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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

August 7, 2009

Those nickel machines just won't pay back in quarters. . . Damn!

Dear Mark: I have a question regarding multi-denominational machines. Typically I play nickel video poker machines, but if I get ahead, I move up in denomination to quarters. Being that stand alone machines normally have a higher percentage payback at higher denominations, does that also hold true when I switch denominations on multi-denominational machines? Larry B.

The reason nickel machines have poorer payouts than quarters, and quarters less than dollars, is because the cost to maintain any machine .--- slot personnel, floor space, maintenance, etc.--- is exactly the same. Each slot has to yield a targeted number of dollars for the casino; a larger percentage is kept from the lower denomination machines so as to meet those goals.

This isn't necessarily the case on a multi-denominational machine. Most multi-denominational machines will actually have better paytables, in full view for you to compare, as you move up the ladder from nickels to quarters, and quarters to dollars.

As for changing denominations, don't forget, Larry, when you bet more, you can lose more money at a much faster rate. Certainly, you may find a paytable that returns 98% to the player playing quarters versus a 95% payback for nickels, so effectively you've cut the house advantage by more than half, from 5% to 2%, but don't forget, you're putting into play five times more per hand ($0.25 versus $1.25).

Dear Mark: As you recommend, I always insert my player's club card when I play slots, but I'm curious about something. By using the card, does it tell the casino exactly how much I've gambled, so that if I'm winning, they can change the payback of the machine so that I will eventually give back all the money I won? Manny P.

When you insert that card, Manny, yes, they (i.e. computers in undisclosed locations), know exactly how much money you have inserted into the machine.

The casino can't give you your deserved goodies if they don't know how much you've played. The ability to "comp yourself" by using one of their player's club slot cards is based on the value of coins you cycle through a machine, so you might as well get credit for all those nickels, quarters or dollars you're inserting.

As to the second part of your question, the answer is no, using a player's club card has no effect whatsoever on the payback.

Actually, the reasons you're giving all the money back are 1) you're not getting up and walking out when ahead -- quit wearing Velcro pants while playing -- and 2) the longer you stay glued to the stool gambling with the house's money, the more exposure you have to the casino's inescapable house edge.

You better learn to walk away a winner, Manny, because THAT IS your only advantage against the house.

Dear Mark: If the RNG is constantly at work in slots, would that also be true with video poker? It seems I'm not getting as many four-of-a-kinds as I have in the past. Lois D.

The random number generator's (RNG) main function at video poker is to continually reshuffle the electronic deck of cards, so the answer is yes, it's perpetually shuffling away.

As for your lack of four-of-a-kinds, keep in mind, Lois, with streaks, one way or the other, you are experiencing randomness.

That "or the other," happened to me recently while killing time awaiting a dinner reservation. I experienced the happy end of randomness when, with just a ten dollar bill inserted, I received three four-of-a-kinds before my table was ready.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Short-term fluctuations in the fortunes of each player mean that even the clueless have occasional winning sessions. -- Gambling For Dummies

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Slots Rng Player's Club

This week's Deal Me In Column

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

July 31, 2009

But it looks like a slot, quacks like a slot . . . .

Dear Mark: If it's true that slot plays change every millionth of a second at random, and that every play is completely random, how do you explain that the three "ovals" (the big hit) don't come up as often as, say, "cherry-bar-bar" or any other small pay or loser? I mean, there are only so many pictures on those reels on the old mechanical slots, my favorites. Even if there's only one oval on each reel, and more of the others, it still doesn't seem right mathematically. Can you explain the odds? This really bothers me with the those huge jackpot connected slots around the country too- I mean, with millions of plays on hundreds of machines, how is it that the "big one" might only pay once in a year or so? Rich P.

More often than not, Rich, when something looks like a duck, and walks likes a duck, and turns out to be a duck, nobody’s surprised. But that doesn’t necessarily apply to today’s slot machines compared to those of yesteryear. Today’s slot machines are designed only in function and appearance to call to mind their old mechanical predecessors.

Those patriarchal machines of the past you are describing each had three reels, with 20 symbols on each reel. Mathematically, Rich, that works out to 20 X 20 X 20 possible combinations, equaling a 8000 to 1 chance of hitting the "big one."

Sure, the hardware of an old mechanical may look something like today's three reel/20 symbol slot machines, but the similarity stops there, and you would be wide of the mark in assuming that there is an 8,000 to 1 chance of hitting the grand whameroony.

Today's hybrids of yesteryear all have computer chips operating inside them, and those 20 symbols are now just computerized stops, with as many as 256 imaginary symbols per reel. The chance of hitting the top-line jackpot is one in 256 X 256 X 256, equating to 16,777,216 to one. With 4 reels and 256 stops, try four billion and change.

It sort of works like this, Rich. Today’s electronic gizmos have fixed halting points that are determined by an electronic chip in the slot machine, that controls stepper motors to halt each reel at precisely a pre-appointed moment.

Now granted, Rich, that might not pass the smell test when it comes to randomness, but the pre-programming that is linked to the payoff protocol of the device is based on yet another microchip - the random number generator (RNG). By using an RNG microchip, you are guaranteed that each spinning reel has an equal shot of producing a jackpot.

With the RNG crunching possibilities, with millions polled every second, the final verdict is calculated at the exact millisecond that you either press the play button, or yank the handle, then that information is sent to an electronic chip to synchronize a particular halting point for each reel.

