Five Blackjack Stereotypes: Which Are You?

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Most people like to think that they are predominantly unique and therefore cannot be pigeonholed. In reality however, most of us fit well and truly into a variety of common ‘brackets’. Particularly in the world of casino gaming, where just a handful of stereotypes is normally enough to cover 99% of those at the tables.

We took a look at poker stereotypes a while ago – this time we’re focusing on blackjack. However fantastic or otherwise you are at blackjack, chances are you fit into one of the five most common blackjack stereotypes. Not that this is a bad thing, so don’t go worrying too much about if and where you fit into any of these groups. The simple fact of the matter is that those who choose blackjack as their casino game of choice generally have relatively strong personalities.  And while they may all be fundamentally different as people, it’s often true to say that their habits at the blackjack table follow a few predominant patterns rather closely.

So if you’ve ever wondered which category you yourself fit into, here’s a quick rundown of the five most common blackjack stereotypes you’ll typically find in every casino:

The Social Type

First up, the vast majority of blackjack players in the average casino fall under this heading. And there certainly isn’t anything wrong with this, given the fact that these are the kinds of players who are out for no reason other than to have as much fun as possible. Social blackjack types are those that have no intention of winning enormous prizes, aren’t particularly bothered about loss and head to the table with relatively small bankrolls. They have no knowledge or interest whatsoever in strategy and soak up the experience for what it is.  What’s more, they tend to be the talkative and engaging types who spend most of their time at the table chatting with others and being as sociable as possible. They may make any number of terrible decisions along the way and quickly lose everything they came with, but to them it’s all part and parcel of the experience.

Truth is, it’s always good to have a few social types at any blackjack table.  Along with satisfying the casino by making plenty of mistakes, they help keep the atmosphere positive and energetic at all times. They also don’t put a downer on the proceedings when the decisions they make see them out of pocket. Great for entertainment value and keeping things light hearted.

The Maths Genius

By contrast, mathematical geniuses at the blackjack table are typically not there to have fun. The reason being that rather than playing blackjack with the intention of having any fun whatsoever, they instead approach it like something of a mathematical puzzle that must be solved. These individuals are typically training themselves to count cards or go professional at some point or another.  Either way, they take the whole thing so seriously and approach it with such targeted structure that enjoyment goes out of the window. Success simply indicates the correct mathematical decision made – failure indicates failure.

In contrast to those mentioned above, you don’t tend to come across too many maths geniuses in the average casino. In fact, they’re comparatively rare. And this can be a good thing, as the vast majority of other types of blackjack players aren’t particularly fond of them turning up at their table. The reason being that along with treating the game so clinically and making every move with a sense of robotic precision, they don’t tend to have any time or energy available to be social. What’s more, those who have not yet mastered whatever it is they are trying to do have a tendency to slow things down rather painfully.

The Nervous Type

These players are usually the easiest to spot and are almost always present at every table in every casino. Nervous types are those who have somehow ended up in a casino and at a blackjack table, despite the fact that they would probably rather be anywhere else in the world. It could be a first timer finding it all little overwhelming, someone who genuinely isn’t into casino gaming or perhaps an individual who’s only ever lost at the blackjack table. They look every bit as out of place as they feel and have a habit of making terrible decisions, just to get things over and done with.

For a lot of impatient and intolerant blackjack players, nervous types are interpreted as rather annoying. To others however – especially the more social types – they represent a great opportunity to reach out to new people and take them under your wing. Particularly when it comes to newcomers who are genuinely trying to get into things, but for the time being are scared to death and have no clue what they are doing. Rather than scoffing at the next nervous type that turns up at the table, why not give them a helping hand? 

The Amateur Card-Counter

To be honest, the description of the amateur card-counter is pretty much identical to that of the maths genius. The only difference being that in some instances, those who count cards typically try to keep what they are doing well-hidden. It’s not that it’s illegal, but it can certainly get you thrown out of many casinos and banned for life.

As such, the likelihood of your finding yourself at the table with a card-counter and actually realising this is the case is minimal. Not only are there not many out there, but those who get the job done successfully do a good job keeping it secret. In any case, they have the same strategic, statistical and somewhat clinical approach to blackjack as their maths genius counterparts.

The Blackjack Pro

Last but not least, you are also relatively unlikely to come across a true blackjack pro when doing the rounds at an average casino. More often than not, the true pros keep themselves out of the way, play at non-public tables and beat hasty retreats out the back door. They’re not in the habit of broadcasting their abilities to others or letting the whole place know how much money they have won. They actually tend to be the exact opposite of the somewhat OTT stereotype of the loud and obnoxious high-rollers portrayed on TV and in movies.

The only real tell-tales sign of a blackjack pro that’s hiding his/her true talents is when you come across somebody who seems to win far more than they lose.  What’s more, they don’t appear particularly surprised by the fact that they are winning rather continuously. Should this be the case, you’re either looking at someone extraordinarily lucky with no interest whatsoever in winning, or you’re looking at a blackjack pro in disguise.

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