Make a Killing: Slots or Table Games?

20 July 2021

By Frank Scoblete

The greatest fantasy of casino players (and lottery players) is to make a killing. To tear to shreds the casino’s house edge and come home with wheelbarrows of money. “Look everyone, I killed ‘em. All that money is now mine!”

Most players never get to say that. That is a given. If every player brought an overflowing wheelbarrow home from their casino trips then there would quickly be no casinos to loot.

Still, that doesn’t stop players from fantasizing. I know when the big lottery jackpots are in the news, players turn out in droves. Almost no one wins anything but that doesn’t stop them from fantasizing.

But who has the best chance of bringing such gold home from their forays to the casinos? Is it slot players or table-game players? Meaning who is fantasizing the huge payout more? I decided to ask two of Casino City Times’ gurus, Abby and Cindy, who write under their title The Royal Flushes.

ABBY: First we have to set the limits of the question. A huge table-game player betting tens or hundreds of thousands could win millions. I wouldn’t count such a player. A million to such a player is like a thousand dollars to me.

CINDY: I think Kerry Packer once won about 26 million from a Las Vegas casino but he would bet outrageous sums of money. We don’t count him.

ABBY: On slots we wouldn’t count someone playing machines over $100.

CINDY: My opinion is that slot players fantasize the most about epic wins. Even dollar machines can have jackpots that are staggering and some of those progressive machines could hit for millions. A $10 or $25 table-game player isn’t looking to win millions.

ABBY: Even lovers of craps who make the idiotic bets with gigantic house edges are not looking for millions. It just isn’t going to happen. The world record craps roll of over 150 decisions at the Borgata before the seven out did not have anyone who won in the millions. I don’t think one person won anything close to that. So craps would not bring in amazing amounts of money on even the longest rolls.

CINDY: Normal blackjack play would never get close to a million. Just ask dealers what were the hugest wins for a $10 player. It won’t be staggering.

ABBY: Therefore Frank, we have come to the conclusion that slot players fantasize the huge payouts on the machines and table-game players do not. Table-game players’ fantasies are contained. They might desire a few thousand or maybe ten thousand or so. But the slot players are going for the gusto in the millions and that’s for sure.

CINDY: But now you have to think about this: Do slot players actually expect their fantasies to come true? I think most don’t, especially those who have a long history with the machines. Tens of thousands? Maybe. Millions? I doubt it.

Thanks to ABBY and CINDY we have an answer that makes sense.

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 and at bookstores.