Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

February 5, 2010

Naval names for table games - the aircraft carrier and the tub

Dear Mark: I play a little craps and have noticed recently that in some casinos the tables have different sizes. Is there some house edge being worked here or is it just to allow more players around a table? Jack M.

Casinos offer various dimensions of crap tables, Jack, but no specific size will affect the casino's built-in advantage on any particular bet. Since most crap tables are built to order, the casino will choose a certain size based on the games manager's personal preference, labor costs and available floor space.

Most of the tables you encounter in the casinos will be 12 or 14 feet in length, but as slot machines consume more real estate, you're starting to see smaller tables like 10 footers, or possibly just one large one. A telling factor is that manning a larger table is labor-intensive, up to four employees on a 16 footer - usually referred to as an aircraft carrier -- so scaling back both size and number of tables reduces employee expenses.

You might even start to see what I broke in on as a craps dealer, the tub game, which is a small crap table that is 6-1/2 feet long, three feet wide, and twenty-eight inches high. The mini-layout offers all the wagers of its big brother, and it's manned by just one dealer and can accommodate up to eight players.

One noticeable distinction on a few of these "tub-style" crap tables is the use of mini-dice. These dice are of the 5/8th inch size, which means they are 1/8th inch smaller than conventional 3/4-inch dice. Another alternative during off-hours is to install a bumper-board mid-table to reduce the regular-sized table by half. During graveyard, it's cost effective for the casino to make it a one or two dealer operation.

With all casino crap table sizes uniformly displaying the same layout, you can learn the game anywhere and transfer that knowledge to any venue or table size of your choosing. What all crap tables also have in common is same house edge working against you. Take for instance these crappy wagers:

Big 6 & 8 (9.1%)
Hardway 6 or 8 (9.1%)
Hardway 4 or 10 (11.1%)
Any craps (11.1%)
3 or 11 proposition (11.1%)
2 or 12 proposition (13.9%)
Any 7 (16.1%)

Oh, and those deceptive offerings like hopping-hardways, world bets, horn bets and insurance type wagers will get you free membership, courtesy of casino management, to the tootsie-pop (suckers') club.

Stick with the tried and true, Jack, no matter what sized table you're playing on. A Pass Line bet with Odds, or Placing the 6 and/or 8.

Dear Mark: What is your preferred betting when winning on blackjack when you are on a hot streak? Al C.

I favor a 50% winning progression when on a hot streak. The progression would work like this for an initial $5 wager: $5, then $7, $10, $15, $22, 30 etc. Or, being slightly more conservative, after winning your first bet, pocket the winning, and then start the winning progression formula. Example: $5, $5 again, then $7, $10, $15, $22, 30 etc. Keep increasing your bet until you lose, then begin again with a flat bet (table minimum) of $5.

Although a natural progression to a higher amount with each wager is my preferred way to go, only you can know what your comfort level is. Betting more means winning more, and you may think it's the house's money, check that, it's your money, but if you don't have that warm, fuzzy feeling as a $5 bettor with $45 on the layout, then don't bet so much.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. --Homer Simpson

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

Tags: Craps Tables Crappy Wagers Blackjack Streak

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

January 29, 2010

Hone strategy to a razor's edge

Dear Mark: The casino where I play once had a dozen 9/6 Jacks-or-better machines. Now they have just two. My first question is why do they take out the good paying machines? Is it because skilled players take advantage of them. As for these reduced value machines, how much am I now giving up from a 9/6 Jack-or-better to let's say an 8/5 machine? Eric H.

Good machines, Eric, always come and go, yet of late, far too many have been slashing their high-paying machine inventory. It's simply a decision on their parts to lower the paybacks on their slot floors.

As to your question, yes, knowledgeable players can and do monopolize the better paying machines. But even your Average Joe will win more on high-paying pay tables, so what a will do is trade some of decent high-paying pay tables for substandard ones. I think the reason that even two remain where you play is so that the casino can say it still offers them. Good luck on the egg hunt finding more.

Now assuming, Eric, you find an open seat on the two remaining full-pay 9/6 (9/6 meaning nine for a full house, six for a flush with one coin inserted) jacks-or-better machines and you play perfect basic strategy, your expected payback is more than 99 percent, actually 99.544 percent. You must take into account that those high returns are based on your hitting the royal flush. And why a royal flush? Because a royal on a full pay (9/6) jacks-or-better machine accounts for 1.981 percent of your total return. Add a straight flush and a four-of-a-kind and there's another five percent of a player's return. What this all means to the video poker player, Eric, is that the casino has a sizeable edge against you while you're waiting for the big payoff.

So how much are you giving up with these reduced pay tables? With mathematically perfect play, a 9/6 Jacks-or-better machine pays back 99.54%, the 9/5 game 98.45%, the 8/6 game 98.39%, and the 8/5 game 97.30%.

Yet, Eric, an 8/5 machine doesn't necessarily mean that they are all dogs compared to all 9/6 machines. For example, look to see if they make available an 8/5 (eight for the full house, five for a flush) progressive machine with a progressive meter attached that reads at least $440 on a nickel, $2,200 on a quarter and $8,800 on a dollar video poker machine. If they offer it, you cross the threshold to a positive expectation game.

The bottom line, Eric, is staying flexible. Continue to seek out only positive-expectation machines and utilize proficient play, and you'll be hitting the casino up for all the comps and cash backs you can get.

Dear Mark: In Texas Hold'em, can you ever win a hand outright by playing the board? Jason F.

Not if you're called, Jason. Any time your best five-card hand uses the five community cards, and that's what playing the board is, the best you can do is split the pot.

