Superstitious Table (and dealer)

Hi all

In my last session ( i went during a peak time), i ran into a very superstitious table. Some people were giving me a hard time about changing between playing 1 and 2 squares(one guy left). Another guy got upset when i went to the bathroom (during a negative count).

I asked them why they were getting upset. They started to "explain" to me that when i'm winning the only "luck" i have is consistancy, and that i shouldn't vary my bet or play more squares.

When i started to defend myself (very calmly) i said something to the effect that "what i do doesn't have any effect on anyone else, because you can never know what the next card is going to be."

They went on about how when i started to win, i got greedy and cause all of them to lose!

The whole discussion was very calm, as they were teaching me the finer points of BJ. But even the dealer got in on it and said "consistancy is the key to winning."

So i toned it down for a couple of hands, but on my next good count, i was back at it. There wasn't as much grumbling, but there was some.

How should i deal with this sort of stuff? The casino is small so i don't have much options to move around.

I keep my sessions within 2 hours and play at varying times on different days, but eventually everyone will get to know me.

Thanks
mark

Use the superstitions to your advantage. You are moving to multiple hands because a red nine was last dealt, and that is always good luck. You are leaving the table because a chip rolled sideways, that is always bad luck. Bet more when you feel lucky, bet less when the waitress looks at you wrong. Of course these superstitious lucky indicators almost always correspond to fluctuations in the count, but you don't need to explain that part to anyone.

Be as unconsistent as possible. Soon the "you have to be consistent" crowd will learn to not play at the table where the crazy superstitious fruitcake is playing. This will give you a much better chance to get *gasp* heads-up play with the dealer.

The "you have to be consistent" crowd usually also believes that Blackjack is a "team sport" and will not play at an empty table, they wait for someone else to start playing, and then they all jump in. Your heads-up empty table quickly becomes a full table.

If they say you are being greedy and causing them to lose tell them to F*** off and that you aren't the one taking their money. I usually tell them straight up "f*** that card flow s***." If they don't like it, they can go to another table. Remember, heads up play is more beneficial to you anyway. Be a mule sometimes, you'll find it relieves stress to put them in their place.

I had one know it all flowbee (a dealer from a nearby casino no less) tell me that I "ruined everybody's hand" with my play. She continued that BJ was a team concept and if everybody played "as a team" we would surely win. I told her that I had no desire to play on "her team" and was only interested in the $$ in MY betting square. She got very upset and continued with her diatribe later admonishing me for using surrender, explaining that if it didn't benefit the casino they wouldn't offer it. She also demonstrated her expert status by proudly proclaiming that she had once hit the "bonus" on the Let It Ride table. I quietly played the "buffoon" and continued with my "idiotic play".

Moral: Most people havn't a clue what good play is or is not. Dealers especially do not have a clue as to how to play BJ. Play YOUR game and do not succumb to the chiding of the ignorant, arrogant "experts"