So although, Rich, you may set eyes on 20 symbols per reel, it’s the stops, not the symbols, that rule the roost here, and it truly is going to take millions of plays on hundreds of machines for the "big one" to hit.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Percentages never lie. We built all these hotels on percentages. We stay rich on the percentages. You can lose faith in everything, religion and God, women and love, good and evil, war and peace. You name it. But the percentage will always stand fast. --Mario Puzo, Fools Die

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Slot Randon Number Mechancial

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

July 24, 2009

Yes, the casino wants an occasional winner

Dear Mark: Why is it that when losing, so long as I keep playing, casino management is polite and courteous, but once I start winning, and winning big, I feel a change in attitude? Fred F.

Regrettably, Fred, there are some in casino management that sweat the money as if it were their own pirated loot. Deep down, they know, or at least should know, that your winnings over time usually flow back the casino's way.

Though I no longer toil within the casino walls, there are three facts related to your question that remain givens in gambling: 1) Casino operators realize they will suffer short term losing streaks. 2) The longer you gamble with the house's money, the more exposure you have to the casino's edge, and 3) winners tell losers where they won their money.

If the player's game is on the up-and-up, the casino shouldn't be hot and bothered when Freddy from Fresno wins a huge sum of money, even if Freddy started with a meager bankroll. It is not all that rare for a player to unleash a hundred dollar bill and run its state of health up to four digits, or even higher.

The way the house safeguards against financial ruin during a player's winning streak is to set table betting limits. It is the "house limit" that protects the casino bankroll against a lucky assault from Fred, Freddy or Frederica.

The house knows that the longer Fred gambles, the more exposure he has to the casino's inescapable casino edge. Your biggest advantage against the house, Fred, is to quit on your own terms, and not on the casino's.

As for your winning loads of loot and the casino not being so cheery about it, buried within their scowl, they know a few winners will slip past, even if every wager is designed in their favor. More to the point, Fred, is that casinos are retail establishments. If none of the customers had any chance of winning big, how long do you think they would be able to keep their doors open? Heck, they actually prefer a few winners, because winners tell the 90 plus percent who lose where they did the big winning.

Dear Mark: Recently, my brother obtained a Player's Card at a casino here in Reno. After playing the slots for a while he earned a free spin to win a prize; which was an Ace for his first card if he placed a minimum $25 bet at a blackjack table. He bet $25; his second card was a King; and he beat the dealer's two 10s. Obviously, he was pleased to win $37.50; but soon he was saying he should have placed a higher wager, because the free Ace was such a huge advantage. Do you agree? Wayne K.

The arithmetic says absolutely, Wayne, although $25 could represent the complete bankroll of a penny slot player, or just one hand of a blackjack player. As long as $25 is a bet that your brother could easily afford to lose, he might have gone a bit light, and here's why.

The sought-after hands of any blackjack player are those ace -10 "naturals." Unless the dealer also has a blackjack -- causing a push, and the chance of that happening are 450 to one -- these hands win 1.5-to-1.

Being that your brother's first card is automatically an Ace, on a multiple deck game, say for instance, six decks, 96 of the remaining 311 cards, (or 30.87% of the remaining pile) would have given him a snapper.

Note, Wayne, that the likelihood of a blackjack varies with the number of decks in a shoe, but sticking with the six deck example, the probability of procuring a blackjack is normally 4.749%, so you typically can expect a blackjack once in slightly over 21 hands. Comparing a 4.749% chance versus 30.87%, and getting paid 1.5-to-1, it shows, at least mathematically, that it might have been worthwhile for bro to have placed a few extra clams in the betting circle.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: As I travel around the country and gamble in casinos, I'm constantly amazed and appalled by the ignorance displayed by many of my fellow players. --Walter Thomason

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Casino Management Winning Losing Blackjack

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

July 17, 2009

Doubling up on bets and hopes

Dear Mark: I like to play the double-up option on a video poker machine and I have a few questions about that bet. One, is it a good bet to make, being that it seems like a 50/50 proposition to me, and two, I was also wondering if I would get the next five cards out of the deck if I didn’t make a double-up wager? Randy E.

What Randy's enquiring mind wants to know regards a video poker machine that offers the option of risking your current winning hand for a chance at doubling your money. That wager is fittingly named Double-up.

This Double Up bet involves five cards being drawn face down, the machine drawing one card first, and you selecting one of the remaining four cards. Basically you are playing high/low against a machine-dealt playing card.

If you draw a card higher than the one drawn by the machine, you are paid 1-to-1 on the wager. The Double Up offer continues after each successive win until you decide to bring it to an end, the casino abruptly ends your joyride, or, you lose.

So is Double-up a good bet or is it just another way for the casino to whack away at your bankroll?

It's the former, Randy, and actually, Double-up is one of the best bets the casino has to offer. No whackery here. You have a 50-50 likelihood of doubling your winnings, IF, and let me repeat that, IF, ties are a push to the player, and not a win for the house.

Truth being told, the game is an evenhanded coin toss, with an expected value of 100%. But if ties are considered a house win, then the Double-Up bet has a house edge of 5.8%.

So now that you know that the house is offering up a square deal by giving you a 50-50 chance of winning, you start crunching numbers in your head, like, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, etc,. String 19 wins together and you can tell your boss to shove it because you just won $1,048,576.

Hold up giving notice yet, Randy. As in blackjack, where table limits apply, the compounding of money by parlaying winnings won't work here either. Machines limit the doubling from as little as five times in a row to 10,000 coins returned ($2,500).

As to your second question, Randy, the five Double-up cards would not be the five cards you would have received had you not taken the Double-up option.