Although not outright winnable, playing the board can be worth the risk/reward, providing no one else can improve their hand. For example, if the board is a straight consisting of a five, six and seven of clubs, and an eight and nine of spades, someone could be sitting on two additional clubs, and not be playing just the board, and their flush, or other, would beat you outright.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Poker players do not betray any feelings, so what you have, visually, is a bunch of grim-faced guys looking like a hemorrhoid support group.--Dave Barry, the Lakeland Ledger

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

Tags: Video Poker 96 85 Jacks Or Better Poker

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

January 22, 2010

Cinco dos, adios

Dear Mark: I've been reading your column recently on craps betting and I agree with you regarding keeping the house advantage below two percent. However, since my recent retirement I've had the opportunity to play 3-4 times per week, and what I have noticed is that it seems like the most consistent winners are the Don't side players laying odds. Not big money, but consistent wins. I am currently a $5 pass line, odds, place 6 and 8 Come bettor. I'm seriously thinking of going the Don't side. Your answer would be much appreciated. John G.

Yes, John, by all means, if you want to go to the Don't side, do it. There is nothing wrong with being a Wrong bettor.

Once you join dark side, John, as a Wrong bettor you're wagering against the shooter and with the seven. All your bets become Don't pass and Don't come wagers. Yet, right or wrong, and nearly equally, Pass line and Don't Pass bettors are making some of the best wagers the casino offers.

Although I appreciate your way of thinking regarding switching, mathematically a "Don't pass" bet is only a slightly better wager than a pass line bet, as the house edge is 1.4 versus 1.41 percent. Subsequently, because the casino advantage between the two wagers is so minuscule, this columnist has always advocated a Pass line bet, mostly because I enjoy the peer play, where almost all the bettors battle the casino together, win or lose. It is this solidarity of most gamblers on the game rooting for the shooter to make his or her point that is my favorite part of craps. By becoming a Don't Pass, Wrong, or Back Line bettor, you have your fingers crossed that the "ugly 7" will show its face. Most players, myself included, wash out on a seven out, line away call. Hoping for five two, you're "all through" calls is nothing more than rooting for the house.

Dear Mark: In the answer to a question by Glen D., you used the term "selected machines." I play a lot of video poker and would like to know what that term means? Bruce F.

In the world of slots, "selected machines," means one thing for slots, another for video poker.

With reel slot machines, some casinos advertise a higher payback percentage-like a 98.5% return-on "selected machines." Typically that means dollar machines, but the return is usually not posted on the machines themselves, and generally will be limited to a single carousel of machines, or possibly just one or two slots. It becomes your responsibility to find them by asking a slot employee or their direct supervisor.

With video poker, "selected machines" means pay tables, and implies also the use of basic strategy on a decent pay table. With canny machine selection and some video poker prowess, you can reduce the house edge to well under one percent.

That, Bruce, is the biggest benefit of video poker, your ability to identify these "selected machines" by eyeballing the pay tables. When you add the comps and other slot club benefits, it's not hard to break even or better, which rather neatly elevates your chances of winning at video poker.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: That's very clever. But do me a favor and dump it in the trash. A Bally slot machine can't be made by amateurs. -- Bill O'Donnell, CEO of Bally Manufacturing Co., upon being shown a prototype of the first video poker machine. From King of the Slots, the forthcoming biography of William "Si" Redd

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

Tags: Craps Don't Pass House Edge Video Poker Slot

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

January 15, 2010

Dissing the splits - well, maybe

Dear Mark: When my ex-girlfriend and I used to go to Vegas, every once in a while we would have someone at our blackjack table split tens. This used to drive my ex absolutely crazy and there were times when I thought that I actually saw steam come out of her ears when someone did that. So my question is, is there actually any time when it is a good idea to split tens? Keith K.

For starters, Keith, it's wasted energy getting hot-and-bothered when someone splits 10s. The flawed point of view of the heated one - your split ex - is that this blameworthy move always seems to take the dealer's bust card. Not so, Keith, and ex girlfriend. As long as the shuffle is randomized, improper play by others will just as likely help as hurt.

The person splitting 10s, nor your ex, has no idea what the next card is, so that poor play will have no consequence on the game in general. It's limited only to the splitter's wager. Splitter goes down in flames, but not necessarily anyone else.

Actually one notable gaming author, John Scarne, in Scarne on Cards (1949), recommends splitting 10s, but that book was first published well before computers could analyze blackjack with multi-million hand simulations.

There is, however, one time when it is proper basic strategy to split 10s and that is on a Face-up Blackjack game. In Face-up Blackjack, all the cards dealt are exposed, including both of the dealer's cards. Only here does correct strategy call for splitting 10s against a dealer's 13, 14, 15, or 16.

However, Keith, before seeking out the nearest Face-up game to part those tens, ex might reflect on the fee involved. The casino edge on regular blackjack, using perfect basic strategy, is 0.4 percent. With Face-up Blackjack, it's five times that, coming in at a neat 2.0 percent - reason being, in Face-up you lose when you push (tie).

Dear Mark: At our twice-monthly poker game, we like to refer to your column about poker questions. Someone mentioned that about 15 years ago you wrote about how the sandwich was invented because of gambling. I couldn't find what you wrote online at our newspaper. Any chance you can recall the circumstances? Jeff B.

My God, Jeff. Two lines of food fodder, and more than a decade ago. Who remembers this stuff? Someone is hereby awarded the Outstanding Trivialist of the Month.

I wrote that John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), loved to gamble so much and so steadily he had his cortege bring him meats, bread and cheese so he wouldn't have to abandon the gambling parlors. Hence, the sandwich.

