Getting hassled about not betting the side bets

I like to play blackjack at local casinos in the Chicagoland area where I live.

Roughly 90% of the other players I play with bet on all of the available side bets every hand (always hoping for that next big hit).

Having watched all of Mike's videos about blackjack, I have accepted his advice on this topic, and I never make these bets myself.

I also tend to refrain from commenting on how others play their hands at the table. However, every time I get a potentially winning side bet hand, I almost always get heckled by some other player (sometimes the dealer) about this with comments such as "Oh you don't play them" "You are getting so many of those hands but you don't play" "Why didn't you play" "You don't play" etc.

What should I say in response to these comments (if anything) from an etiquette standpoint?

Call it a push and demand your money back.

Quote: Alec

I like to play blackjack at local casinos in the Chicagoland area where I live.

Roughly 90% of the other players I play with bet on all of the available side bets every hand (always hoping for that next big hit).

Having watched all of Mike's videos about blackjack, I have accepted his advice on this topic, and I never make these bets myself.

I also tend to refrain from commenting on how others play their hands at the table. However, every time I get a potentially winning side bet hand, I almost always get heckled by some other player (sometimes the dealer) about this with comments such as "Oh you don't play them" "You are getting so many of those hands but you don't play" "Why didn't you play" "You don't play" etc.

What should I say in response to these comments (if anything) from an etiquette standpoint?

Over the long run, I have more chips in my stack by not playing it than by playing it.

What do you mean by this? I don’t quite understand.

Quote: ChumpChange

Call it a push and demand your money back.

What do you mean by this? I don’t quite understand.

Quote: rsactuary

Over the long run, I have more chips in my stack by not playing it than by playing it.

I like this one! Thank you.

I always use this one... "Tell me about the other 37 times I didn't get it!"

"Give me a $1 and I'll play it"

"Oh, so you'll play it for me?"

"No."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Give me a dollar and I'll play it"

"And you'll just keep the winnings?"

"And your $1. Yes."

"Why would I do that?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"What?"

"What?"

They usually stop commenting after that exchange.

If you want to look like a smug asshole, then use any of the responses posted so far in this thread. Otherwise politely say, "Oh, I don't play that" and ignore any further comments from them. Remember that these players and side bets are necessary in order for the casino to offer a blackjack game with decent rules. Yes, they are being jerks by harassing you, but there is no need for you to be a jerk back to them. If everyone started playing perfect basic strategy with no side bets, blackjack as we know it wouldn't exist much longer.

My response is "It's a sucker bet."

Often I'll get a reply like, "But, you would have just won $x if you played it the last hand." My reply to that would be along the lines of "One hand doesn't prove anything. Nobody notices the many times it loses."