A video poker machine is constantly shuffling its electronic deck at lightning speed, so the card array would be sequentially different at the precise moment in time when you would initiate the Double-up option, from the array a moment later (accounting for the time it would take you to decline the Double-up option and deal a new hand).

Dear Mark: All things being equal in the level of skill of a player, does the number of decks affect the house edge in a game of blackjack? Alastair K.

Yes. Compared to a single deck game, the two-decker handicaps your play by 0.35%, four decks 0.48%, six decks 0.54%, and eight decks 0.58%. Given the choice, Alastair, and the rules being relatively equal, I would recommend playing on a game with the smallest number of decks possible.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: It is not uncommon to see a lady in her bridal gown, married moments ago by a minister in full Elvis regalia, furiously working the slots with a Marlboro clenched between her teeth. --Rod Wiser, Casino Player

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Deal Me In Blackjack

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

July 10, 2009

When not to be on the phone

Dear Mark: I was recently at a casino in Las Vegas and cashed out my winnings at the cashier's cage. Upon giving the cashier my chips, my cell phone rang and so I answered it not paying attention to the cashier counting out my money. I got to my car and realized that the cashier did not give me the right amount. I returned to the cashier's cage and asked to speak to a manager because the person I went to was gone. After waiting for 15 to 20 minutes he came back and said that he watched the transaction on video and said that the cashier gave me $1,100, and I disputed with him saying that was not true. I took $1,100 in chips to the counter and when I counted my money in the car I only had $400.

So he calls the Gaming Commission and upon explaining my situation to the Gaming Commission employee I was told that they would review the transaction and let me know the outcome and this should only take about 10 to 15 minutes. I waited for an hour and then the Gaming Commission comes back and tells me that I was given $1,225 I asked to review the transaction myself and I was told that I could not see it. I do not know what I should do to get the money that I won. Could you please point me in the right direction if possible? Lamond H.

By already having the Gaming Commission weigh in, Lamond, you're probably not going to climb the ladder any higher than you did. As for letting you review the tape, they just don't, due to their need not to reveal how they do what they do, (exception: the tape could be entered as evidence in a civil trial).

So what did both the cage manager and the gaming agent's prying eyes see? Well, for starters, know that the essence of casino security is the extensive use of closed circuit television (CCTV), and there are probably more eye-in-the-sky views of the cashier's cage than of anything else in the casino, thanks to those ceiling-mounted, dome-shaped enclosures with each camera able to be panned up to 360 degrees.

The main function of those cameras is the production of film records, documenting the assets of the casino in areas that are cash-sensitive, or where large dollar amounts change hands, e.g. a huge slot payoff. Those areas include the cashier cage, the pit, the slot drop, etc.

But even with cameras rolling and a surveillance operator doing the watching, that's not to say a rogue employee didn't pocket the difference. Because there is that dastardly desire in the poison heart of some individuals to rip off others, employee theft does happen in a casino. But in your case, the theft would most definitely have been on camera, with no second chances for the employee. If detected, he or she would have been canned immediately, with possible confiscation of their Sheriff's card, and the offender would have a tough time finding another job in the industry.

Outside of looking into every nook and cranny of your wallet, your car key pocket, glove box, sun visor ledge (You know what I mean -- where you would put a stash of winnings to hide it from your significant other), I can't explain the discrepancy of $400 in your pocket, $1,100 you claim you won, and $1,225 an employee of the Gaming Commission said you were paid. What was missing from your e-mail was the willingness of the casino to count down the drawer to see if there was an overage. They do it anyway at the end of every shift, and you could have at least got an accounting of its result.

It's up to you to decide how long and far you feel like chasing down your lost winnings. You can always find a lawyer, working out of his car to keep the overhead down, to take up your fight, but for now I offer you a lesson learned, that being it is your responsibility if destiny favors you to count and verify full payment when cashing out, and of course, a sympathetic pat on the back.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: The mantra "SLOW DOWN" fits just about every game, and should be applied by just about every gambler. --Frank Scoblete, 109 Ways to Beat the Casinos

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Casino Cage Gaming Commission

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

July 3, 2009

The too-good-to-be-true electronic IHTD (Impending Hit Tip-off Device) is still a work in progress

Dear Mark: Is there a way you can you tell if a slot machine is going to hit? Should I stay on my favorite machine if it's not paying? Anna P.

If only we knew which slot was going to hit when, then we'd all be rolling in dough -- for one day; on the morrow, there'd be no more casinos.

Sorry, Anna, there's no way to know when a slot machine is going to hit. The computer within chooses the results of each spin without regard for what has happened in the past or will happen in the future. It's all random, Anna, so there's nothing you can do to improve your chances of winning outside of carrying the foot of an unlucky rabbit.

As to how long you should stay on any particular machine, stay as long as you are having fun playing it. If you're getting discouraged because a machine's not coughing up enough money, get up and move along. There is just no way of knowing whether the machine is going to be tight or charitable.

Nonetheless, even though each spin is random, if you're not having fun, there's no sense chaining yourself to a cold machine, even if it's your favorite. Reason being, the longer you stay on any slot, the more time the machine's built-in mathematical advantage has to work you over. Time always works on their side, and they have a mathematical edge on every slot. If you're taking a breather, or just moving from one machine to another, there is no way for the casino to eat away at your bankroll.

