The Word Made Real

16 January 2024

By Frank Scoblete

There is a quote in the “Bible” that states: “And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us.”

Leaving aside its religious connotations, casino players say things (the wrong things!) that become flesh and dwell amongst them. These are usually words that signal the players’ ultimate demise in the game or games they are playing. In a way, saying these words is tantamount to bringing bad things to life in order to vex us.

Okay, here are some words that should never be said in the casino. Obviously, these words should never be done as actions of the players. Prepare yourself because you may have said and/or done these things.

“I’ve been losing so what I should do is bet more in order to win my money back!”

“The best thing to do is double my bet when I lose to catch up. I mean how many hands in a row can I lose? Betting this way is a sure way to beat the casinos.”

“Slot losses are mounting. I should go to a higher denomination machine because they are supposed to pay back more and that is what I need right now.”

“The faster I play blackjack, the more hands I play and the more hands I play the better my chances to win!”

“I must play the multi-million-dollar machines because the other ones won’t change my life even if I win a big jackpot.”

“Roulette numbers repeat so I should bet the numbers that have just come up. That is the key to my victory.”

“There are more winners in crowded casino on the slot machines and therefore I should play slots when the casino is packed with players.”

“I am going to play one-on-one with the dealer. Other players ruin the order of the cards and cause me to lose.”

“It is easier to win at new casino games because those games have not been tried by the casino yet.”

“The bigger the casino the looser the slots because the big casinos can afford to pay out more one their machines.”

“I know how to play blackjack and anyone who doesn’t I should tell them how to play their hands. Other players will thank me for that.”

“Dealers are the experts at their games so when in doubt I will ask the dealer what I should do with my hands or what bets I should make at craps. Dealers know how to beat casino games.”

“I should have some drinks so that I can play the games without fear. I need to relax.”

“The best bets in the casino are the ones that pay the most money. At craps, I make what are called the proposition bets. They slots tend to hit more at night because the casinos want players to play longer.”

“Games are tighter in the mornings so I should play in the evenings.”

“I am comped to free rooms and meals because the casino likes me. I ask for the comps and continue to play so that the casino person who rates me will like me for giving the casino my action and he or she will then comp me.”

“I need to buy something that will give me good luck. I noticed some trinkets in the gift shop. I’m going to buy some of those.”

Folks, there are many, many more wrong ways to think about playing against Lady Luck. But you can see why the above quotes should not be made flesh.

All the best in and out of the casinos!