usbarbadosslim93
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27 April 2011 - 12:34am

Ben Franklin Goaded My Friend Into Doubling Down On 15 (Or Why I Think Online Blackjack Is Better Than Brick And Mortar)

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A few months back my friend and I were very excited. We had worked very hard as a group and gotten a full bonus at work. It was the first bonus our company had received in almost two years and we were itching to burn it. We had made a pact that each bonus we earned would be "invested" by visiting a local casino and playing blackjack. The day had come, and we were all set for our adventure.

Bonus paycheck: Check.
Cover story for the wife: Check.
Rockstar Energy Drink for the long ride to the casino: Check.

With that we headed on the road at 5:30 AM, which coincided with our story that was told to our wives who believed we were going to work for a half day training session. We reached the casino by 6:15, visited the customer service section and cashed our checks. Our location had been reached and we made a beeline for the blackjack table.

Our dealer was a gentleman who resembled Ben Franklin and was having a bad day. Being unfamiliar with this casino I was rather rudely shown the mannerisms for the casino's single deck table. Ben was not really a friendly fellow and his idea of banter was to give us his advice on what to do. The advice was awful, and nobody followed it. I had a bad day at the table, and was done within about two hours. My buddy was small chipping his way to a decent return, when Gentle Ben decided he was going to start showing him his colorful side.

The dealer started calling him a "low baller" and basically trying to get him into any bad bet he could make. My buddy tries his best to ignore the guy, but I can sense that his focus is being worn thin by the taunts. I suggest we leave to get breakfast from the buffet, but my friend is still up and wants to play. I watch in horror as I witness one of the biggest crimes against humanity of my generation: Ben Franklin successfully goaded my friend into doubling down on a 15 against the dealer's queen.

It is times like these when I am extraordinarily happy that I am an online gambler. Online I do not have to deal with a dealer having a bad day, or other players giving me unsolicited advice on how to play. I can listen to my own music, and not the sounds of the slot machines going off. I do not have to experience smokers at my home, and my clothes do not become filled with the stench of their vice.

A lot of blackjack experts will tell you that online blackjack is a sucker's bet. It is impossible to count cards because the casino shuffles after every deal. They also say you are more likely to lose your money online because the deals are done much faster than at a casino, heightening the casino's advantage. My response to this; meh.

Personally I can control my deals online, I just take my time and count to 15 between the deals. Counting cards? Yea, ok....Many people claim to be able to count cards, but the number of people who can actually do it is very small. Frankly, I love online blackjack, and find it to be more enjoyable than going to the casino. Sure, it has its pitfalls, but anything in this world does, and to me I find the online world superior to brick and mortar casinos.

By the way, my friend busted his blackjack hand and walked away shortly after, down about $80 from the high total he had accumulated before he was bamboozeled.

auCL-Ed
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27 April 2011 - 5:13am
#1

Oh man that is nasty. Every time I have played live the dealers either say nothing related to your decisions in the game or actually help, telling the noobs not to split 10s or 5s etc. I also don't get it - the dealer is less likely to get a tip if the players keep losing. Or maybe he gets a commission from the casino?

As for the poll, they are different things. Its fun to go with your friends to the casino and feel the excitement especially around games like craps or roulette. But I actually like the faster pace of an online game of blackjack, and I like that I can switch on autoplay if I really want to (depending if the casino offers it). You also get a better range of table limits and even choices of blackjack rules. So I like both but in an effort to not sit on the fence voted online!

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auCL-Ed
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27 April 2011 - 5:15am
#2

Interesting we have a few who prefer land based to online. Don't be shy! Tell us why!

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