Oh, and don't forget to use your slot club card every time you play. Casinos offer you the ability to "comp yourself" by using one of their player's club slot cards. It is generally based on the number of coins you cycle through a machine, so you might as well get credit for all those nickels, quarters or dollars you're inserting. Shop the casinos for comp value and just see how much you are worth to them.

Dear Mark: With the large selection of machines the casino offers, which is the best video poker game or games to learn? Carol G.

The straightforward answer is simple, Carol. At the casino you frequent, play on the machine that has the highest paybacks, and use the correct playing strategy on that game.

Your favorite casino, Carol, actually gives you the opportunity when playing perfect basic strategy with a decent pay schedule, to reduce the house advantage to well under one percent.

In video poker, about 21% of the hands dealt are sure winning hands, so 79% are going to need help to develop into winners. It's what you do with those 79% of the hands that makes the difference between winning and losing.

As to the video poker offerings, you'll find a supermarket selection at all casinos, all having different paytables needing separate playing strategies. I recommend learning and limiting your play to two, maximum, such as any two of Jacks-or-Better, Deuces Wild, or Joker Poker.

There's no need to become a connoisseur of Louisiana Jacks or Gator Poker if it's not offered at the casinos where you play. Focus on but two games, but stay alert. You don't want to forget which machine you're playing and start using the strategy intended for the other.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: If you must play, decide upon three things at the start: the rules of the game, the stakes, and the quitting time. ~Chinese Proverb

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Slot Machine Video Poker Deal Me In

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

June 26, 2009

Nominate your candidate for the ten best bets in the casino

Dear Mark: A column of yours in the past mentioned some of the best bets in the casino. One such bet was the six or eight in craps. Although I have never played the game of craps before, it seems like fun and would be interested giving it a try, especially since some of the group I go gambling with weekly do play it. How do I go about making that bet without looking like a beginner? Jayne M.

Yes, Jayne, craps can be richly enjoyable entertainment, and based on your wanting to stick with one of the best bets the game offers, that being Placing either the six or eight, let's make you look like an expert amongst your gambling associates.

Placing the six or eight, or grabbing a Pass line bet for those so inclined, are really the only wagers you want to make on a crap table. They have a casino edge of 1.5% or lower. Most players who belly up to the crap table are greener than the felt on the table, but by exploiting only the best bet(s) the game offers, you join the less than one percent of players who truly understand dice.

You could ask your friendly dealer how to Place the six or eight, but all you really have to do is walk up to the table, set down $6 ($12 if you're betting both numbers) on the layout and state your preference: "Six (or eight) for six dollars," then cheer on the six or eight to appear before the seven, and you're off to the races. You'll get paid $7 if the six or eight hits, but you'll lose, if the seven appears.

Craps 101 isn't over yet, Jayne. We'll revisit in the future another best bet in the casino, the Pass Line wager, then move you into odds after that, all of which nudges you ever closer to your Winners University diploma.

Dear Mark: I've noticed that certain machines I play on pay out jackpots often, while others never seem to pay. Why is that? Molly F.

Regrettably, Molly, your letter didn't mention the specific machines you play, so all I can give you is a generalized answer.

Yes, Molly, you are observing correctly; certain machines do seem to pay more jackpots than others. That's because some machines are designed to pay less frequent, though larger hits, (in gamblese they're called low hit frequency machines), while others are specifically designed to pay numerous, but relatively smaller hits. Appropriately those would be high hit frequency machines.

There's also the possibility of skewed observation. Might you be selectively eyeballing your favorite machine(s) more than the others, making you more aware of what happens on them, and possibly missing the jackpots on the other slots? If you observe long enough, you might find that those other machines pay off just as often.

When all's said and done, Molly, because some players like lots of small hits, while others prefer fewer, larger hits, what your research will eventually identify as normal, is that casinos have machines at many different hit frequencies, some even side-by-side.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Ever since I bought those two huge Doyle Brunson Super System books, I've become a much stronger player. Each morning before breakfast, I put one in each hand and do curls with them. VP Pappy

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Deal Me In Craps 6&8 Slots

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

June 19, 2009

CASINO AHEAD: Reduced speed zone. All penalties doubled.

Dear Mark: What is the best approach-method when playing blackjack using the Table Master from Shuffle Master? Table limits are $5-$200 dollars where I play. My sole motivation is to win moderate amounts while playing and it appears to me that basic strategy may be a possible solution. Myles H.

The electronic multiple-player blackjack game you speak of, Myles, combines the latest interactive technology with the camaraderie of a live table game by using a life-sized video dealer on a large screen, and it can be played for as little as a buck a hand. Herein lies your first problem. Your table minimum of $5 seems a bit steep for the lunchbox flock who enjoy video-based gaming. Yes, I realize you're in Atlantic City, while I'm in the woods of Northern Michigan, but for a video-based machine, $5 seems a bit pricey, especially when all I'm forking over is $1 a pop.

Being that the payoffs are effectively the same as those of a live game, yes, basic strategy is the smart way to go against a video dealer, but I'm also led to my second concern, and that is the speed of play. You've read it here before. Speed kills in a casino environment.

And why do you think casinos love Table Master video games? Because they can offer these games at a fraction of the cost of live tables: they can be placed where live games are not legal, they are dispute and misplay-free, virtual dealers don't ask for holidays off and health care, and here's the triple-barbed hook, Myles, the one that can really gobble up your gambling funds: Table Master games nearly double the number of hands played per hour.

Involving what's called "incremental game speed," the more often you are exposed to the built-in house advantage on a Table Master blackjack game (i.e. the more hands you play per hour), the faster the machine can tenderize, barbeque, and swallow your bankroll.

