Gaming Guru

How to Improve Your Game Without Playing a Hand

Winning at the casino does not consist solely of sitting at a blackjack table or throwing the dice and hoping that Lady Luck will shine on you. There is a lot more to it than just that. It is a culmination of experiences that include study, practice and an ample amount of know-how.

All these experiences can come from a variety of different sources over many years. The games you played as a youngster, books that you have read, advice from other players, all add to your chase for knowledge. Knowledge is what will make you a winner and it's that knowledge, how to play the games correctly, that casinos don't want you to know. Many casinos do offer short, 45-minute classes about the various table games they have. In general, they will tell you the right way to play, but you will find some bets that are "fun" are also very expensive, meaning a high house advantage for that specific wager. In the end it is knowledge that wins consistently. Luck wins occasionally.

Today there is a vast wealth of knowledge available to anyone interested in gambling. There are hundreds of books about each of the games found in a casino. The Internet has tons of information that can aid any player about any game. You can find up-to-the-minute information about the various rules that casinos employ for each game. In fact, you can find data that tells you what casino offers the best results for slot machine play. If you were going on a trip that involves traveling by air, you would look for information on price, flight schedules and other items that would affect your trip. The same is true before you travel to a casino. Use the Internet, your library or your favorite book store to get the most information you can. It will be a wise investment of you time and effort.

Bet You Didn't Know

• In 1638 Massachusetts Puritans passed America's first law against gambling.
• When the Ridotto, the first legal state-sanctioned public gambling house, opened in Venice in 1638, all gamblers, except members of the nobility, had to wear a mask while playing.
• "Long shot" is a gambling term with an old nautical origin. In the early days, ships' guns were very inaccurate except at close range. It was only an extremely lucky shot that would hit the mark from a great distance, a long shot.
• In Ancient Egypt, historical records of Egyptian law clearly indicated that gambling was not tolerated at all. In fact, those who did partake in "gaming" were usually sentenced to work in the quarries.
• Some superstitious Chinese gamblers believe one should wear red underwear or undergarments when gambling to bring good luck.
• In ancient Hawaii, during a four-month period known a "makahiki", warfare was forbidden because that was the time for playing games, many of which included gambling.
• In 1661 Great Britain passed the first law against gambling. It wasn't until 1960 that they reversed that original law and allowed gambling in the country.