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Frank Scoblete Gaming Guru  Don't Call Me Chicken!9 August 2022
By Frank Scoblete Marty McFly (brilliantly played by Michael J. Fox) in the wonderful movie series “Back to the Future,” got to travel in time, both to the future and the past. He also got very (as in very, very, very) annoyed with anyone who would say or suggest he was a “chicken” of any kind. Calling McFly a chicken was an open and direct invitation for him to do something stupid. “Call me a chicken, will you? Well, I’ll show you I’m not a chicken by doing a dopey thing right now!” Many of us react to the chicken attack by doing stupid things. As kids the word “chicken” is a loaded word ready to burst into our consciousness and sometimes even cause fights that harried teachers often have to break up. “I couldn’t finish my lunch because Big Bo-Bo started another fight.” Casino gamblers are sometimes true victims of the “chicken” dilemma. You would hope this wouldn’t be so but sometimes casino gambling can bring out the moody or angry teenager in us. I have found the chicken problem in players who feel the need. or the difficult to repress impulse, to raise their bets because others at the table are raising their bets. My acquaintance Freddie Freedman (not his real name and not the baseball player) loves to play craps. He is an all-over-the-layout bettor. That means he makes some good bets but he also makes the worst bets at the game. During sessions when a few shooters make points and numbers galore and the money is coming in, instead of enjoying the wins he looks around the table and gets the urge to increase his bets as his fellow players are upping their bets. He once explained to me why he did this. “You know, I was at this table and everyone was winning and one guy saw that my bets had stayed the same level. He said flat out to me, ‘what’s up with you? Are you a chicken to raise your bets even though you have been winning?’ So, I raised my bets. I parleyed them all which meant I doubled them! “I know, I know, I know, all I was doing was giving the casino’s edge a shot at more of my money.” “And what happened?” I asked. “You were there,” he said. “You saw me go down in flames.” Freddie reacted to the word “chicken.” Many of us (mostly my fellow males I assume) have a tendency to want to look brave in front of others. In casinos, I guess looking brave entails betting more and more when you are winning, never putting into your mind that the house edge will eat away at raised bets just as it eats away at all your bets. Good streaks don’t last into the future. If good streaks were animals, they would be extinct because they only happen in the past. They tell you nothing about the immediate future. Raising one’s bet with the hope (and that’s all it is, “a hope”) that such streaks will keep going is not a smart move as a long-term plan. In short, never make plans that rely just on hope because such plans don’t always have any reality attached to them. All the best in and out of the casinos! Please be a chicken! Frank Scoblete’s web site is www.frankscoblete.com. His books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries and bookstores. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net. Chicken Crossing the Road2 August 2022
I do love those old “chicken” sayings. Here’s one of my favorites: Question: “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Answer: “To get to the other side.” Yes, dopey at many levels but there is an element of truth in it. To get somewhere you want to go, well then, you have to move in that direction. You have ... (read more)
Chickens Not Hatching26 July 2022
There is a lot of truth in old sayings and perhaps even more truth the older those sayings are. How’s this one? “Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.” Sounds reasonable. You’ve got yourself all set up for a great load of flying feathers and hundreds of eggs about to descend on your life in a good way. ... (read more)
Stay Safe19 July 2022
Some casinos have opened somewhat sluggishly as the Covid-19 virus has slowed them down. Some players were happily waiting on lines to get in and play; though many more were hesitant and waited to make sure it was safe to tackle Lady Luck when they were simultaneously hesitant to tackle a vicious virus. ... (read more)
Ask Frank: Spanish 21 StrategyHello there, Living in Canada, I find that the rules are more liberal here than at other casino locales, such as the dealer standing on all 17s for Spanish Blackjack. In your book, Armada Strategies for Spanish 21, there is only a strategy for when the dealer hits soft 17... (read more)Ask Frank (Playing Winning Craps)Dear Mr. Scoblete: In your book Forever Craps, you recommend to play one Don't Come bet per shooter without odds in order to reduce your exposure to the house. I usually play at casinos that count the spread and odds. If I play one ... (read more)Bad Ways to Play Good Casino GamesYou've met this guy before. He's cantankerous, witless, and loud. He knows everything about everything when it comes to casino games. He's a self-made expert who knows more than all writers and mathematicians combined, and as he doubles on his thirteen against the dealer's ... (read more)The Craps to English DictionaryCraps is another country, a kingdom with its own mores, legends, myths, rites, rituals, superstitions and government. It also has its own language, much of it easily misunderstood as sexual or scatological references. For those of you interested in journeying to this other ... (read more)Craps Crap and Craps Gold - Part 1What do the following sayings have in common? "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." "Better late than never." "High fences make good neighbors." "Always play the Pass/Come and take full odds." Answer: The above statements are true. Yes, some people might quibble and say that you can eat as ... (read more)Frank Scoblete |
Frank Scoblete |