The best thing to do here, Myles, is to slow your play against these video game gizmos, and, if the table minimums are the same as on a live game, I would recommend the latter, and as the columnist always recommends, the use of basic strategy.

Dear Mark: I believe in using perfect basic strategy at blackjack, with one exception. When the dealer shows a seven, and I have a 16, I stand. Although the basic strategy charts all tell me to hit that hand, it seems I bust and lose more often than not, so now I no longer hit it. Convince me I'm wrong. Henry P.

Being that you are guided by what "seems" to be an actuality, I'll do the arithmetic, Henry, then let you decide whether you want to keep standing on a hard 16.

A dealer with a 7 as the face-up card will bust only 26 percent of the time. Subsequently, seventy-four times out of 100, the dealer who shows a 7 is going to make his or her hand. Standing on that 16, when you are going to lose all 74 of those hands and win only 26, tells me, Henry, that the upside potential is little and the downside risk substantial.

So what's the math if you were to hit that nasty 16? Well, if you were to whack it, 38 percent of the time you will improve your 16 to at least a 17 or better, which puts you in a much better position than standing against the dealer with a 7.

Since there is more of an opportunity to improve your hand to a 17 or better than there is by waiting for the dealer to go bust, obviously I would recommend that you always HIT IT!

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: The reason you'll find different strategies from different experts is that they're dealing with an art, rather than a science. --Andrew Brisman, The Mensa Guide to Casino Gambling

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Column Pilarski Blackjack 21

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

June 12, 2009

Losing is bad enough, but losing at a fast clip really stinks

Dear Mark: Do you have any suggestions on how I can slow down the pace of losing? I typically play dollar slots with a bankroll of around $75 per visit. Martha N.

Taking note, Martha, that your letter comes from the Chicagoland area, I thought I would share that recently I was in Chicago to take in a Cubs game, the Blue Man Group, and to check out the local casino action.

The scalper's price for a terrace reserved ticket to a sold-out Cubs game was $75, the Blue Man Group ticket was $64 (Okay, for me it was a freebie, being that my son is a Blue Man, but we're talking math here.), and I allotted $100 for a quick stop to check out the Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City. The point I'm making here, Martha, is that all three forms of entertainment allow for a certain amount of "seat time" in exchange for your hard-earned dollars.

With the baseball game and the Blue Man Group, you get a couple hours of assured hip hip hooray or hilarity for a specific amount of money. One thing you cannot get in a casino is that same guarantee.

So, Martha, I'm figuring you've got a few options here. Do you like baseball? Loud drum beating? All-righty then, let's stick with gambling as your leisure-time diversion.

First, Martha, learn to play at your own pace. Your money will last longer if you ease off the spin button. Other games, like blackjack for instance, dictate the speed of play, but in slots you can, and should, be playing at a leisurely tempo.

Play one dollar (credit) at a time on a Straight Multiplier machine. A straight multiplier, or "equal distribution" machine, usually has one pay line and pays according to the number of coins you play. For instance, if you hit the jackpot having played one coin, the machine will pay 250 coins, but if you had played two coins, you'd have won 500 coins, three coins, 750, four 1,000 and five coins, 1,250.

Playing the full coin amount on machines of this type is an unnecessary expenditure, because the average return never changes based on the number of coins played. When you play one coin on these machines, you're playing at the maximum payback and hit frequency, with the lowest risk per spin. And what's more, playing a straight multiplier keeps you in action longer by doling out more low-end jackpots.

The main reason, Martha, I am recommending a straight multiplier machine is that I don't believe the amount you are probably betting per spin is appropriate for your $75 bankroll.

You are most likely are playing a "bonus multiplier" slot machine, a machine that tacks on an additional amount of money (a bonus) to the jackpot if you've played the maximum number of coins. You are in all probability risking $3 per spin, and for octane of that level, I'd like to see you start with at least a $150 kitty to be able to fund at least 50 spins.

And yet, even with a $150 bankroll you could hit a cold spell from hell and your wad could all be gone before the Cubs bat in the first inning, which leads me to a final tip.

I'm recommending that you drop down in denomination. If you cannot afford to play the maximum amount of coins, or at least have a 50-100 spin bankroll, you should not be playing on a machine of that denomination.

Dollar slots seem to me a little over-rich for your bankroll, so amuse yourself on a quarter machine. You'll have longer staying power and get better value by playing three quarters per spin versus three dollars a pop.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Good poker skills are acquired after many years of experience. Experience is acquired after many years of bad poker skills. VP Pappy

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Column Pilarski Dollar Slots Losing

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

June 5, 2009

Just Who's Ace Is It Anyway?

Dear Mark: Recently at a Reno blackjack table, I placed a bet in the betting circle and the dealer missed me and didn't give me a card. The card, an Ace, was given to the next player and I said, "you missed me." The dealer said "you'll have to wait till the next hand, I'm not giving you HIS Ace," even though she hadn't even given herself a card yet. Shouldn't she have given me "MY" Ace? Should I have asked for the pit boss? What is the correct procedure in a situation like this.? P.S. Yes, I lost the hand. Mary P.

Your dealer's handicraft is in pitching cards, not necessarily in settling squabbles. In the casinos I've worked in, both in pitching cards and in management, dealers would have not been allowed to make any judicial moves without pit approval. Doing that, when it affects the outcome of a hand, can turn into quite the rhubarb, and the last thing the typical wants is a dealer arbitrarily playing circuit court.

