shook his head in disgust again because I was leaving mid shoe and screwing up the cards. I'm sure I'll see him many times in the future. He's my daddy/teacher now...
Got to play with my friend again, yesterday. When I sat down he had a look of not you. So I pulled out my Basic strategy card and said I'm ready. He sat out the whole shoe and played the second hand of the next shoe even though the table was shit I pull out another two hundred to let him know i was staying. He left. Lost money but felt like I won. Before I left I was waiting for my wife, so I decided to play the slots I went to my favorite machine and guess who was right next to me, yep he was, then I hit 150 and my wife showed up it was heaven. BTW it is etiquette I can count not spell.
Last edited by Cajun; 07-27-2015 at 09:52 AM.
Posting Permissions
-*-
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks