Playing with Another Counter

I sat down at a blackjack table a few weeks ago and quickly noticed the other guy was counting.

I love these situations- I will play basic strategy and flat bet table min and just watch.

This dude was spreading to two hands of 4 units each, or flat betting 1 unit in a double-deck game. He would take insurance when he had a max bet out. Otherwise he did not use any index plays. Also, he made a few basic strategy errors (cover?) for the double-deck game. Still good enough for a winning game, I guess.

I wonged out a few times and let him eat the small cards. Then a few other players joined the game and I split.

Does anyone else do this? Just watch another counter, and evaluate their game?

umm...No. Lol.

Generally, for a counter playing with another counter is a negative. The first counter may be drawing attention and as a result everyone at the table is sort of under review. Plus there is absolutely nothing worse than two counters raising and lowering bets in tandem.

Some counters view this another way. That playing in the shadow of another, bigger betting counter provides cover. I don't see it that way. Playing in the shadow of a bigger non-counter bettor can provide some cover, but not playing in the shadow of another counter in my opinion.

But, you clearly were not talking about counting in the presence of another counter, you just want to observe and evaluate his game. While there is less harm in that, because of the popularity of different team play concepts, surveillance could be looking at other players at the table as possible teammates of the target counter they are checking. You should pass that test, assuming you don't play other tables with this player, but there is always the possibility that they just err, and make a wrong assumption, which ends up as a negative. So, I just don't see any benefit to remaining.

I was observing players on a Friday night last week. Sort of watching players as though pit personel might see them. I don't think I saw 5 people in a busy place that were not counting. Most sit in the same pose with hand over mouth and eyes never leave the table. This is not to say, they were necessarily good players though. Seems to me it would be more prudent to learn the game, discipline and money manager before going to all the trouble of counting.

I dont see this so negative. When u are abroad and notice another counter you feel satisfaction contrary to the ploppies. I usually offer to make some drink to exhange info
So i feel more positive emotions than negative and dont ran a away like a idiot.