My source was Pierre Jean Grosley, who penned in his travel book, Tour to London, the popular tale that bread and meat sustained Lord Sandwich at the gambling tables.

Now that you have incited a growling stomach as I close in on lunch, I'll share with you what I'm having today: My favorite, a Reuben sandwich. It also has some historical gambling significance.

Although the Reuben's place of origin is somewhat disputed, one account is that Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer from Omaha, was its lead creator, along with a gang of his gambling cronies at Kulakofsky's weekly poker game. Nicknaming themselves "the committee," the group held court at the Blackstone hotel in the 1920's, and the hotel's owner, Charles Schimmel, also part of the group, decided to put their sandwich invention on the Blackstone's lunch menu. Bon Appetit.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Some of the opponents you will encounter in poker games will be more ruthless than any casino in taking your money. --Jean Scott, More Frugal Gambling

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

Tags: Blackjack 21 Split Poker Sandwich

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

January 8, 2010

Course of action can differ between casinos

Dear Mark: If you place a bet at a table game that is more than the permitted maximum, and neither you or the dealer notice, should they either A) pay you at the correct odds on the full (higher) amount, B) pay you on the permitted maximum and refund the rest, or C) pay you nothing and just refund your bet in full? Alaistair K.

Most often, a table maximum overage occurs when a bet consists of varying colors of chips. Called a barber pole, these bets after a winning hand are to be broken down and paid off color for color. Generally before the bet is made, a dealer will make sure the smallest value chip is on the top, to discourage "capping" of the bet, and also to make sure the wager isn't over the table maximum. However, even if it were an overlooked $500 chip placed as a bet on a $200 maximum game, dealers would not be allowed to make the judicial move of paying it without pit boss approval.

So, Alaistair, now that a dealer has called over a gambling referee, you might get that winning bet paid in full in  casino A, but not necessarily in casino B or C. Furthermore, that's also not to say that different pit bosses, within casino A, and sometimes within the same pit, don't render conflicting decisions.

That's why some casinos have phonebook-sized 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.

Having played pit bull (boss) in three different casinos, I can only tell you that one where I worked would allow A, pay the full amount, but only once with a word of warning, and the other two would have paid you the table maximum and refunded the excess. Yet I'm sure, Alaistair, there are also Sorry Charlie casinos that would pay you zilch, the C solution, and just reimburse your initial wager.

Dear Mark: Maybe the answer is so simple I don't realize it, but why do they burn cards in card games? Steven L.

Any time a card is discarded from the top of the deck it's called a burn card. It is done as a security measure to reduce the chances of players getting advance information about future cards. In blackjack, the top card(s) are discarded after the shuffle, whereas in a game like Texas Hold'em, cards from the top of the deck are discarded at certain pre-determined points in the dealing process, like before the flop, the turn, and the river.

Dear Mark: I hit my very first royal flush last week, a naturally dealt hand in diamonds. But what your readers might appreciate is that winning is fleeting because I gave all $1,000 back in less than four hours. Tommy D.

When you score a week's income on one lucky bet, you don't want to stay at the fair too long. Looks like you hung around and ate two too many corn dogs.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Speed can change a minor house edge into a major loss, just like speed can change a minor fender-bender into a major full-scale car crash.--Frank Scoblete, 109 Ways To Beat The Casinos

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

Tags: Table Game Max Burn Cards Royal Flush

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

January 1, 2010

Every so often customers demand the dumbest things

Dear Mark: The other day where I play, they had a single zero video roulette game which could be played for as little as a quarter. Now it is double zero. Needless to say, I won't be going there as often. Thoughts? Don C.

More than likely, the screws are being tightened on the customer, but, Don, there is a possibility that the single zero wheel was yanked out because the uneducated fatten casino profits in the oddest ways. Let me explain.

Most players don't realize this, but on a single zero game, the casino advantage of 2.63% comes from the presence of the 0 on the layout. The casino pays all wagers according to what the odds would be if there were just 36 numbers on the wheel, even though by adding the 0 there are now 37 numbers. The true odds of hitting your number are 1/37, and winners are paid 35-1.

Once, when I was employed as a pit boss at a South Lake Tahoe casino that had the only single zero game in town, we offered customers this terrific deal, yet we ended up removing it after nine months, not because management was tetchy about the house edge being reduced to 2.63% across the layout, but because of the drone of customer complaints generated by inexperienced players who couldn't bet the 00 anymore. Go figure; those supremely misguided gamblers most absolutely couldn't.

Dear Mark: Is it ethical to talk about your poker hand while playing? A couple players in my weekly card group do and I was wondering how you would handle this. Matt T.

Talking about your hand, especially with the disingenuous intent of deceiving other players, is called coffeehousing. Is it ethical? Well, barely at best, but it depends on who you ask. I say it isn't, but house rules like coffeehousing among belching buddies should be discussed at the outset of play.

Dear Mark: I like to play the table games based on Texas Hold'em, specifically Bonus Texas Hold'em and Ultimate Texas Hold'em. Which game has better odds in favor of the player? Bruce J.

First off, Bruce, both of the above mentioned games merit an independent column on their rules, odds and strategy, and since I have questions on each in the mailbag, look for them in the near future.

Nevertheless, both Texas Hold'em Bonus and Ultimate Texas Hold'em are poker based table games having slightly different rules and odds depending upon where you play them. For instance, with Texas Hold 'em Bonus in Las Vegas, the house edge can be a smidge over 2%, under Colorado rules 2.3%, and in Atlantic City as high as 5.5%.

