Dumbo on third, the "Back
Door" and Texas rules
15 January 2007
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark: I disagree with you in that a player
at third base in blackjack has no effect on the
outcome of the game. I've seen dumb players take
the dealer's bust card far too many times to
believe otherwise. Willy H.
I'll stick by my past statement that poor play
on third base does not affect the overall
outcome of all hands dealt. Each card dealt is
random and since you, the dealer, fellow
players, and yes, even the player at third
giving the house a 4-5% edge by playing poorly,
has no idea what the next card is, the play at
third will not have any repercussions on the
game in general, just on his or her hand.
Also, Willy, you overlook in your statement the
times when a player took a card that would have
helped the dealer, resulting in the dealer's
going bust with the following card dealt. For
the decade plus that I had dealt cards, or
oversaw a pit full of dealers, I can tell you
unequivocally that having viewed a kazillion
hands, I have seen it go both ways about
equally.
Dear Mark: I was wondering if there was anything
in craps called a "Back Door Little Joe?" I
heard this in a song and was wondering what it
was? Troy C.
"Little Joe" and "Little Joe from Kokomo," are
two of those colorful calls, made by a
stickperson, that represent the number four. As
for "Back Door Little Joe," not only have I
never heard of it, I didn't find it in my
extensive gaming library, a google search came
up empty, and my inquiry of a few living legends
still dealing dice, who -- with a combined
working experience of well over 100 years
produced a "Sorry, Mark." They haven't heard of
it either.
Dear Mark: When you watch Texas Hold'em on
television, the players always flip over their
cards when going "all in." I've been told that
technically you don't have to do that, and
instead, verbally say you're "all in," and just
wait until the end of the hand before you show
your cards. Are they doing it wrong on
television? Phillip G.
In tournament play, Phillip, which is what you
are watching on TV, you are required to turn
your cards over. With a cash game, it is
optional.
Dear Mark: At our weekly Texas Hold'em game, we
had a disagreement over a player who
accidentally showed his cards before the betting
rounds were complete. The debate was over
whether that player's hand was automatically
dead. Yeah or nay please. We will stand by your
decision. Dan M.
In Texas Hold'em, Dan, an exposed card or hand
by any player would still be considered a live
hand, not a dead one.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "There are few
things that are so unpardonably neglected in our
country as poker. The upper class knows very
little about poker. Now and then you find
ambassadors who have sort of a general knowledge
of poker, but the ignorance of the people is
fearful. Why, I have known clergymen, good men,
kind-hearted, liberal, sincere, and all that,
who did not know the meaning of a "flush". It is
enough to make one ashamed of the species.
--Mark Twain
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