Want to Make a Statement at the Blackjack Table? Consider What You Wear
These days most casinos don’t have strict dress codes, so you see blackjack players wearing all kinds of outfits. What does your fashion sense say about your approach to blackjack?
Blackjack is the world’s most democratic casino game. Why do I say that? The classic table game is available in casinos everywhere, from Atlantic City to Monte Carlo to Singapore to Las Vegas. In fact, it’s almost impossible to walk into a casino and not see blackjack tables.
On the other hand, the games bring together people for all walks of life. Even at low-stakes $10 minimum tables you’ll occasionally see a wealthy, tuxedo-clad high-roller drop in for a few hands. And at the big $100 table, there will be at least a few average joes dressed in t-shirts and baseball caps. It’s not that they don’t have the money, it’s just that they prefer to be as comfortable as possible when playing.
That’s something you don’t find in aristocratic games like roulette and baccarat. A Monte Carlo roulette club will most certainly require you to wear a suit jacket; while a Macau baccarat room is always a black tie affair. But blackjack allows you to express yourself in a more unique way. Consider what your dress says about your blackjack game.
Polo shirt and slacks
This is the classic comfortable, respectable but not too casual look. It’s what the “once-in-a-blue-moon” gambler usually wears to the casino. Most likely you consider the casino a nice venue for an evening out rather than a place to win money or show off how much you can afford to wager on any given hand.
You’re probably at the casino with your wife, girlfriend or a few buddies, enjoying drinks and conversation as much as the blackjack itself. You came with a budget for home much to spend at the tables, $100 or $200. If you lose it’s no skin off your back, you came to be entertained, not increase the size of your bank account.
On the other hand, maybe you’re a beginning player just learning the great game of blackjack. You show up to the casino in what seems the most natural for you. Maybe your dress will change as you become more experienced, but for now you portray yourself as a casual gambler.
White tuxedo and black tie
This look is more James Bond than Atlantic City. You love the game of blackjack and you prefer to do it in style. Playing at high minimum tables, your refined looks and impeccable casino table manners win you the admiration of croupiers and fellow players.
You place large bets so you expect to win. This means that you take blackjack very seriously, spending time practicing at home and reading blackjack books. You stick to basic strategy because you make your money elsewhere; you play to win, but you don’t need to win.
In all ways you project a classy persona at the blackjack table, and most of the time you leave with more than you came with.
Jeans and a baseball cap
You look like you belong outside mowing the lawn, not dropping major wagers on the felt. But that’s no problem, for you blackjack is about winning, not making a dramatic entrance. You want to be as comfortable as possible while you take the casino’s money.
On the other hand, you’re advantage player, so you don’t want to draw attention to yourself while you use techniques like shuffle tracking and card counting systems. You expect to leave the casino with more money than you came with. In fact, you’re banking on it. A losing night is a wasted night.
Blackjack is religion for you. When you’re not at the casino you’re playing free blackjack games online, reading book after book and using training tools.
This type of blackjack player is best described by the old maxim: substance over style. You’re not there for an entertaining night out, you’re not there to impress the ladies with your snappy suit and tie, you’re there to sit down and play blackjack until you’ve won enough money to call it a night and head home.
Wearing red underwear
This one is a bit unorthodox, no question. And if you do wear red underwear to the casino, most likely you aren’t going to show it to the fellow blackjack player sitting next to you.
If you’re still reading this, you’re wondering what I’m blabbering about. Well, Chinese gamblers are known for being superstitious, believing that certain actions and objects can bring them luck during their night at the casino.
In Chinese culture the color red is a symbol of joy and good fortune, i.e. luck! But while they want the good tidings that red brings them, most don’t want the attention afforded to someone sitting at the blackjack table in a bright red suit! For this reason it’s not uncommon for a Chinese gambler to wear red underwear while playing.
Of course the key to winning at blackjack is skill, first and foremost. But there’s nothing wrong with getting lady luck on your side as well. If you wear red underwear while playing blackjack (whether Chinese or not), you have a fun-loving approach to the game. While you want to win by using proper casino strategy, you like thrill of relying on luck as well.