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Best of Alan Krigman
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Gaming Guru
In a Casino, Learning by Doing Can be Costly10 September 1996
I'm not referring to nuances or subtleties. Like the difference between "placing" and "buying" a 10 at craps. Or whether a pair of fours against a six-up calls for a hit, double, or split at blackjack. Or if it's preferable to hold a low pair or three suited connectors at jacks-or-better video poker. I mean simple stuff. Here's an example involving Let It Ride, a five-card stud poker game aimed at novices and casual players. A lady bought in for $100 and asked the dealer what to do. The dealer responded, "Start by making equal bets on the three spots in front of you." The player put $5 on each circle. "The table minimum is $15," the dealer stated. The player replied, "That is $15." The dealer came back, "No, $15 in each spot." The player complied. The dealer gave everyone three face-down private cards. Next hand. The lady got an ace, eight, four - mixed suits. She took down her first bet. The dealer exposed the first community card, ace. The player took down her second bet. The dealer revealed the other community card, four. The lady won $30 on her $15 third bet, a contract that couldn't be withdrawn. "You should have kept your second bet," the pit boss, who was now watching, commented. "Why?" the player inquired, "I didn't have anything. I don't even know why I got the $30. This is worse than the last hand." The pit boss told her she had a pair of aces for the second bet, a sure winner, and ended up with two pair. For emphasis, he slid her private hand toward the community cards. "You mean, I combine mine with the dealer's?" she asked. "I'm not sure you understand the game, Miss. Read this," the pit boss said, handing her a booklet from the holder on the table. "I asked the dealer but she was no help," the player complained, stomping off in a huff. One lesson to be learned from this anecdote is that not all casino games are pure luck. Players' knowledge can affect their chances of winning, the amounts they're paid, and the house edge. A second lesson is that dealers can assist players with procedure - what bets are available and how to make them. Proper play is another matter. In some games, dealers can't help because they don't know players' options until it's too late. Other times, dealers hesitate to speak up because "best" moves don't necessarily win. As an illustration, say a solid citizen asks a craps dealer about hedging a $10 pass line bet with $2 on any craps during the come-out. The dealer says, "I wouldn't do it; any craps is a sucker bet." The shooter rolls a 12. The player loses $10 instead of making $4 and thinks a conspiracy is afoot. The dealer feels like two cents and abandons any hope for a tip. And a third lesson... well, that provocative punter's poet, Sumner A Ingmark, knew the nuances when he noted: Recent Articles
Best of Alan Krigman
Alan Krigman |
Alan Krigman |