I’ve got you profiled in the first five minutes. By Al O’Grady
hen people ask me what I do for a living I tell them I turn cards, I move chips and I count to 21. After an interesting glance, I tell them I am a blackjack dealer and it’s not work. I also tell them the real work comes from standing for eight hours, dealing with jerks and also dealing with boredom. Let’s focus on the mind games.
One way that I keep my mind occupied during slow times is to play armchair psychologist and profile the players. I have fine-tuned this to the point where I can profile you in the first five minutes. If you are honest with yourself, I am sure you can put yourself into one of these categories.
The Serious Player
At a $25 table this guy will buy in for at least $500 with quick access to another $2,000 if necessary. The cash will be in crisp, $100 bills. He might ask to rase the table limit to a $100 minimum to keep the amateurs
away. While he might think he is a blackjack expert, there is room for improvement. Of all the players that I have encountered, less than one percent play perfect strategy. Including these guys. They like to play two hands or more and they bet aggressively when on a winning streak. Unfortunately, their downfall is what casinos bank on. They get greedy. They don’t know when to walk away, when they are up or down. It’s not uncommon for this guy to be up five or 10 thousand dollars and then give it right back to the casino. Unfortunately, a significant number of these types do not tip the dealer when they hit it big and, on behalf of all dealers, these guys need a kick in the pants.
The Smart, Advanced Player
This is usually my kind of guy. Again, he buys in for $500 but no more. He brings to the table either $100, $50 or crisp, $20 bills from his own bank and not the casino ATM, because he does not like the casino’s ATM-service fees. He knows basic strategy very
well and, in some cases, better than those in the first group. He knows that you double down on a soft 18 against a dealer’s five but he is not always sure about a soft 13 against a dealer’s three. If he is on a winning streak, he will color up his black chips ($100) for a purple ($500) and keeps it in his pocket. He will have a distinct goal in his mind and, once he hits it, he leaves. He knows in the long run the odds are against him. When he scores, he takes his wife to dinner or his kid to a ball game. If he loses his buy-in, that’s it. He takes it like a man, leaves and I’ll see him again in a few weeks. When he does win, he will tip the dealer very well. What’s not to love about this guy?
The Immature Adolescent
These are usually kids in their mid-twenties. My kids are older than these guys. They think they run the world, but they lack maturity, wisdom and class. Quite often they’ll wear a lot of bling and they’ll be pulling out wads of $100 bills. Just where does a twentysomething get all that cash? Successful businessman? Unlikely. Grandma’s inheritance? Possibly. Playing with the rent money? Also possible but (and I don’t want to know the answer to this) they got their cash from some sort of nefarious activity that the police would like to know about. They think that gambling is easy and a quick way to make a lot of money. They will do foolish things like splitting tens and doubling down on 12. Sometimes they will make a big score but they will eventually give it back to the casino. They are in denial that they can lose and, when they do, they will be slamming the table, uttering profanities, and blaming everything and everyone except themselves. These guys still have a lot of growing up to do.
The Casual Gambler
This guy is a classic case of a little knowledge being dangerous. For starters, he does not bring enough money to the table. You need to buy in 20 times the table minimum but these guys will buy in for half of that. He will know some basic strategy but not all of it. He will know you stand on 14 against a dealer’s five but he’ll be lost when it comes to a soft 18 or splitting certain pairs. He often will have unreal expectations and will not know when to leave the table. He could be up $500 but he thinks he can win more, ignoring the fact that he doubled or tripled his money. He loses perspective that the laws of probability will work itself
out favoring the casino. If he plays long enough, not only will he lose his $500 but his initial buy-in as well. Casinos live for players like this.
The Complete Novice
These players have no clue. The only thing they know is the higher hand closer to 21 without going over, wins. They do not know that basic strategy exists. At a $25 table, they will buy in for $25 or $50 with wrinkled $5 bills and they are doing it just for kicks. They usually play Friday or Saturday night and are out with their friends for a few beers. If he does win two hands in a row, I smile at him and suggest that he should leave since he has doubled his money. Some take my advice. For those that don’t, they usually lose it all in five minutes. I wish guys like this would donate that same $25 to a worthwhile charity.
As a student of human nature, I do like to watch people to see not only what they do, but how and why they do it. Almost every one of my players falls into one of these categories and I’ll have you profiled in the first five minutes. So which one are you?
Al O’Grady has been a blackjack dealer for over seven years. He is a freelance writer with an Economics degree and is currently pursuing a degree in Mathematics.
There are also a lot of roulette betting strategies as well as the various casino bonuses but they are for another edition of Casino Life Magazine.
*** This exclusive feature article was originally published in July 2024 edition of Casino Life Magazine Issue 168***
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