People who like to gamble will often have their favourite games, and people who like blackjack will generally be dismissive of those that like slots. Those that play basic strategy blackjack will be dismissive of those (non-card counters) who play anything else. But when it comes down to it, basic strategy blackjack is just as non intercative and robotic as playing slots, so what’s the basic diffence? (I tend to play BJ with a few “hunches” on the judgement cals so not perfect basic strategy. I’ve never attempted to count cards. I wouldn’t dismiss anyone who preferred a different game*.)
*Except people who play the Big 6 in craps. Screw those guys.
Well the major difference, for me anyways, is that blackjack is a social game. Sometimes sitting at a lively, social table is better than being alone with the slot machine.
The house edge for “perfect blackjack” with 3:2 payoff (you win 150% of your bet on blackjacks) is less than 1%. It changes when it’s 6:5 payoff (you win 120% of your bet on blackjacks) but not to the point of slots.
Slots are usually 5% or higher for the house edge. I’ve seen that penny slots and other super cheap ones can get up to as much as 10%.
Plus slots is a much faster game than blackjack so not only do you lose more money, you lose it faster than if you’re playing blackjack.
People get pissed at you even if you don’t. Perfect, rational blackjack plays the odds of what you know vs what’s in the deck. The notion that someone can “take” someone else’s card is irrational yet that’s probably what 90% of all blackjack fights are about.
The maddest I’ve seen people get is when the guy playing third base hits and draws the dealer’s bust card. Nothing irrational about it. If the guy stands, as he should, the dealer has to hit, busts, and everyone still in wins.
Of course it’s irrational to be upset at the guy. Ex ante his drawing a card does not affect the probability of any of the others beating the dealer or not. Sure if he hits a busts with a card that would bust the dealer and the dealer subsequently gets a winning hand he has ex post cost the others, but do they thank him when he hits and draws that four that would have made the dealer’s 16 a 20 and the dealer then draws an 8? I’ll bet they don’t.
Blackjack is more social than slots, for sure, but almost any table game is. Some of the lowest interactivity games include roulette, casino war, mini-baccarat, sic bo, and anything else where you make no decision after betting. At least with these you can be sitting with others instead of staring at a machine. Craps is in that area as well, although at least you actually get to shoot from time to time instead of the dealer doing all the work and the game overall is incredibly social. Next, there’s the games where the only real choice is whether or not to make another bet. This includes basically all the poker variants like Let it Ride, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, and so on as well as Red Dog and other games. Then there’s blackjack and all its variants, even if you are playing rock solid basic strategy. At least there you’re making a large number of decisions. Also at about this level is Pai Gow Poker; there’s generally only one way to set your hand correctly but you are in control the whole time.
Any of the table games is more social than a slot machine. Craps is very social and others can be as well. The most social one I know of is a full Pai Gow Poker table.
Well, it’s still irrational but I can live with that. Gamblers are irrational people (and I say that as one) at least when it comes to gambling. What is rude and wrong, however, is when the guy at third base makes the correct basic strategy play, say, hitting a 12 against a 2 and then gets criticized for that.
The answer depends partly on how fast you play the game, either slots or blackjack, and the length of your gambling session. Playing at a moderate tempo for 15 minutes of penny slots isn’t any worse than playing just basic strategy without counting heads-up against a quick dealer for hours.
As for basic strategy play being robotic, that’s true, as many activities are quite robotic, but blackjack does have more opportunity for conversation although gamblers can converse while playing slots too. I didn’t know blackjack players were elitist about that though. Craps is the game for extroverts, and a poker table can sometimes have a social-club atmosphere.
Video poker has strategy. As in, yeah you have 4 diamonds, but you’re more likely to win going with another hand than chasing the flush. If you play perfectly there is still a house edge, but greatly diminished. And free drinks.
Why would you say that? It’s not necessarily irrational at all, if a person believes the utility they get in entertainment value exceeds the utility of the expected loss in money.
As to getting pissed at other blackjack players, that is NEVER cool. The next card’s always random. I don’t care if someone’s holding on 8 and hitting with 18. Their money, their cards, their decision.