And yet, despite the dealer's probable mistake, the fair call most likely in your case would have been you NOT getting that Ace, even if you had called the pit boss over and explained your situation.

Because of the possibility of collusion between players affecting the outcome of a hand, the options most likely would have been allowing you to call your hand dead, or giving you the opportunity to take the next available card, but not backing up the cards.

That's not to say that different pit bosses, sometimes even in the same pit, don't render contrary decisions. Calling a particular play differently ultimately confuses casino clientele. You, and yes, even the dealer, have a very legitimate gripe against management on inconsistent calls. That's why some casinos have phonebook-sized dealer manuals with rules and regulations covering every possible scenario, while in others, a floor supervisor will just "wing it" and arbitrate on the fly any quibbles the players may have.

Calling over a gambling referee may not always work in your favor, Mary, but it doesn't hurt to try. You might just get that Ace in casino A, but not necessarily in casino B, C or D.

Dear Mark - I've heard that Bally's in Atlantic City is offering 10 times odds on the back of your craps bets. Have you heard of such a thing? Is that the best bet in AC right now? What is the house edge on that bet? Adam L.

Taking odds is distinct from all other casino wagers in that free odds carry NO house edge. All bets are paid off at true odds.

For example, let's say that you bet $5 on the pass line and the point is 10. On a 10X odds table, where you are allowed to make an odds bet ten times the size of your original pass bet, you are allowed to back your pass line bet with $50 in free odds. If the 10 hits, you're paid even money on your Pass line bet and true odds of two to one on your $50 odds wager.

By making use of 10X odds, Adam, the math of craps says the house edge on your Pass line bet drops to 0.2 percent, making it, probably one of the best bets in Atlantic City, Detroit, Reno, Biloxi, or just about anywhere for that matter.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: I gotta win money six times before it's mine. The customer is gonna steal from me. The employees are gonna steal from me. So if I keep grinding it through six times, it finally belongs to me. - Pappy Smith, founder of Harold's Club in Reno

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Blackjack 21 Ace Craps Atlantic City

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 29, 2009

It's a very rare casino that overlooks a half a grand shortfall

Dear Mark: An interesting thing happened to me at the casino. I was on a crap game and after a great roll that lasted over 40 minutes, I decided to call it quits. The dealer asked me if I wanted to trade in all of my $5 and $25 chips, of which I had plenty, for $100 dollar ones. What happened next was the interesting part. The dealer accidentally overpaid me $500.

All right, I didn't say anything, figuring I could use the $500 more than the casino could, so I walked over to the cashier's cage to cash out. Within moments, the pit boss that was on the game came over while I was standing in line and politely explained that I was overpaid and he would like the $500 back. Without creating a scene, I gave in. Please tell me how you would have handled this both from my end as a player, and as a former pit boss? Forrest R.

Okay, next time, "run, Forrest, run!"

Sorry, Forrest, I couldn't resist. It's one of those "box of chocolates" lines from a favorite movie, coaxed out of memory by your first name.

Seriously, if it's an overpay, be it on a slot machine, keno ticket, roulette payout, or in your case, on a color up, it's still their money; 'taint yours. You didn't expect him to come up and say, Merry Christmas, did you? He was only doing what his job required, protecting his rump as well as the company assets.

Being that the overpay was undisputed, and that's top-hole important here, in the joints where I worked, we would have done exactly the same, but further, I would have tried to put a smile back on your face.

I'd have walked up beginning with tactful idle chit-chat, maybe shifting smoothly into friendly joshing, but the five $100 chips would definitely have left your possession, surgically if necessary. If a modicum of smoothing things over seemed in order, I would have happily offered you a feeding frenzy opportunity at our Free-All-You-Can-Eat buffet, just so we didn't lose you as a customer for life.

Dear Mark: I think blackjack players should not tip dealers in casinos that pay only 6-5 for a blackjack. Since the casinos are making so much more profit, they should pay the dealers more. Frank H.

Let me tell you Frank, with 100% certainty, what's NOT going to happen: The dealers getting paid more!

This column has oft-repeated the basic principle of NOT wasting your hard-earned money on any blackjack game that pays less than 3:2 for a blackjack, but what it has NOT recommended is stiffing the dealers.

On a conventional blackjack game, a blackjack typically pays 3:2 ($15 for $10), while these new 6:5 games pay only $12 for a $10 wager. Tweaking this one rule has dramatically increased the house advantage-an extra 1.39%. So step away, don't play, but that doesn't mean don't tip out of revenge against the house. You settle the score by good ol' perfect strategy in a casino that offers 3:2 for a blackjack.

What you might not realize, Frank, is that most front-line casino employees are low paid elves dangling from minimum wage. The majority of a casino employee's pay comes through the gratuities of casino patrons. If you are winning, and the dealer is being courteous and helpful, it is customary to show your appreciation. Naturally you are under no obligation to tip, but an occasional gratuity is always in good form.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Keno demands so little of the player that it is almost a spectator sport. --Dawin Ortiz, Gambling for the Clueless

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Craps Overpayment Blackjack 32 65 Dealer

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 22, 2009

Spread Your Action Around

Dear Mark: The casino where I play cut back on the perks I normally receive. Is there anything I can do about it? Tim D.

I made mention a few weeks back, Tim, that it baffled me that some casinos are making wholesale changes to their video poker machines, hoping to improve their theoretical hold during these tough times. It appears another recessionary cost-cutting plan is to cut back on perks, or comps, if I may revert to the lingo.