The Bonus bet, which is based on the player's initial hole cards, and in some cases the dealer's two hole cards, is based on the posted pay table and carries a steep house edge in the range of 8.5-8.9%, depending on location. Clearly, you want to keep your distance from this wager.

With Ultimate Texas Hold'em the casino advantage runs roughly 2.1% per ante bet, but it can be lower depending on the average total amount wagered by the conclusion of the hand.

The game can be full of twists and turns odds-wise on the Play, when making the maximum raise. Lacking space here to go in depth, a future column is fighting its way to the front.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: That's what they call the great pyramid of gambling! Sharks at the top, then the rounders, the minnows, and at the bottom, the fish--the suckers, the suppliers. Scavengers and suppliers just like in life. --Pug Pearson, Fast Company

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

Tags: Roulette Zero Poker Talk Texas Hold'em

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

December 25, 2009

Start Off 2010 By Making Smart Bets Exclusively

Dear Mark: I'm new to casino gambling but like everyone else, I'd like to increase my chances of winning. What are the best games and strategies for me. Tami L.

Essential to every newbie's success is understanding two fundamentals that increase their chances of winning: They are 1) Sticking to bets that have a casino advantage of less than two percent, and, 2) Developing competence in games like blackjack or video poker and in selecting the right wager or slot machine. Doing so, Tami, you'll stand a good chance of turning the tables in your favor, staying in action longer, having fun, and yes, stopping the flight of your hard-earned cash into the casino coffers.

So why, Tami, is it so important to make wagers that have a house advantage of less than two percent? Because, as casino management knows, you do not play through your bankroll just once, but keep playing your coins, credits or chips again and again during the course of your stay. That's also why finding higher payback machines or smart table game wagers is so important.

Here's an example. Suppose you were playing on a slot machine that is pre-programmed to return 93% to the player. If you were to cycle through your entire $200 bankroll, you could expect back, "in theory," $186. Of course, the casino anticipates your re-playing the $186, so expect a return of $173 on it. Play the $173, and your return will be $161. Play through the $161, get back, $150. Can you see how the casino is grinding away at your capital?

Now, using the same example on a slot machine advertising a return of 98.5%, put in $200 and get back $197. Play that, and you'll get $194 back. Put in the $194, and expect a return of $191. Of course this is all based on a pre-programmed computer chip in the machine tuned to return a certain percentage back to the player, but you can see how much better it is to play the higher payback machines. It keeps you in action much longer, long enough, possibly, fingers crossed, to hit a decent jackpot.

So, Tami, here are some of my favorite casino wagers, ones that should increase your chances of winning. They are my favorite bets by the standard outlined above: They must have less than a 2% house edge and be played with some proficiency.

Slots: Yes, Tami, SLOTS. But only "liberal" slot machines. What I mean by liberal slots are those in casinos that advertise a higher payback percentage-like a 98.5% return-on selected machines.

Danger, Will Robinson. These high payback slots are found only where casino competition is fierce. And, when you do find a casino advertising liberal paybacks, you'll need to ask someone in slot personnel which machines those are.

Video Poker: The key to video poker machine is pay tables, and the use of basic strategy on a decent pay table. With machine selection and some video poker prowess, you can reduce the house edge to well under 1%.

Blackjack: Here's a skill game where you must employ perfect basic strategy. Basic strategy is nothing more than how you play your hand against the dealer's "up card." Playing it correctly will bring the house advantage down to well under one percent.

Craps: Stick to these three terrific wagers. The pass and come line bets, preceding wagers with odds, and placing the 6 or 8. All have a house advantage of 1.5% or lower.

Baccarat: Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to play (you don't even have to know the rules because correct hitting is predetermined), so don't let the mystique of the game intimidate you. The stakes can be relatively low when you play on a mini-baccarat table and the house advantage is either 1.17% when betting the bank hand or 1.36% with a player hand wager.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "How the IRS views gambling is a murky, swampy, stinky cesspool, so wide that it's extremely difficult to maneuver around." --Jean Scott

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

Tags: Smart Bets Slots Craps Blackjack Poker Baccarat

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

December 18, 2009

Power Outage Shouldn't Cause Concern

Dear Mark: When the power goes out in the casino, which has happened a few times when I have played, does this have any effect on the random number generator? How about when a casino employee opens the slot machine door? Gil L.

The casino all-of-a-sudden going dark will not have an effect on the RNG or on its generation of results, since a machine stores this information in a special memory when a temporary halt occurs.

Also, the random number generator continues to work even when the slot attendant opens the machine, as is commonly done on coined machines to fill the hopper with more loot, or to check for an internal malfunction. Your real worries, Gil. Is that a loss of power or an open door will not affect the casino's keeping "up to" 20¢ of every dollar you put in.

Dear Mark: I am confused by the comment in one of your recent columns regarding video poker machines hitting jackpots one after another. You stated; "Not as long odds, but as a pit boss I witnessed on a double-zero roulette table the number 25 coming up four consecutive times. No biggie, what's 2,085,136 to one?"

I thought that every pull of the slot machine or pick of a number in roulette was not affected by any previous pull or number - the odds are always the same, so why would the 25 coming up four times in a row on a roulette wheel be 2 million to one? This would suggest that once a number comes up on the wheel, do not bet on it to come up next, odds are against it. Yet, I am pretty sure in previous columns you said that the wheel is not impacted by history, each and every roll is the same. Can you clear this up for me? Dick D.

