One Day While Playing Spanish 21

So I'm playing Spanish 21 at a large Indian Casino. The guy to my left had not been playing very long but it was apparent that he didn't have much of a clue. He also barely spoke English. I don't remember exactly how his hand dealt out but let's just say it was full of Aces. He was betting green, and had doubled, caught bad, then re-doubled (on a hard hand), caught an Ace, and re-re-doubled, catching another Ace and leaving him with a crummy hand, something like hard-15 or something like that, against the dealer's 7. The dealer turns over a 4, to draw to a total of 11.

But the guy is not satisfied. In broken English, he is still demanding another card. The floor person comes over and it quickly becomes obvious that that was his third double, and final. But he WANTS another card, and is loud and adamant about it.

To my surprise, the floor person says he can double one more time. Wtf? As far as I know three times is the limit, anywhere. The player is insisting that he get another card but does not understand that they are telling him he has to double the whole enchilada. In other words, the floor person is going to "nicely" allow him to re-re-re-double on hard 15 against the dealer's exposed 11. Isn't that generous of him/her. I'm looking around like, what is this, Twilight Zone? Other floormen have come to observe what's going on and none of them are saying a word.

The player finally balks at the thought of doubling one more time, dealer hits and busts his hand of 11, we all win. The player gathers his mountain of chips, colors up, and leaves, probably feeling he got screwed somehow. No, he didn't get screwed, but he almost did.

I don't know what to think of these floor people who were going to allow this, all fully knowing that he had already doubled three times. This is a major casino.

The Floorpersons decision is final... usually.

I was working the poker room in town about 10/11 years ago. This is during the NL explosion. So the pot was about 600 and one guy was in. I was barely listening to the dealer or players and I made a decision that till this day was correct or at least correct from all of my years playing and working. I guess I was wrong because the dealer gave me the look like I was wrong and the player had a conference with the manager on duty. The manager agrees and writes out a voucher paying all the money lost to this player in the pot so both players won. I guess sometimes the Casino or Floor doesn't care because in the end they get all the money. So maybe this Floor made a bad decision but in the long run it might be better to break the rules so you can drain all the cash from your victims.

Heck in the old days the Casino would do whatever they can to keep me on property if I'm playing and they know I have large amounts of cash. These days they could care less and some of them have lost my business as I will walk across the street and lose 10k over there instead.

That was Hidalgo, the best Spanish 21 card counter this side of the Mississipi. He argues for a quadruple double on stiff hands but doesn't actually do it (unless he has extra info). This is just one of his many cover plays that also allow him to leave the table when all the aces are out. Btw he's fluent in English, that's just an act so gringo ploppies don't distract him with their jibber jabber. Reminds me of the Fitzgeralds Las Vegas sign that read "Spanish 21 esta aqui".

Ah, I didn't know Hidalgo was still in the game; I thought he retired a while back. Glad to hear he's still doin' his thang.

Trivia question: Who's the best Spanish 21 player on the East side of the Mississippi?




EDIT: If someone wants to re-re-re-re-re-re-re-double a 15 vs 11, I say go ahead and let 'em. Hell, let him triple down if he wants to. But we all know Hidalgo won't do it, no sirree. So I guess it's a mute point.

Now I get it. At one point Hidalgo called for the floor man to get him an ash tray. He stepped back into a row of slot machines and retrieved a cigarette. The floor man brought him an ash tray, but then Hidalgo changed his mind and took the cigarette back to where he had gotten it, I assumed his wife was at the slot machine and wanted the cigarette herself. And I bought the whole sophisticated act hook line and sinker. I was totally confused. They probably weren't even married.

Quote: pingpangpong

So maybe this Floor made a bad decision but in the long run it might be better to break the rules so you can drain all the cash from your victims.

Seems the floor person's idea was to drain all his money right then. I'm sure things would have been different if the player had doubled up to 11, (like 2-3, plus a deuce, then plus another deuce, and finally another deuce for total 11), and the dealer turned over King-6. I'm sure they wouldn't be so eager to allow a fourth double. I saw this as a real "shot" taken by the casino, with other floor people in on it. I didn't expect it from them.

Quote: bobbartop

Now I get it. At one point Hidalgo called for the floor man to get him an ash tray. He stepped back into a row of slot machines and retrieved a cigarette. The floor man brought him an ash tray, but then Hidalgo changed his mind and took the cigarette back to where he had gotten it, I assumed his wife was at the slot machine and wanted the cigarette herself. And I bought the whole sophisticated act hook line and sinker. I was totally confused. They probably weren't even married.

...another masterful wong out. ZK pretends to take a call (played tf out). Hidalgo gets some honey's Snap while forcing the pit to bring him an ashtray he. Ain't. Gon. Even. Use.