Blackjack all about fun at Colorado casinos

By Nancy Crimmins

Want to know what I like about the game of blackjack?

Everything.
I like the excitement of the deal. Watching each hand dealt to each person around the table. Watching the dealer’s “up card” – loving to see a 6 and dreading to see an ace. Hoping for the green light to signal the dealer DOESN’T have a blackjack, and sighing if it flashes red.
I like the blackjack players – at least for the most part. One of the great things about playing blackjack is that you’re only competing against the house – not the other players. You’re not really even competing with the dealers, because they’re openly cheering for the players and hoping to bust. It makes for a happy table, and a happy table always means better tips for the dealers. And a more cheerful atmosphere.
Dealers rotate, but players tend to remain the same – particularly if you’re at a table that’s yielding more winners than losers.
I was playing at a great table at the Isle last week. My blackjack tablemates included a fellow who reminded me of Sayid from the TV show “Lost.” By the end of the first 10 minutes, we were fist-bumping and high-fiving each other’s blackjacks and successful splits.
Across the table from me was a young fellow from Ethiopia who shyly bet $5 or $10 a hand, then gained confidence and played the table maximum of $50. He also learned the high-five quickly – even from a distance.
A kid joined our table who barely seemed to pass the dealer’s carding – turns out he was getting married in three days and had 20 of his closest friends celebrating his bachelor party. Five of them hovered behind him, urging him to make wild bets – splitting 10s, doubling on 9 when the dealer’s up card was a 10. We liked the groom – his friends, not so much.
And then there’s my friend Carrie, who taught me the game of blackjack years ago. She brought one of those handheld blackjack games on a trip “up the hill” and schooled me on all of the basics. Her lessons started out softly, but by the time we hit Highway 119 and the final 10 miles, she would scold me when I made the wrong move. Carrie can be cranky. Now that I’ve learned the game, she treats me with a bit more respect. She joined our game and she and Sayid seemed to really hit it off. After an hour, I threatened to split 10s just to get a rise out of Carrie. It worked.
Blackjack is a great social game. If you haven’t tried it, you might want to give it a go. Just stick with splitting aces and 8s.