Right you are, Dick, that every yank of the handle or number called in roulette is an independent event and is not an upshot of any previous pull or number, and frequently I have mentioned that cozy if chilling fact here in this column. But my comments in that particular article were in response to a reader who had witnessed an atypical, WOW, event. Therefore, Dick, I simply did the math on what the chances were of a select occurrence happening, such as the likelihood of 25 coming up four times in a row. It was nothing more than a rear view mirror look at what the odds are of something happening consecutively.

Dear Mark: Here's my question. A group of us at a bachelor's party in Vegas dumped a thousand pennies into a blanket, shook ‘em up, then spread the blanket and removed all the pennies that had fallen tails. Again and again .. until there was one penny left. It had fallen heads twelve times in a row. Next, us meatheads all bet on how it would come down next time - ten bucks a pop for a pot of $300.00. How would you have bet on it? Gurth T.

Pennies on a blanket at a bachelor party, in Lost Wages no less? Huh. No fear and loathing in Vegas here.

As you well know, Gurth, the result of the thirteenth flip would not be influenced by anything that had gone before, so the likelihood that it would come down heads or tails is exactly 50/50. But you have also noticed that not everyone believes that in their heart of hearts and stubbornly cling to the thought that "a change is due." I would have bet with the minority - the half dozen who bet on heads. That way, if I won I'd have shared the pot with five or six. If I had bet with the majority and won, I'd have shared the pot with a couple dozen or so. And for me, Gurth, its always fun to win more.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: No one will ever play that damn thing -- it doesn't even have a handle to pull. -- Jay Sarno, Nevada casino entrepreneur, upon being shown a prototype of the first video poker machine. From King of the Slots, the forthcoming biography of William "Si" Redd

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

Tags: Casino Rng Slot Machine Door Poker Jackpots

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

December 11, 2009

Warranty service with a smile

Dear Mark: As a way of stretching your bankroll, you have stated that on some machines you don't need to play the full coin amount. For that reason, to save money, my wife will only play one coin on progressives like Megabucks. Did she misunderstand what you said? Cliff W.

Yes, Cliff, she did, but let's just call it a slight misinterpretation of what I wrote.

On some slot machines, I stated that it doesn't matter whether you play one coin, or the maximum, as playing the full amount gives you little more in the way of a payback percentage. But with a progressive like Megabucks, you should play max coin or shun them.

Megabucks offers a life-altering score, but the odds of hitting it are 30,000,000 to one. Another downside is that the long-term paybacks on these machines are usually the lowest in the casino. Still, you don't get to tell your boss to shove it unless you play the full amount.

As for your wife's playing one coin (credit) at a time, you do this on a "straight multiplier" or "equal distribution" machine that pays according to the number of coins you play. For instance, if you hit the jackpot having played one coin, the machine will pay 500 coins, two coins, 1,000, and three coins, 1,500.

Playing one coin (credit) on this type of slot machine is okay because the average return never changes based on the number of coins you play, whereas a progressive tacks on an additional amount of money, a mega-jackpot, if you're playing the maximum number of coins.

Yes, a Megabucks progressive jackpot is colossal compared to that of any straight multiplier, but with odds at 30 million to one against, your chances of hitting the big one are only a teensy weensy bit better than zilch. So, Cliff, the only reason to play these machines is having a miniscule chance of hitting the big one, so tell your wife that I recommend that she play either the full coin amount or not at all.

Dear Mark: For many of your video poker questions, you usually use Jacks-or-better as an example. Am I to assume that it is the best machine to win at? Tom E.

Not at all, Tom. I use it as an example because it was the first, the strategy is simpler than many others, identifying good and bad paytables is easy, it's a personal favorite, and because it's available far and wide, wherever this column is syndicated.

Your chances of winning on any video poker machine increase when you play machines with the best paytables, and when you know how to play each hand. Even on a full pay Jacks-or-better machine, those who don't know the proper strategy to use fare little better than someone who's holding a rabbit's foot and winging it.

Dear Mark: is there a way I can legally avoid receiving an IRS tax form on a slot win? I just got my first one ever here in Biloxi, Mississippi. Terry B.

Sure, Terry, tell them you were just playing for fun and you don't want the money.

Sorry 'bout that, Terry. The heavy wet snow we're currently having in Michigan puts me in my comedic mood. I've got to get down your way sooner than later.

Casinos are required to report to the IRS any slot jackpot of $1,200 or more; no exceptions. Your only option would be to find a machine that has a jackpot below the threshold amount at which casinos are forced to ask for identification and issue a W2G.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: The whole secret to gaming is to make the games liberal -- let you use two hours instead of one to lose your money. -- William "Si" Redd, from his forthcoming biography, King of the Slots

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

Tags: Megabucks Slots One Coin Video Poker IRS Tax Form W2G

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

December 4, 2009

Thomas D. 1 - Mark P. 0

Dear Mark: In your answer to Jason S. about Don't Pass players being allowed to take down bets, you state correctly that a Don't Pass bettor has 3 ways of winning on the come out, but incorrectly show the winning numbers to be 2, 3, 12. As you know, 12's are neutral for a Don't Pass bettor on the come out, contributing to the house edge. Please correct this for your readers. Thomas D.

House rules and tangling with technology, Thomas, caused me to forget to insert the words, "or draw" for either - depending on the casino - the number two or 12.

House rule # 17 (no, not the casino's, but my own household's) is that a circle of 20-mile radius with center at my home marks the point of no return. So, when 40 miles out on a trip to Chicago, I suddenly remembered I had forgotten my laptop, I was forced to do that week's column on the 2x3 inch screen of an iPhone.

