A Good Game and More Good Games

12 December 2023

By Frank Scoblete

Yes, I skipped this article in the last issue because I had a slight change of heart. I decided to think somewhat on what makes a good game and why some games come and go and others hang around a long or somewhat long time.

ROULETTE

In the 1600s Blaise Pascale created the game of roulette. He was trying to create a perpetual motion machine but he couldn’t do it (nor has anyone else created one). Pascale was a scientist, philosopher, mathematician, inventor and what he did create is one of the longest lasting games in casino history – roulette.

Roulette means “little wheel” and the game has been played ever since Pascal invented it and offered it to the public. It has become the perpetual motion machine of the casinos and is still in second place, tied with craps as the number two table-game in the casinos. Overall, it is the number three casino game behind slots and blackjack.

It is, as almost everyone knows who has ever seen a movie, a little wheel with a spinning ball that falls into a red, a black, or a green pocket. Players bet which pocket or pockets where the ball will land and come to rest. They get that right; they make money. They get that wrong, they lose money.

Go to any casino in the world and there will be one or more roulette wheels spinning away. The wheels spinning happily. Happily, for the casinos of course. Roulette has made the casinos a lot of money over the centuries and that is continuing now as I write this.

What Makes a Lasting Game?

Some games seem uniquely exciting – craps is one. Players can take the dice in their hands and roll them down the table to see if they can beat the house by hitting numbers on which they and other players wager. (Players can wager for or against numbers.)

Blackjack is exciting because every decision made by the player affects whether they win or lose, how much or how little.

Slots? Some of the machines are dream machines offering payouts that can change lives or certainly change today, tonight, or tomorrow. They are catnip to players hoping for good luck. The lure of luck is a massive inducement to play random games such as slots.

Are there other casino games that have lasted a while? Yes, indeed. Let me offer a few of these that are good to play too.

PAI GOW POKER

A leisurely game where the player plays against the dealer – much like blackjack but far easier to play correctly. The house edge is in the mid two percents but the game is slow and the number of decisions is quite reasonable.

I recommend this game.

FACE-UP PAI GOW POKER

You get to see the dealer’s full hand before you play your own. The edge comes in lower than in regular Pai Gow Poker.

BACCARAT OR MINI-BACCARAT

Baccarat is another leisurely game with a slightly more than one percent house edge on two of its three bets. The third bet, called the tie, is an awful bet and should be avoided. The players actually get to deal the cards at times.

Traditional baccarat is usually played in the high roller rooms with high house minimums. It is hard to find these traditional games anymore as mini-baccarat has taken over the casino-scape.

Mini-baccarat has the dealer deal the cards and the game is superfast. The house edges are the same as traditional baccarat but the speed of the game detracts from its pedigree. If you decide to play this game wager fewer than half the decisions.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

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.