I played my first "hole card" today

I rarely play live blackjack but I found myself killing time in a Spanish 21 game this morning. There were four of us playing, I'm the fourth, and I get hard 17, dealer flips an 8. I'm not too optimistic, dealer's been a luckbox so far. So I don't really know how it happened, but while he is messing with the sidebets somehow he flipped his cards over so that a KING is showing, and I KNOW there's an 8 in the hole facedown. He's one of these guys who has really fast hands and movements, but I still don't know how he did it, he seems a little sleepy. What's more, he has no clue what he's done. I look at the other three players, and ain't no one saying a thing, but I think they know.

Anyway, they all rap pat, and it gets to me with my hard 17, now versus the dealer's KING UPCARD. Well, how sweet it is. HIT ME, BABY! Dealer gives me a funny look but hits, and busts me, luckbox. So the hand is over, and I take another look at the players, we all kinda giggle, the dealer says, "What? What's so funny?" No one said nothing.

But I would have giggled more if he'd hit me with a deuce.

So I guess I played my first hole card today. Is that how you do it?

Generally speaking, if it was exposed to the whole table yeah I'd hit it or surrender, if it's a dealer that flashes more often than not you're better off just taking the known loss on that hand and standing.

Quote: mcallister3200

Generally speaking, if it was exposed to the whole table yeah I'd hit it or surrender, if it's a dealer that flashes more often than not you're better off just taking the known loss on that hand and standing.

I'm sure it was a one-time thing and he could not duplicate that move again in a hundred years.

But thanks for the advice. It wasn't something I was expecting or thinking about. I didn't even think of surrendering.

Surrendering does not seem right unless you know the count is very positive. In Spanish 21 there are only 12 not 13 ranks (no 10s). On a hit, three ranks win, eight ranks lose and one rank pushes so your expected loss is less than the half-bet a surrender loses.

Note: If everybody before you stood, the only card they could have that helps you is an ace so just "counting" the current hand would indicate an even better chance of catching a 2, 3 or 4 since none of them were on the table.

Quote: pyiddy

Surrendering does not seem right unless you know the count is very positive. In Spanish 21 there are only 12 not 13 ranks (no 10s). On a hit, three ranks win, eight ranks lose and one rank pushes so your expected loss is less than the half-bet a surrender loses.

Note: If everybody before you stood, the only card they could have that helps you is an ace so just "counting" the current hand would indicate an even better chance of catching a 2, 3 or 4 since none of them were on the table.

Thank you, sounds logical. It was such a fast unexpected thing, my only inclination was to hit, without giving it any thought. It was an amusing situation. I think the dealer needed to go home and get some sleep.

By the way, this Spanish 21 is pretty new to me. I don't even have BS down yet. But I was playing small and just killing time. At one local casino the other night I counted maybe six or seven Spanish 21 tables as compared to maybe three regular blackjack. People seem to love it, and I can see why.

I hit a hard 18 once (not in a tournament). Landed a 3 for 21. Beat the dealer's 20.

Not a tournament.

What happened?
I was on third base, with a pair of 9s, and asked for a split.
Dealer wasn't listening.
I raised my hand for the pit boss as soon as the dealer started dealing me a card.
But as I saw the 3, I quickly lowered my hand.

It was a really fun hand!

Quote: mamat

I hit a hard 18 once (not in a tournament). Landed a 3 for 21. Beat the dealer's 20.

Not a tournament.

What happened?
I was on third base, with a pair of 9s, and asked for a split.
Dealer wasn't listening.
I raised my hand for the pit boss as soon as the dealer started dealing me a card.
But as I saw the 3, I quickly lowered my hand.

It was a really fun hand!

A dealer with a very poor attitude once flipped me an Ace when I held two paints. Gee, thanks. I left right after that, I didn't need his problems to be my problem.