ploppy basic strategy
Dealers have learned what they think is the right way to play blackjack from the exact same people that they take money from everyday in the casinos.
Some of the very distinct plays of this ploppy basic strategy are to stay with all soft 18's, never split your nine's, and do not hit 12 vs 3. They seem split on hitting 16 vs 7-A and hitting 12 vs 2, as if all of these are kind of borderline.
So just like the secretive bomber, I get called greedy if my split of 9's or double of soft 18 results in negative variance, but never a word is said (except to call me lucky sometimes) when I land up winning. Hit a soft 18 and get a 3 or even a 5 followed by an 8 and people just shake their heads in amazment.
Recently had a hand where a school marm look alike compulsive gambler game me a lecture on how bad of a "team player" I was. Of course, she is correct. I would be a better team player if any of my, so called, teammates on the table ever covered my losses. What happened was I split 9's vs a dealer 6, while the other players were all staying on stiffs. I land up with 4 nines plus a double down and a 19-21 on each hand. The dealer turns 16 and pulls an ace, so everyone loses and I win 5 bets.
Within her lecture was her point that I had already had a "perfectly good" 18 and was just greedy. I not so humbly admitted to being greedy and that when the dealer is showing something like a 6, I will get more money on the felt if I can. About 3 hands later I double A,8 against a dealer 5, win the hand and she storms off shaking her head, saying loud enough for everyone to hear, "worst blackjack player in the world." I could only hope the pit agreed with her.
Of course the dealer kept complimenting me on my nice run, which translated into English means, toke me, toke me toke me.
Just making more friends on the blackjack tables.