Yeah, I know, it's a piss poor excuse, but, Thomas, I do appreciate your calling me out on the oversight. I should have stated that the Don't Pass wager is opposite in that it loses if the come-out roll is 7 or 11 and wins if the come-out roll is 2 or 3. A 12 "draws" (in some casinos a 12 will win and a 2 will draw); but either way, a player "draws" and cannot lose if a 12 is rolled.

On the layout, for those inclined to check out the Don't Pass wager which has a measly house edge of 1.402%, you will note the words Don't Come or Don't Pass "BAR," along with the appropriate dice symbol of two or 12. This means "Standoff " which ensures that the casino maintains their slight casino advantage.

Dear Mark: I saw an unusual turn of events at the Motor City Casino (Detroit) last night. A gent was playing the single line poker video game, $1 to $5 play, and hit four deuces. The "Call Attendant" prompt came up. While waiting, he moved to the next machine and hit four Aces. "Call Attendant" came up. He moved to the next machine and hit four deuces. He had three machines with the "Call Attendant" lined up. Not sure how much he made, but I don't think I have ever seen anything like that. Pretty cool. Thought you would have an interest. Tom K.

It's kind of fun, Tom, when the impossible happens, and yet, anything is possible no matter how long the odds are. Using proper basic strategy, you should hit four deuces approximately once every 5,000 hands. But three? That's more than cool.

Try the improbable odds of hitting three consecutive $4000 royal flushes on three separate machines. This event happened on Sep 5, 1993, at Scolari's Food and Drug on Lakeside Court in Reno. The Nevada Gaming Control Board closed the machines for an inspection, but found no evidence of tampering. Oh, and the odds of hitting three royals in a row are 32.8 trillion to one.

Not as long odds, but as a pit boss I witnessed on a double-zero roulette table the number 25 coming up four consecutive times. No biggie, what's 2,085,136 to one?

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: I have no control when I'm betting on a game. I'm like a prisoner trapped in front of the TV. --Stu Unger, One OF A Kind

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

Tags: Craps Don't Pass 4 Aces

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

November 27, 2009

Reader Eyewear Required

Dear Mark: I've never seen this question answered regarding this winning hand in video poker, so possibly you could indulge my curiosity. Say for instance I have the following hand: Three fours and a pair of queens. I realize I have a full house, but why wouldn't I get paid separately for the three fours and the pair of queens? Bruce D.

With reading glasses in hand, Bruce, you'll notice that somewhere in fine print on the face of the machine it most likely says something along these lines: "Pays only highest combination." Yes, occasionally you will come across a specialty game like Multi-Pay Poker that will reward you additionally for the trips and the Jacks-or-better, but with almost every other machine out there, a hand that includes a grouping of more than one winning hand is paid only the highest winning combination.

Dear Mark: When playing video poker, when are the draw cards actually dealt? Immediately, and then placed behind the initial draw cards, or do they come off the top of the deck? It seems I've seen it described by experts both ways. Larry G.

About a dozen years ago, Larry, I wrote that it depended on the company who produced the machine and how old the machine was, and that some video poker machines of yesteryear operated using parallel dealing. Meaning, all 10 cards were dealt simultaneously, and you were dealt both the display cards and their draw replacements.

Today, machines employ what's called serial dealing. Here, a player starts a game by pressing the deal button, and the top five cards of the deck are displayed. The program now continually shuffles the remaining cards until you hit the draw button, with the required replacement cards being dealt right from the then top of the deck-as in a live poker game.

The reason for the switch, Larry, was that when all 10 cards were dealt straight away, the RNG could be vulnerable to a sharpie who tracks sequences, entering the cards dealt and drawn into a computer program, possibly determining what the future draw cards might be and winning the maximum amount on each hand.

Sounds farfetched? It happened, hence the universal change to dealing the draw cards off the top of the deck.

Dear Mark: Since the screens are completely different, playing cards vs. symbols, am I to assume correctly that a video poker and slot machines use different random number generators? Chris D.

Even though a video poker machine uses the output from a random number generator (RNG) to shuffle an electronic deck, and a slot machine uses a RNG to determine which symbols will land on the payline, they are the same chip since the singular purpose of a RNG is to crunch numbers.

Yes, Chris, the screen scenery is different, cards opposed to cherries, but that chip doesn't give a hoot what is done with the numbers it generates, so the same RNG chip can be used in a slot as well as in a video poker machine.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Casino owners count system players when they're trying to relax and fall asleep at night. --Andrew Brisman, Mensa Guide To Casino Gambling

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

Tags: Video Poker Payout Draw Card RNG Random Number Generator

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

November 20, 2009

Those Thinking Machines Have Still Not Arrived

Dear Mark: If a machine has just paid out a jackpot, would you recommend moving to another machine being that the machine now has to recoup its losses? Dale M.

Far too many players erroneously believe that any machine that has just hit a jackpot won't hit another anytime soon because the machine has to re-prime the pump and win back the money it just forked out. No so, my friends.

It doesn't matter whether a machine has paid out one, or multiple payouts, as the odds of landing a winning combination are the same on each and every whirl. There's just no mathematical reason to switch machines after any number of winning, or losing, spins.

Now, Dale, if a machine isn't paying after a certain number of losing spins, and you're getting bit perturbed, yes, I can rationalize that as a good reason to switch, but that's an emotional reason, and not a mathematical justification for changing machines.

Dear Mark: If you are a member of a slot club and you receive cash back, gift or comp based on your play playing slots, does the casino report those perks to the IRS? Mary Ellen H.

The only thing the casino reports to the IRS is a slot win of $1200 or more, and for that you'll be issued a W2G, but what they don't do is report cash back, gifts, or comps that you receive based on your card use and patronage.

