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August 16

Device on a blackjack table

What is the little black thing on the table right in front of the dealer's chips at the 2:27 mark of this video? I saw a documentary called Holy Rollers last night where it is seen in more detail but isn't explained there either. In both videos, it looks like the dealer just puts the corners of their cards in there for a moment. Why do they do this and what is the little black thing? Dismas|^(talk) 05:24, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know the exact term for it, but this device allows the dealer to see the hole card (the card that's face down). When an ace is showing, there's a possibility that the dealer has blackjack. The dealer then offers insurance to the players, and when that's done, he/she slides the card into this device, and they can see the corner of the card and determine, without turning over or lifting the cards, if they do indeed have blackjack. If the dealer does have 21, the cards are flipped up and the hand ends. If not, the hand continues normally. --McDoob AU 93 05:28, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

For a mere $120, you too can be the envy of your degenerate gambler friends with a "Blackjack Mirror Dealer Peak". Clarityfiend (talk) 10:33, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the explanation. And I'll try to remember that Clarityfiend thinks all gamblers are degenerates. Dismas|^(talk) 01:32, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

He didn't say all gamblers are degenerates. Only some of them. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:27, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I guess that depends on where a speaker would apply stress to various words. I read it as all gamblers are degenerates whereas you, I guess, read it as "of all your gambling friends who are also degenerates". Either way, my question has been answered and we are straying from that. Dismas|^(talk) 03:41, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Only the degenerate ones would be envious. Those who are saintly salt-of-the-earth types (like me [cough cough]) would just make polite noises. Clarityfiend (talk) 06:43, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

The Infinity Gauntlet in Thor

A lot of the webpages I read discussing Thanos and the Avengers seem to think that the Infinity Gauntlet seen in Thor is an established item and that Thanos is going to steal it from Asgard. This seems foolish because it would take away the rising action that assembling the Infinity Gems in future Avengers sequels would provide and I've always thought it was just a cameo. Is it more reasonable to believe that Marvel Studios is going to take its time to introduce the Infinity Gems instead of saying "Oh, yeah, the Infinity Gauntlet is already put together and ready to go."? --Melab±1 ☎ 19:12, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Are you asking us to speculate on the prospective plot consistancies of as-to-yet-unproduced works of fiction? I'm not sure that's within the realm of this desk. --Jayron32 23:38, 16 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I'm damn certain it's not. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 00:06, 17 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

How about how true to the book the Hobbit filmses will be? μηδείς (talk) 03:41, 18 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Not that it's relevant to this topic, but that would also be speculation. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 03:47, 18 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Can't you guys just say that ref desk does not answer request for opinions. 203.112.82.2 (talk) 16:10, 18 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, obviously, but there's more than one way to skin a cat. -- ♬ Jack of Oz ♬ ^{[your turn]} 21:48, 18 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

By the cats of Queen Beruthiel, I don't remember any cats at all in The Hobbit, let alone skinned ones. μηδείς (talk) 22:40, 18 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I am wondering if there would be more substance to any sequels. Would there be room for more things to be done? This isn't necessarily an opinion because over at the humanities desk there can be topics like theme analysis and literary analysis. --Melab±1 ☎ 00:24, 19 August 2012 (UTC)[reply]