Dear dealer: Thanks for the advice, but…

If you go to a record store, you feel comfortable asking the guy behind the counter for advice on music, right? What about a car dealership? Maybe not for buying advice, but you expect them to at least be knowledgeable about the products they’re selling (just don’t ask how they compare to the competitor’s cars). But at a blackjack table, the rules are a little different.

First, you can’t expect the dealer to want to help you. Yeah, the casino probably lets the dealers offer “advice” up to what the strategy cards will tell you as a method of leeway to help them get more tips, but any further than that, the dealer isn’t your friend, brother. And even if he were, if the guy really knew so much about blackjack, what’s he doing at that side of the table? I’m sorry, but if I’m there to make money, I’ve studied and am totally prepared, and I’m not going to turn over my decision-making process to the guy flipping me the cards.

That’s not to say that some dealers don’t know what they’re talking about, but as a general rule you have to smile politely and do what you think is right on each hand. Of course, that brings me to a pet peeve about the players’ interaction with dealers. If they solicit the advice, it’s not the dealer’s fault if they take it and lose. That’s like asking a tourist in Europe for directions and then getting mad at him when you get lost. Not his fault, it’s yours.

Also, can we please stop tipping these guys? Not in all scenarios, as I understand like waiters they make a good amount on the tips alone, but for offering bad advice, it has to stop. We’re rewarding incorrect information with money. These players don’t know better, and that makes observing the situation even worse. We’re reinforcing the practice of giving less than perfect advice (even money on a 3:2 game? yeah, I’ve heard it recommended). We’re enablers, people. Get your act together.

I rarely tip at the blackjack table anymore. I’m not stingy, I just like to reward good service, and it’s hard to come by. I can actually see why many folks have turned solely to the Internet for all their blackjack and general gambling needs. And many of them trust the “virtual” dealer (i.e. Google) for information all the same. The difference is, if the Internet is wrong, you still don’t have the urge to tip it.

Something tells me Google ain’t the kind of search engine that tips out to Yahoo and Bing at the end of the night, either, if you know what I mean.