Whether you play blackjack online or at your traditional land-based casinos you’ll find a whole range of people who play the game. People from different backgrounds, races, ages, male, female, and whatever other characteristics you can think of play blackjack. Blackjack is a game for all, and here are some of the people you’ll probably encounter on the tables.
nullThe Newbie / Noobs
These are the players who have no idea how the game works. They’re always asking the dealer for help and advice on how to play the game. Saying things like “what should I do?”, “what does this mean?”, “How do I get a card?”.
It usually slows the game down and you’re left waiting for the newbies to learn how things work. There’s always one newbie at the table but what can we do, new players will always exist as long as people are around.
The main thing we see with newbies is the crazy moves they make, like hitting on a 19 or splitting two 10s. The expert players on the table are looking over wondering what’s going through their minds?
Playing blackjack for the first time is probably nerve-wracking for newbies because they don’t want to look bad on the table and lose money. So if you’re an experienced player reading this blog, always remember to help out the new guys because you were a beginner once too.
\Check out our blog about how to play blackjack like a pro.
The Expert / Pro
These players have tons of experience in blackjack. They use the best strategies and moves to maximize their winning percentages and leave the casinos with the best payouts. You’ll be able to spot the expert players from a mile away.
They hardly say anything at the table and use hand motions to hit and stick. They’ll usually tap the table to hit and wave their hands sideways to stick, it’s really cool if you’re new and watching them play. New players can always get some gambling tips from the experts by observing, so don’t be shy to ask.
It’s difficult to tell who the experts are at online casinos on the live blackjack games. You don’t really see their gestures, and it’s hard to analyze a player’s moves to see if they are a pro or not. The experts usually place side bets because these give the biggest payouts. Some of the payouts of the side bet are 100:1, which means for every dollar you bet you get $100 back.
The Sore Loser
These players can’t accept losing and blame other people on the table. The sore losers will usually blame players for taking an extra card or not taking enough cards. Their logic is: if the dealer draws a high hand it’s everyone else’s fault.
They always blame the person closest to the dealer saying “why did you take a card? The dealers beat me because of you”. It can be annoying for other players when they’re blamed for making decisions that don’t favor the sore loser. It’s always best to ignore these players and let them carry on being upset because it’s never your fault.
The Lucky Ones
We’ve all seen that player who keeps on winning every game. It makes the rest of us think “why didn’t I sit in that seat?”. These players have both luck and the right strategy on their side. To win lots of money in blackjack you’ll always need a bit of luck. When you have a proven strategy that works and combines it with all the luck in the world, it’s a recipe for success.
Some players are very superstitious in the way they play. For instance, some players will require a specific drink on their side table or have a certain number of players on the table. When things aren’t going their way they will blame other players for not doing the superstitious antics. Like placing their drinks down, or placing their chips on the table in a specific way.
The High Roller
High Rollers are those players we all look at wondering where the unlimited supply of money is coming from. They’ll ask for the biggest dollar chip and place huge bets every game. It’s like money is liquid to them, an unlimited supply that can be poured onto the table at any time. High rollers make some of the biggest wins, but they also make the biggest losses because they place some extremely high bets.
At online live blackjack, the high rollers almost always place the maximum wager per game. The tables have different maximum wagering limits, it can go as high as into the thousands. It’s always interesting to see if they are going to win and what moves they are going to make during the games.
The Players Who Bet Behind
Betting behind is always something that makes the game difficult for the main player. We all know the person who will go around the table placing their bets behind all the experts and lucky players. It’s always difficult when someone is betting behind you.
Decisions are clouded with the thought of “what will they think if I lose?”. Many players will forget about them and just carry on playing the way they want too, it’s not your fault if the dealer pulls out a 20 when you have a 19. It’s always best to ignore them I’d say.
The Card Counter
This is the person who’s practiced card counting numerous times at home and has acquired some amazing skills. The card counter won’t be loud or chatty, they will have laser-focused on the deck and will be analyzing all the cards being dealt.
These players can end up causing a huge ruckus on your table if they get caught. They’ll also bring a lot of eyes from the staff that checks for those who are cheating. It can get uncomfortable if there are lots of people consistently watching the table.
The card counter is smart, and won’t keep winning all the time to bring too much attention to the table. They won’t make flashy huge bets and rash decisions either. There will be games that they intentionally throw away so the staff doesn’t catch on.
A lot of traditional casinos will have automatic deck shufflers which stops card counting because the deck is consistently shuffled during games. If you’ve got one of these on your table, you won’t find any card counters because it’s impossible to card count at these tables.
The Drunk One
These players have had a few too many alcoholic beverages for the evening. They’re more of a nuisance for the other players and dealers than an interesting player. They’ll eventually take things too far by swearing at the dealer or start a fight with another player at the table. Drunk players are usually removed from tables when they start acting up, so it’s best to sit calmly and wait till they either leave or get removed by security.
The Smart-ass
This player has to announce that they know how to play blackjack and have the ultimate strategy for winning all the time. They’re some of the most annoying players on the table because they consistently try to advise other plays for no reason. They’re very judgmental, making it clear to other players if any bad decision is being made in the round.
You’ll always find the smart ass saying things like “you need to take a card!” or “don’t make that move it’s silly.” It can be frustrating for other players who are a right to make their own decision and play the game in peace. It’s best to ignore them because half the time the smart-ass doesn’t have the best strategy and ends up losing their bankroll.
The Watcher
This player isn’t really a player. The watcher is someone who stands next to the table watching everyone play. They’ll never sit at the table even if there are 2 seats free for them to play. They’ve come to watch the ride and see how the games unfold.
A lot of players like to watch others gamble and find it entertaining. We’ve all seen the watcher and wonder “when are you going to join the table?” and they never do no matter how long you wait. They eventually move onto the other games. Most of the watchers are at the roulette tables because it’s less awkward as everyone is standing around.
Final Thoughts
There will always be fun players and annoying players at blackjack tables. Most players want to mind their own business and get on with the game. So it’s not always someone getting upset or saying something weird. Online casinos are the easiest to play at because you won’t need to worry about other players talking to you or annoying you.
If you prefer silence and only interacting with the dealer it’s probably best to get an online account and play live blackjack. Traditional land-based casinos will always have the social aspect added to them. So if you’re playing to interact with people it’s always a great option.
