Casino Survey Part 12

9 November 2024

By Jerry Stickman

Casino Survey Part 12

Casinos have a wide range of games designed to attract nearly every type of gambler. Since there is such a variety, I thought it might be interesting to survey casino goers to find out their favorite games and why they play them.

This is the twelfth article in a series of articles that explores this topic.

Responses from a recent casino sampling.

Eleanor from Mississippi:

“When I arrive at a casino, I try my hand at some slots. They are usually standard quarter slots or nickel or penny multi-line games. I will also play a little machine-based keno.

The problem with these games is they get a little boring after a while. I like to be a little bit challenged while playing.

I tried learning strategy for blackjack. In the past, I spent many evenings at home trying to get basic strategy down pat. Even when I would do okay at home, I was not able to do the same thing when I was at a table with a dealer and other players in the casino. My mind just seemed to go blank.

Playing craps was much too intimidating for me. There are way too many different bets. The method of placing bets can be different depending on the bet. But perhaps the most intimidating thing for me is how busy the table can be between throws of the dice.

There are also so many unwritten rules about what you can and cannot do such as when to buy in, or how to buy in or place bets. Also, other players can get very angry at you if you say a wrong word such as “seven.” For me, it is not worth the stress involved.

Walking around the casino and looking at the different table games available, I was drawn to games such as 3-card poker, Let it Ride, Ultimate Texas Hold’em, and other such card games.

I did some research on how to play those games and the strategy was certainly simpler than what is required for blackjack. I was able to learn the strategy for most of the games in as little as one evening – a big improvement over the amount of study and practice that was required to learn blackjack strategy.

My first time at 3-card poker was a very pleasant surprise. I was not at all intimidated. Better still, I was a winner. As I became more confident, I tried some of the other games and was equally at ease.

I was not a winner every time. In fact, I was not a winner the majority of the time. But, after all, these are casinos. They cannot build and maintain them if they don’t make money. However, the losses were totally manageable and I enjoyed playing them.

These ‘carnival games’ are now my favorite.”

What about you? What casino games do you like to play – and why?

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.


Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines and 888casino.com. He authored the video poker section of “Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!” You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com
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