Sure, Tim, it might make sense in the short term for them to squeeze some juice out of their customers. But long-term, will it keep you a loyal customer? I hardly think so. Comps are probably one of the reasons that you have kept coming back for more.

My recommendation, Tim, is that you should have at least a half dozen casinos where you are rated as a player. That way, if Casino A changes their comp policy, and it's not to your liking, you can abort Casino A and reward your play to Casino B.

Dear Mark: In your opinion, is the casino edge the most important thing the player is up against, or is there something else the average player should be looking for? Matt G.

It's one of many obstacles the player is up against, but yes, it's probably the most important.

Other catches you can't escape is their war chest against yours, the lack of sound money management techniques on your part, and the speed of the game (the number of decisions per hour) can also be central to a winning, or losing, experience.

Yes, Matt, you should always focus on the house edge, always make bets that have a house edge of less than two percent. But some of those games, like mini-baccarat, are played at a blistering speed, whereas roulette, with a far steeper house edge, is played at a snail's pace.

You need to realize that on a fast-paced game with a low house edge you have the potential of losing more of your hard-earned money over a period of an hour than on a slow paced game with a higher house edge.

Dear Mark: Can you ever think of a scenario where you would split 5s? Robbie B.

Splitting 5's is where NEVER applies.

Anytime you are dealt a two-card hand of 10, not only are you in possession of a potent starter hand, but also an excellent opportunity on which you can double down. The only thing splitting 5s does is give you two mediocre starters.

Commit this rule to memory, Robbie. When you have a pair of 5s, double against a dealer's 2 through 9, hit against a 10 and an ace, but never split. Say that back, with conviction.

Dear Mark: You recommend placing the 6 and 8 in craps, but why not the 4, 5, 9, and 10? Len T.

Because the house edge on placing the 4, 5, 9 and 10 is far too big to overcome over the long haul. The 4 and 10 have a 6.67% casino advantage and the 5 and 9 come in with a 4.0 percent edge.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Like casinos that banish card counters, many of the largest Sports books despise winning players." --Michael Konic, Telling Lies and Getting Paid

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Casino Cutback House Edge Blackjack Split Craps 6 & 8

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 15, 2009

Yes, now that you mention it, profit does play a part

Dear Mark: Is there any value to playing poker online for free? Doesn't it improve your Texas Hold'em skills with an outlay of real money? Nate J.

I can't let it pass without mention, Nate, that I don't play poker online, for cash or otherwise. I do shadow some of the online gambling sites to see what's offered, but I stick with what I know, and worked in for 18 years, and that's land-based casinos.

That said, as for FREE internet play, I'm not the biggest fan, and here's why. When playing online where chips are entirely free, far too many players go "all in" on their first two cards on a game like Texas Hold'em. Yet, if you were go to a micro-stakes table where players are betting as low as 2-5 cents, you would see a lot more players wait until they have somewhat decent cards before making such aggressive plays.

For my part, I believe the best way to polish your poker skills without the expense of a live money game are with a computer. Poker software can be far superior to a human instructor for both training and drilling. The benefit of computer training is the facility to test strategies and examine mistakes made at no financial risk.

By accumulating data for later review, you can spot costly trends that you would want to avoid on a live game. Information like this would take you years to accumulate, let alone dollars lost in a poker room – or online, for that matter. Any knowledge obtained without a cash outlay will make you more money down the road, and I think, Nate, you'll do it easier with poker software than with FREE internet play.

Dear Mark: You seem to always recommend playing video poker over slots. Any particular reason why? Ginny L.

The main reason, Ginny, is that by choosing video poker, you greatly reduce the house's edge on your play. Compare, for example, the less-than-one-percent house advantage in finely honed video poker play with the double-digit house advantage when you yank a handle. Which leads me to reason number two; player interaction. Playing slots takes very little use of your noggin. Insert coins, pull handle, and reach into other pocket for more money. Whereas, with video poker, you can give up five or more percentage points in long-term payback if you're just winging it instead of using a mathematically derived strategy. But even with extemporization play, video poker returns are higher than reel slots returns.

So, Ginny, if you were interested in letting your brain share in the fun, along with far superior paybacks, I would always recommend playing video poker.

Dear Mark: I was introduced to Switch Blackjack on a recent trip to Las Vegas. I enjoyed the game and am curious if the odds are much different than traditional Blackjack, and if traditional rules of doubling and splitting are the same? Dennis M.

Yes, Dennis, there is such a game where this cheating maneuver, swapping cards between two hands, is allowed.

Actually called Blackjack Switch, and not Switch Blackjack, it is a mutant form of blackjack where a player is dealt two hands and is allowed to trade cards between hands. Outwardly, Dennis, this seems like a great rule that favors the player, but unfortunately any gain is offset by the other rules that favor the house. Natural blackjacks are paid 1:1 instead of the standard 3:2, and a dealer 22 is a push.

Yet, even with rules that counter any advantage gained by being allowed to interchange your cards between hands, the house edge with perfect basic strategy, which is difficult and specific only to this game, along with the different rule variations from casino to casino, is relatively small, anywhere from 0.16% - 0.58%.

As for doubling and splitting, you may double on any 2 cards, double after a split and re-split up to four hands.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Caught between the player's hope and the house's advantage is the dealer. --H. Lee Barnes, Dummy Up and Deal

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Video Poker Online Poker Blackjack Switch

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 8, 2009

The GREAT WHAMEROONEY, but it still slices like baloney?

Dear Mark: Do the large progressive slot machines offer the most potential with the least risk? Dan O.

