Head on Play

I am a small bettor. I went to the Trop on the day shift and was followed by a counter catcher who is short and has a mustache and a light build. He picked up on me when I doubled down on ace-8 against 5. Do you think it would be better to forgo some of these plays?

Answer: Big bettors are asked for names as part of the casinos' promotional efforts. Since you are not a big bettor, the casino people probably want your name because they have identified you as a card counter. What you do is up to you: You can refuse to give a name, you can give your own name, or you can give them a false name. I doubt that they would share your name with another casino.

If doubling down on ace-8 draws unwelcome attention to you, then that is a play you should avoid. I personally do not double down on ace-8 or ace-9 if I trunk my play is being watched.

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Head-On Play

Hands Per Hour
You would rather be the only blackjack player at the table. One reason is more hands per hour; you easily get in as many hands in one hour of head-on play as in three hours of play at a busy table, and if you play fast the ratio can be higher.

Win Rate Per Hand
Another reason to prefer head-on play is the win rate is higher. The more blackjack players, the higher percentage of your hands are right after the shuffle. And the more players, the lower percentage of your hands that are started with a small number of cards left.

Playing blackjack head-on at single deck, with average or better penetration, you will get an additional round even after the dealer has already used half the cards. At a full table you never get another round out of a single deck after the dealer has used half of it.
For multiple decks also, your win rate per hand is higher with fewer players at the table, though the effect is not as great as with single deck.

Changing Bet Sizes
In some European casinos you can increase your bet by a multiple of 50 and nobody cares. In Nevada if you alter your bet size you should do so only gradually. When you are the only blackjack player at the table, the count changes gradually and so you can change your bet size gradually and still be betting about the right amount. When the table is full the count sometimes changes drastically, and you may not feel comfortable jacking your bet up or down as much as the count warrants. So you are more likely to end up betting too much or too little at a full table than when you are alone with the dealer.

Other Comments on Head-On Play
If you have a head-on game and the dealer is giving you good penetration, stay and play through negative counts. But if the table fills up, leave on the next negative count.

Though head-on games are best, you will generally play with one to three other players at the table because you will not find enough head-on games. But those other players have to play quickly. Do not stay in a game with slow players — on the next negative count you should be gone.

You might prefer a high-limit table. Those blackjack tables offer better opportunities for getting head-on games. And the other players, if there are any, generally play faster at high-limit blackjack games.

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