Why players like the games they like

Most players have specific games they like to play and other games they won't play and, in fact, other games they might actually detest. Some players like several games. So why do players like the games they like? In this column let's look on the positive aspects of playing specific games.

"I like slot machines," states Marcia Kowalski of Philadelphia, "because I can get into my own rhythm and not have to worry about any other players. I can order a drink, not worry that it might spill on the table. Slots calm me down from a rough time at work. They are relaxing to me. I am way behind in playing them but who cares? I gamble for fun, not profit. And I have a lot of fun. "

"My game is blackjack," says Al Levine from New York. "This game is really close between the casino and the player and even though I have never learned to count cards, which I tried and was too hard, I do play the perfect basic strategy at the game. I am not ahead in my career but I have had so many winning sessions that I always feel I have a chance to win tonight. That keeps me going and I always look forward to playing whenever I go to Atlantic City or on my few trips to Vegas. Blackjack is the game."

Mark Lawrence of San Diego likes two games. "I play craps and I also play Three-Card Poker. Craps gives you a lot of bets you can make and the game is fast and furious at times. You can win a lot of money if a shooter gets hot and the whole table is cheering him on. I know I make all the crazy bets but I just get into the flow of the game and I find it hard to just make the best bets. I am always looking for the big win. At Three-Card Poker I just relax and play the basic strategy which is very simple. If the craps tables are full I'll wander over to these games, sit down, drink some beers and enjoy myself. The game is easy and time flies when you are playing it."

Maria DeMazio of Mays Landing in New Jersey plays roulette and video poker. "I like roulette because I can fix on what I am betting and don't have to worry about the other players. I like to go straight up on three numbers and then bet one of the outside bets too. Roulette has a lot of excitement for me. I also like video poker because I get to make decisions that count. How you play your hands decides how much you win and lose. Roulette is first; video poker is second."

"I like to play craps," says Thomas M., "because I have a chance to beat this game if I bet correctly. I don't make any of the high edge bets. Those bets just take too much money from your bankroll. I stick to the very lowest house edge bets such as pass and come and also placing the six and eight. I now have a goal in mind and that is to try and take the casinos' money. If you play this game properly you do have a chance to win."

Anthony Soares of Los Angeles states, "You gotta play blackjack if you learn how to play your hands the right way. I use a method where I always figure the dealer has a 10 in the hole and I play my hands just like that. I do not use the basic strategy because I think that splitting eights and aces is wrong in some cases."

"Slots are fun and so is video poker," says Alice McCarthy of New York, "but my game of choice is Three-Card Poker because you have a chance to win big and you also get to decide how to play your cards. I enjoy talking to other people playing at the tables and playing becomes a social situation. If the table minimums get too high I just walk over to the slots and play those. Video poker is also fun."

Jokes Melvin Friedman of New Jersey, "I play the ATM machines. I find these give me the best return on my money. Seriously, I like to play all the games. I am a gambler and I just want the action of playing in the casinos. I go once a week to Atlantic City and I go out to Vegas four times a year. I also like getting all the comps I get. I am a pretty big roller and the casinos treat me just fine."

In my next column we'll hear from people who hate certain games and why they do so.