Dear Mark: Why are Don't Pass players allowed to take down their bets on a crap game but Pass Line players are not? I think this is unfair. Jason S.

Because if the casino allowed craps players to take down Pass line wagers at will, Craps would easily be a beatable game.

The reason being, Jason, is that on the come out roll, a Pass line player has eight ways of winning (dice combinations that make a seven or 11) and only four ways to lose: One way of making either the two or 12, and the two rolls that total three. Once a point has been established, that's when the casino makes its dough.

If the casino allowed you to take down your pass bets whenever you wanted, the intelligent play would be to bet Pass line on the come out roll, collect our winnings on 7 and 11 where you have eight ways of winning and only four of losing, and then take down your bets when any point was established. I hardly think the casino is going to allow you to win two-thirds of your bets without taking your lumps. Yes, you have an edge on the come out roll, but you have to bear an inferior position on subsequent rolls.

The Don't Pass bettor, endures his pain on the come out when they have eight ways of losing (7s and 11s) and only have three ways of winning (2, 3, 12). The smart move for them is to stay in play after a point has been established when the casino becomes the underdog, and they the favorite with a 66% chance of winning.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: The root of all superstitions is that men observe when a thing hits, but not when it misses. --Sir Frances Bacon

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

Tags: Slots Jackpot Comps Craps Don't Pass

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

November 13, 2009

Where She Drops, Nobody Should Know

Dear Mark: Do casinos have policies regarding the minimum number of revolutions a roulette ball should make before dropping off the track? What would be considered too few? If the roulette wheel stops moving before the ball lands in the pocket or stops in less than a quarter of a revolution after the ball lands in the pocket would that be cause for concern?

Consider the following scenario. A player comes to an empty table in the morning and bets ten dollars straight up on a single number. After that spin, a new dealer is brought in who turns his head to the side and yells out "What number do I have to hit?" The player bets another ten dollars on the same number. The new dealer says, "You can't bet on that number, you have to bet on the numbers that I pick." What are your comments on that? Daniel D.

Casino operators, Daniel, have plenty of security procedures in place to preserve the integrity of their games, out of self-interest, as well as to protect the general public. You know the deal: Casino managers watch the shift manager, who watches the pit bosses, who watch the floorman, who watches the dealers, while the "eye in the sky" surveillance cameras, watch everything. Believe me, Daniel, the last thing a casino wants is a rogue dealer who thinks he can sector-shoot, or a player exploiting a biased wheel or dealer by clocking the wheel.

Is the wheel coming to a dead stop while the ball is circling above on the track permissible behavior? Not in any joint that I ever dealt in, or probably any casino for that matter. "Round and round and round she goes, where she drops, nobody knows" is the tune all dealers should be adhering to.

When I dealt roulette, I was trained to either speed up or slow down both the wheel and ball delivery before each spin to avoid wheel clocking, but I've got to tell you, Daniel, to consciously sector-shoot or pocket a particular number with the wheel going one way, the ball the other, with frets impeding a descending ball and between the pockets, make it frankly impossible to anticipate where the ball is going to land. A slowing or stopped wheel surely helps, but casino operators, for obvious reasons, just aren't hip to that happening.

As for the dealer yelling out "What number do I have to hit?" or not allowing you to play certain numbers, well, more than likely it was just a flippant remark and/or a rude dealer. Some dealers do believe they run the asylum.

The long and short of it, Daniel, is that every casino has its own set of guidelines for its dealers to follow, as well as a few procedures I'm sure of that keep the wheel speed within a certain range, and of course, players being allowed to bet the numbers of their choosing. Calling over a pit boss and explaining your situation should correct both problems.

Dear Mark: If a casino advertises video poker machines that can return up to 100%, wouldn't they be losing money? Glen D.

Yes, but only if every player had access to "selected machines," and understood and used perfect basic strategy. But since "selected machines" can be fewer than a half dozen on the casino floor, and probably less than one percent of players effectively play perfect basic strategy, the casino won't lose money by making such an offer. Oh, and Glen, one of the tricks of the trade is for the casino to surround those "selected machines" with others that have pay tables offering significantly lower payoffs, guaranteeing even more winnings from the uneducated - and therefore preferred - patrons.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: The stock market is a huge casino, larger by factors of magnitude than all the casinos of the world combined. --Ion Saliu

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

Tags: Roulette Dealer Video Poker 100% Return

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

November 6, 2009

MI Consumers Not on the Need To Know List

Dear Mark: Is it my imagination, or have the casinos in Detroit tightened up the percentages won by them? Before building the new casinos, my husband and I seemed to have more luck than we do in their newer ones. Not only that, but they didn't bring over some of our favorite quarter machines. Dorothy D.

Dear Mark: Could you please supply me with a figure as to the return on slot machines on Indian reservations in Michigan? Robby B.

Unfortunately, Dorothy, and you also, Robby, I can't provide you with percentages won or return figures for Michigan casinos, because no public information is available regarding payback percentages on Detroit's gambling machines, and the Indian casinos of Michigan are not required by law to release information on their slot machine percentage paybacks. Nonetheless, according to the Michigan Racing Commission, which is responsible for regulating the tribes' slot machines, the casinos must meet the same standards for machines as in New Jersey or Nevada. In New Jersey the minimum return is 83%; in Nevada it's 75%. Thus, Michigan Indian casinos must return at least 75% in order to comply with the law, which, at that rate of return, suggests you might as well mail in your money and save the travel costs. Luckily, what cures minimal returns is a dose of healthy competition. With Detroit's three casinos, Caesars Windsor and tribal gaming throughout the state, there is some, but with competition today being so fierce for your entertainment greenback, it really is a shame that Michigan doesn't allow you to compare returns from Casino A versus Casino B.

