Bad tables?

[bjarg]

Edited.

[blackjackomaha]

Hi all.
Is there anything I should be paying attention to when playing that might indicate I need to walk away from a given table?

The term "bad table" is straight from the ploppy dictionary. No such term exists. A range of outside factors can determine whether a game is playable at a given point.

A few factors that can cause a game to be unplayable are negative counts, poor penetration, or poor rules. There are numerous other environmental factors that could cause any game to become unplayable.

[bigplayer]

Hi all.
Is there such a thing as a "bad table"?
The casino I play at has a lot of counters and every time they loose I hear them say it's because the table is bad.
Is there anything I should be paying attention to when playing that might indicate I need to walk away from a given table?
Thanks!

You have a 1% to 1.5% advantage at Blackjack. That means if you play 100 shoes maybe you will have two more of them that go in your favor than go against you. Get the point. Want to get rich quick get an illegal insider stock tip and play the market or get elected to Congress.

You should leave the table when...

1. You've Run Out of Money (Betting Power)
2. The Count has dropped below your exit count
3. You're about to be backed off or 86'd.
4. A Host or Pit Boss who knows you under another name walks into the other side of the pit.
5. You KNOW the dealer is not dealing honestly or is intentionally cheating to benefit you and you don't want to go to jail

and other reasons of which "You've been Losing" is definitely NOT one of them.

[dumbledore]

You have a 1% to 1.5% advantage at Blackjack. That means if you play 100 shoes maybe you will have two more of them that go in your favor than go against you. Get the point. Want to get rich quick get an illegal insider stock tip and play the market or get elected to Congress.

You should leave the table when...

1. You've Run Out of Money (Betting Power)
2. The Count has dropped below your exit count
3. You're about to be backed off or 86'd.
4. A Host or Pit Boss who knows you under another name walks into the other side of the pit.
5. You KNOW the dealer is not dealing honestly or is intentionally cheating to benefit you and you don't want to go to jail

and other reasons of which "You've been Losing" is definitely NOT one of them.

...... if for whatever reason (fatigue, headache, etc.) you are losing your concentration.

[bjarg]

Edited.

[Finrod]

Just yesterday I came across this book at the local used book store.

http://www.amazon.com/Blackjack-The-.../dp/096721825X

Blackjack the Smart Way by Richard Harvey

Wow! This is a ploppies bible if I ever saw one. Not only does it talk about identifiying "good" and "bad" tables, but it advocates in black and white the use of "the flow of the cards" as a legitimate stategy.

The claims on Amazon are that it is a best seller and most of the reviews are positive. Although I noticed one of the negative reviews was from Norm. Several of you are probably aware of this kind of trash, but I was staggered when I saw it.

[BigHow]

In my vernacular a 'Bad Table' would be one that has lousy rules and/or lousy penetration and I would not sit there in the first place.

[bigplayer]

I understand.
What happens for example if you come across a table where all the small cards are coming out together?
Is that a reason not to play at that table?
Or as a counter I need to develop some sort of technique to realize where those small cards are at and not bet big even if the count is high?

That would be a great table to play at. A high count does not mean you will get the big cards, it just means that there are more than normal high cards somewhere between where you're at and the end of the shoe. All blackjack edges are based on averages, sometimes you get all of the big cards before the shoe and you're edge was off the charts...sometimes the count goes up and doesn't come down and you're screwed. Unless you're tracking the shuffle or have illegally marked the cards you never know what you're gonna get. (BJ is like a box of chocolates...sometimes you never know exactly what you're gonna get). Remember, if the count is RC +20 with 2 decks left and 1 deck cutoff, on average, the RC will be +10 when the cut card comes out.

[AussiePlayer]

Just yesterday I came across this book at the local used book store.

http://www.amazon.com/Blackjack-The-.../dp/096721825X

Blackjack the Smart Way by Richard Harvey

Wow! This is a ploppies bible if I ever saw one. Not only does it talk about identifiying "good" and "bad" tables, but it advocates in black and white the use of "the flow of the cards" as a legitimate stategy.

The claims on Amazon are that it is a best seller and most of the reviews are positive. Although I noticed one of the negative reviews was from Norm. Several of you are probably aware of this kind of trash, but I was staggered when I saw it.

Now that anyone can publish a book on Kindle, many such 'books' are coming out!

[bjarg]

Edited.

[Gamblor]

No. If your STing and "know" the next cards are low, despite the high count, you would assume its low, although the avg # of high cards remaining will factor into your count.

[Coyote]

The casino I play at has a lot of counters and every time they loose I hear them say it's because the table is bad.

Sounds like acting to me. I would say those counters are trying to look like ploppies.