'Kay, everyone can stop sucking Joep's cock now
I get it, there's a difference of opinion here. But what's interesting is how a simple discussion of possible modifications in current blackjack conditions turns into somebody's opinion being "right" or "wrong"... we've all presented our ideas & yet there seems an insistence on many people's part to have their thoughts be considered the only valid ones... y'all need to chill the F out.
I personally have never had any problems in counting other's chip stacks (unless rushed by an overzealous tourney dealer into making a 20 second analysis & decision) -- maybe i've been blessed with better eyesight than most, i don't know. But the concept of being a good tournament player rests solely on the basis of what to do with the information presented; for proof of this, just look at Global Player. Joe claims to have a very healthy win percentage over many other players & i believe him; yet the chip info is laid out for all to see there, proving my point. Joe's a good player, so Joe wins often -- REGARDLESS of having access to chip info or not! Having more frequent access to, or at least being given more than the typical, unreasonable 30 second time limit within which to count those stacks & make a betting decision, only serves to make the game less intimidating for newer players, while giving the pros no less of an advantage than they already have.
I understand that others may want to hold on to this archaic method of forced chip counting, and that's fine. Lord knows its a difficult skill to nail down, and those that have worked hard to get good at it do not want to feel like their tremendous effort has been in vain. But ultimately this is a competition based on having the sharpest mind to (as Ken says) "find the better bet" (actually, i said that as well in my first WSoBJ episode this year -- "there's always a better bet to be found"). And in the further evolution of our game, with the advent of TV and more popular casino events, chip counting should -- at the very LEAST, and i don't think anyone would argue this point -- be given a respectful amount of time (like say a minute, especially in the later hands) to calculate -- or have the players accomodate one another by stacking their chips in piles of ten, for instance.
The moment we refuse to embrace newer, better ways of evolving this game -- or simply being open to DISCUSS these things without shutting down any new idea that is presented by acting like elitist dicks -- because we hide behind "that's the way its always been" -- we essentially become stodgy old crones who harp on 'the good old days' instead of accepting bringing the game into the 21st century & making it more accessible to everyone. 15 years ago nobody had a cell phone, and few were computer literate. That doesn't mean we didn't embrace better, more effective ways of growth simply because "that's the way its always been".
-holly d.
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It's also a teaching aid to those who wish to learn. In the end, this makes for a better circle of thoughtful interchange amongst the cream of the crop.