Never Say Uncle!

18 February 2025

By Frank Scoblete

“I never quit,” I heard the man say.

Sadly, he did quit soon after making that statement when he ran out of money playing craps. Yes, no matter who you are or how little or much you bet, the game can turn against you. And not turn back.

I mean any game and I actually mean all games. You can be playing craps, yes, or blackjack or roulette or mini-baccarat or slots or a host of other games too. Bad luck is not destined to go away. Not today. Not tomorrow.

Just because a player is having bad luck does not mean ipso facto that good luck is swiftly on its way to even it all out for the sad player. It doesn’t mean anything at all.

Casino games are not evenly balanced coins where 50 percent come up heads and 50 percent come up tails.

On many games, you actually lose something even when you win. Take roulette. You hit a number straight up. The win is 35-to-1. Based on the game you are playing the win should have been 38-to-1, 37-to-1, or 36 to 1. But all roulette games only pay 35-to-1. You lose even when you win a cynic might say.

Think of it this way: You are a single proprietor when you lose but you are a partner (with the casino!) when you win. Remember the casino does keep part of the win in roulette and craps, etc. That’s part of the way that the casinos make money – your money.

Thankfully, the casinos do offer things to enjoy other than their games. That’s right, those high-end casinos offer various forms of entertainment, including sports, concerts, fine dining, and the like.

You never have to stay and get hammered.

You can always take a break from playing. I think some players do not realize that fact. You do not have to keep playing. You are allowed to take breaks. You should say that over and over to yourself.

Even in games where the player has the edge, things can still go wrong. Losses can happen; even bad losses can happen. All players should realize that fact.

If you ever talk to a card counter at blackjack, just ask him or her about how you can go on losing streaks even when you are a good card counter. Perfect play does not result in perfect results. Losses are always out there for you.

Let me go back to the opening of this article. Yes, you can lose and keep losing but in the real world of play some wins, maybe just here and there wins, will come your way. Enjoy them.

They don’t herald the whole future but they do tell you that the results aren’t always going to be terrible.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete’s books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries, and bookstores.