Poll : 16 August - 29 August 2017

Analysis

This was an interesting poll, since it flip-flopped between people who say they’re precise and mathematical about their bet sizing, as opposed to those who say they use intuition. This is evidenced clearly in the top two vote getters: Nearly one in four claim the former, with just 4% fewer admitting to the latter.

It’s also proved out by the third- and fourth-place finishers, so now the hunch players moved into a slight lead, 36% to 33%.

Add another 9% to the hunch players who say they throw bigger bets at the table minimum when they’re running “hot,” which puts the casual and recreational players who aren’t systematic or rigorous in their wagering firmly in the lead.

Of course, many gamblers use systems, such as a progressive technique (7%) and even mimicking players who look like they know what they’re doing (9%).

It’s hard to tell if the 5% of players who stand behind a table are back-counting the deck and wonging in during an advantageous count or simply have a feeling about the cards.

But most interesting — and surprising — are the bottom two results. Anthony Curtis was “stunned” that only five respondents said they go for it and only another five were influenced by other players.

In the first case, we’d have expected many more voters to admit to shoving out the chips when they think they can break the bank; isn’t that every gamblers dream?

In the second, the most common complaint from recreational table players is that other players screwed up their hand. “The guy at third base didn’t know what he was doing and cost me a lot of money.” “The dealer had a five up, the player in front of me had a 15, hit it, and took the dealer’s bust card.” “I found myself at a table with really good players, so I knew I could play my game and bet more.” Those squeaky wheels must be really squeaky.