Not a bit, Dan, because for the life-altering big score that a machine like Megabucks offers, you are looking at beating the odds of 30,000,000 to one.

Sure, area progressives are usually the only machines that pay the really big bucks, but the long-term paybacks on these machines are usually the lowest in the casino, and at 30 million to one odds against, your chances of hitting the big one are a teensy weensy bit better than zilch.

If you're looking to maximize potential and minimize risk, your best bet is to play one coin at a time on what's called a "straight multiplier." By popping in just one coin on these machines, you're playing at the maximum payback and hit frequency with the lowest risk per spin.

A "straight multiplier" or "equal distribution" machine, usually has one pay line and pays according to the number of coins you play. For instance, if you hit the jackpot having played one coin, the machine will pay 250 coins, but if you were to play two coins, you'll win 500 coins, three coins, 750, four 1,000 and five coins, 1,250.

Playing the full coin amount on machines of this type is an unnecessary expenditure, because the average return never changes, based on the number of coins played. Progressives, Dan, shake you down on the smaller payoffs, whereas playing a straight multiplier keeps you in play longer by doling out more low-end jackpots.

Although your question requests an answer regarding maximize potential/minimize risk, don't get confused with a "bonus multiplier" machine. A bonus multiplier simply tacks on an additional amount of money (a bonus) to the jackpot if you've played the maximum number of coins. Using the example above, let's say the maximum number of coins is three. If you can win 250 coins with one coin, 500 coins with 2 coins, the bonus jackpot - if you play with the maximum 3 coins - would be 4,000 coins, a much larger amount than a straight multiple. The bonus, Dan, is in the bonus.

Dear Mark: Are the odds any different when the casino uses continuous shuffle, machine shuffle that is not continuous, or hand shuffle? Tom H.

Although automatic shufflers do not affect the odds of the game for the typical player, continuous shufflers do hurt you and all other players because of the increased number of hands dealt per hour, yielding a richer opportunity for the built-in house edge to gnaw away at all your wallets. Losing is bad enough, Tom, but losing at a quicker pace, set by a giddy-yap machine, is far worse.

Allow me, Tom, to put you down as a strong basic strategy player where the house holds a 0.05% edge on your play. On a $25 minimum blackjack table, the difference between 70 dealer-shuffled hands per hour and the 90 hands per hour that you would see with an automatic shuffler, is in your expected hourly loss, which would go from $8.75 to $11.25.

My suggestion here, Tom, is to slow the assault on your bankroll by seeking out only hand-shuffled games. Don't let your "seat time" cost you more money than it should.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: My heart goes out for these Senior Citizens who take a handful of quarters, a roll of dimes, a five dollar bill, two singles, and eight stamps to the slot machines and live or die by every pull of the handle. --John Patrick, So You Want to be a Gambler

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Column Pilarski Blackjack 21 Progressive Slots

Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

May 1, 2009

Natural odds, take your bow

Dear Mark: I have been told that the best bet in a casino is to bet "natural odds" at the craps table because the house has no edge. My question is, if this is such a good bet, why do some casinos offer to let you to place bets for up to ten times your line bet or even higher? Bob F.

It's true; Bob, taking odds is distinct from all other casino wagers in that free odds carry NO house edge. All bets are paid off at true odds.

For example, let's say that you bet $5 on the pass line and the point is 4. On a double-odds table, where you are allowed to make an odds bet twice the size of your original pass bet, you are allowed to back your pass line bet with $10 in free odds. If the four hits, you're paid even money on your Pass line bet and true odds of two to one on your $10 odds bet.

The math of craps tells you that the odds against your winning are 2-1, because with two six-sided dice, there are six ways of making a 7 (loser) and three ways of making a winner 4. If you win, your pass line bet is paid at even money, bringing you $5 in winnings, but your odds bet is paid at the 2-1 true odds, bringing you an additional $20. By making use of them, double odds drops the house edge to 0.6 percent, 10x odds to 0.2 percent and 100x odds w-a-a-a-y down to 0.02 percent.

So why would a casino allow 2x, 10x, or even 100x odds? Casinos think of this loss leader as a marketing tool to induce play. What the casino also knows is that Mr. Average Joe isn't going to chunk that kind of change on the crap layout. They know taking odds can be an expensive proposition, especially when dealing in multiples of 10x or even 100x odds, even though the house edge on the bet is infinitesimal. They know a player needs to be well capitalized to embrace this wager. A $10 pass line wager with 100x odds puts $1,010 of your hard-earned money in play, all on one toss of the dice. They may not know exactly what your bankroll is, but they do know they've got a cage full of money to go to war with, and you probably don't. A couple early session seven-out, line away calls, and – oops! -- you're at valet parking without tip money to retrieve your car.

The suggestion of taking odds is a sound guerilla gambling strategy, so long as you don't get caught up in the hysteria of a game and start also making proposition bets that have a casino edge as high as 16%. And, Bob, your pursuit should be to find the lowest table minimum possible, preferably a $2 game.

Written here must also be one caveat: Craps with odds is still a negative expectation game, meaning that no matter how you bet, even on a $2 wager combined with 100X odds, the house has an overall edge on your play. No multiple of odds wagers can beat a negative expectation game over the long haul.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: It's much tougher to beat Sports book than it was in years past. You have a better shot at becoming a movie star. --Lem Banker, Lem Banker's Book of Sports Betting

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You can email Mark your questions at pilarski -at- markpilarski.com

Tags: Column Pilarski Craps

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