Gambling Etiquette Rant -- 07/11/2019

In this week's newsletter, I have some strong opinions I want to express. To give you some context, I was enjoying a game of Free Bet Blackjack at the Golden Gate last Saturday evening alongside the game's creator and another friend who has extensive experience in the gambling industry. We sat at the table with just the three of us, accompanied by two younger men in their twenties who participated at the first and second bases.

Before I continue, let me explain that Free Bet Blackjack has a specific rule known as 'push 22,' which means that if the dealer reveals 22, all player hands will push instead of winning. This fundamentally alters the basic strategy for the game. One of the most common adjustments players make is to hit when having a 12 against a dealer's 4, as well as a 13 against a dealer's 2.

With that in mind, a few rounds into our game, I found myself with a 12 facing the dealer's 4. I cross-checked this move with the game's inventor, who confirmed that hitting was indeed the correct choice, which I proceeded to do. I don't remember all the details that followed, but ultimately, the dealer drew a hand that trumped both of the new players.

In reaction to this, one of the younger men stood up in frustration and muttered something audible. My friend, who was sitting next to me, asked the young man if he was upset about anything. This led to the player launching into a tirade, claiming that only a fool would hit a 12 versus a 4, suggesting that my move was the reason the entire table lost. He then dramatically pulled out a $20 bill and a lighter and pretended to set the bill ablaze, making sure I could see him clearly, but the casino's noise made it hard for me to hear his commentary. He stormed off with his companion following behind.

Firstly - It’s important to note that we weren’t playing traditional blackjack, hence applying blackjack's basic strategy wouldn’t be suitable. Here’s the expected value comparison between a 12 versus a 4 in both standard blackjack and Free Bet Blackjack, presuming an infinite card deck.

Play	Blackjack	Free Bet
Stand	-0.205850	-0.301161
Hit	-0.213839	-0.279823

As shown, the act of hitting in Free Bet has a greater expected value advantage of 2.13%. This means that with my $10 bets, every time that scenario takes place, hitting on a 12 saves 21.3 cents.

Secondly - Had he witnessed this scenario during a regular game of blackjack, he would have been correct about standing being the better move by 0.80%. This specific situation arises with the initial two player cards roughly every 157 hands, implying you would need to wager $393,000 in standard blackjack for the additional expected loss from hitting a 12 against a 4 to match $20.

Regardless, his frustration shouldn't matter. The widespread belief that poor players in blackjack or any blackjack variants negatively impact others' outcomes is entirely false. A bad decision can equally benefit or hinder the table. What perpetuates this myth? It's largely due to selective memory. We tend to remember incidents that align with our beliefs while conveniently discarding those that don’t, viewing them as mere exceptions. Carl Sagan aptly illustrated that humans crave significance, often attempting to fill the unexplainable aspects of life with religion, astrology, and anything else available, simply because we struggle with uncertainty.

So why do so many harbor this erroneous notion that poor players are the reason others lose? I believe it stems from our need to assign blame whenever things don’t unfold to our liking. We resist accepting that \"s#@t happens,\" and instead, we vindictively pin it on someone else, which serves to elevate our self-worth. History has shown us that leaders who target specific religions and ethnic groups to deflect blame often find success in elections. Before pointing fingers outward, I recommend looking inward.

Thirdly - If you have criticisms about someone, at least have the courage to voice them directly. I consider those who throw insults and flee to be cowards. Disagreements will always exist, and I genuinely believe the world would benefit from open discussions where both sides are heard.

That wraps it up for this week. I appreciate the opportunity to vent.

Written by: Michael Shackleford