Moreover, Michigan just so happens to be one of the few states that doesn't report returns. For example, in Nevada, they break the returns down to geographic areas, like the Strip whose quarter machines return 91.09% versus Downtown's higher return of 94.42%. In states like Illinois, figures from the Illinois Gaming Board tell me the average slot payback percentage on all slot machines for individual casinos. For instance, the Alton Belle averages 93.61% a year.

So folks, for those of you who gamble outside the Great Lake state, percentage returns are public information and can usually be found in your local paper, so, let me scream here, SHOP FOR VALUE!

Back to you, Dorothy, and where did those favorite quarter machines of yours go? Well, in the eyes of the Casino Wizard, aka the slot manager, slot machines need to show reasonable results or their replacement is inevitable. A slot machine's performance is measured in two ways: the value of coins wagered daily ("coin in") and the value collected daily by the casino ("win"). Possibly the performance of the machines that you enjoyed playing was not up to par, or, they simply weren't the newest, latest greatest, one-armed bandits, and the slot manager decided a change in the slot mix was needed.

Dear Mark: My wife and I are headed back to Las Vegas in November. I usually play video poker and craps. I'm going to play some three card poker during this trip. I've been practicing playing on a web site, but your insight on some basic strategy would definitely help. I'm not sure if always placing a bet on the "Pairs Plus" spot " is the smart play. Craig L.

Stick with this simple betting strategy, Craig. Only make the "play" wager if you have at least a queen, six, and a four in your hand. By using this approach, the house edge on the "ante" wager is about 2.1%.

Although placing a bet on the "Pairs Plus" has a slightly higher casino edge of 2.3%, it's tolerable, and worth an occasional play.

Oh, and while I'm at it, Craig, don't forget searching out the best paytables for video poker and use basic strategy. With craps, limit your play to a pass line bet with odds or placing the six and/or eight. All the wagers recommended won't necessarily guarantee you'll leave Las Vegas with a small fortune. For that you'd start with a large one. But it should keep you in action longer, and yes, give you some fun while you're there.

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. --Winston Churchill

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

Tags: Return Slot Machine Three Card Poker Video Blackjack

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Deal Me In by Mark Pilarski

October 30, 2009

Toke Tapping Tenets for Tipsters

Dear Mark: I read an article by Henry Tamburin in which he states that the best way to tip a blackjack dealer is to place the "tip chip" on top of one's bet in the layout circle and if you lose the hand the dealer gets nothing, but if you win, you reward him the tip chip amount. The article states that most dealers prefer this method of tipping rather than just being given a tip. Since you once dealt blackjack, perhaps you have an opinion on this.

But, with this method of tipping isn't the player trapped into making a "double tip" should his cards need splitting? On a double down, the player would be okay, as he could double less the "tip chip", but I think he is trapped with the split if my memory is correct in that one has to bet the same amount on a split. I thought you might have some suggestions on this. Mac B.

As with most service industry jobs, Mac, most front-line casino employees get paid minimum wage. The majority of a casino dealer's pay comes through the gratuities of casino patrons, like you.

In dealer jargon, a tip is called a toke. You can offer your toke directly to the dealer, or you can place a side bet on top of or in front of your wager for the dealer. So which do dealers prefer? As Henry states correctly, most dealers favor a side bet alongside yours rather than receiving the toke directly. This side wager makes them feel like they're also in action and have a stake in the game. A bet for the dealer provides a little excitement in what can be a pretty tedious job at times. Check that. Pitching cards and performing mind-numbing mental calculations like counting to 21 is tedious all of the time.

As for a "double tip" if you choose to double down or split pairs in favorable situations, yes, I guess you could look at it that way, but you are under no obligation to double your tip, nor does it have to be the same amount. I would guesstimate that half the players do add to their original bet for the dealer, half do not.

Personally, Mac, I've always looked at doubling up for the dealer as a contribution to the Dame of Fortune, Lady Luck. Besides, dealers need those gestures of gratuity to make a decent wage. If the casinos had to pay a true living wage to dealers instead of dealers accepting tips, casinos would have to figure a way of making up for lost revenue. For starters, they would change the rules of the game, increase table minimums, and even alter paybacks, like paying even money on a blackjack.

Bottom line, Mac, only tip what you are comfortable with, and only tip for good service. Even I, with 20 years on the inside, won't tip a disgruntled blackjack dealer.

Dear Mark: What is your favorite Gambling Wisdom of the Week quote? Alastair K.

Gambling quotes, Alastair, seem to take on a life of their own. Take for instance one quote that's attributed to Yours Truly; "The smarter you play, the luckier you'll be." That quote has found its way into a half dozen books, and not necessarily on gambling. It even appears on page two of The Acquisitive Distributor: 4 Keys to Success When Buying a Wholesale Business. I would add that tome to my personal library, being that I'm in it, but it's $239.80 at Amazon so I'll pass.

Picking one, Alastair, gosh, there are so many good gambling quotations. I've always been humored by this one: "Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit." -R. E. Shay

Years working the Green Felt Jungle makes me appreciate this dilly: "A gambler with a system must be, to a greater or lesser extent, insane." George Augustus Sala (1828-95) English writer and journalist.

But I would have to say this gem from Proverb is probably my favorite: "In a bet there is a fool and a thief."

Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Gambling pulls at the core of a man --Meyer Lansky

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

Tags: Blackjack 21 Tipping Tokes

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