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Making It Easy

18 June 2020

A few months ago, when we were still crowding into live casinos, I relayed reader tips to help make a day out go a little smoother.

They weren’t earthshaking strategy tips that will help you win. Instead, they were little peace of mind tips: Put low denomination chips on the outsides in the craps rack to protect your higher value chips, or leave the blackjack table before you’re down to funds for a last bet so you never play without being able to split or double.

One large fellow suggested prioritizing comfort and choosing tables with at least a couple of empty seats. He didn’t want to play alone, but wanted room to spread out.

He won’t have to worry about that issue for a while as states contemplate when casinos can safely reopen. Social distancing with fewer players per table will be the order of the day.

But there are other ways to help ease a day out. Players hoping to get a chance to play again soon have shared a few more tips:

MADDIE: I like roulette. It’s fun, and I like having all the other players around. I like the activity, everyone getting their bets down before the dealer calls time. I don’t really like the video betting screens, just touching the screen in front of you. I want the action of the players reaching around the layout.

Problem: I’m short, only 5-foot-1. Even in heels, I’m not a tall lady. It’s hard for me to reach all the way across the table and up and down the layout.

I’d played a few times and managed the best I could then one day was trying to reach across to the 12 and the dealer said, “I can put that down for you. Just tell me where you want it.”

It made all the difference! I don’t know why I never thought of it myself. Now I place the bets I can reach easily, and ask the dealer to place the bets that would be a stretch. Yay!

KEVIN: Can I put in a word for just being nice to people? It’s better for everyone if we all treat each other with a little respect.

Back when comps were more discretionary, I saw a guy demanding a meal ticket from a floorman. He bellowed out, “Hey floor! Floor!” The dealer said, “His name is Chuck,” but the guy just ignored her. He was rude, snappish, and wasn’t going to get that comp.

People like to be treated like they matter. I like it at the tables when there’s an easy camaraderie between the players and the dealer. Dealers are there to serve the public, sure, but requests rather than demands and smiles instead of shouts seem to go a long way. It makes the game more fun if people aren’t on edge.

Maybe some people thrive on the edge. I don’t know. But I don’t like the tension when the dealers feel like they’re in a combative situation and need to have their guard up.

LOU: I used to have a problem with getting caught up in games and losing all track of time. I never bet too much or lost too much. I was good about keeping my limits, and I was most likely to lose track of time when I was winning.

But I got in trouble at home for being later than expected a few times too often. There were some tensions, believe me.

Now I set alarms on my phone. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go.


Look for John Grochowski on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/7lzdt44) and Twitter (@GrochowskiJ).
John Grochowski

John Grochowski is the best-selling author of The Craps Answer Book, The Slot Machine Answer Book and The Video Poker Answer Book. His weekly column is syndicated to newspapers and Web sites, and he contributes to many of the major magazines and newspapers in the gaming field, including Midwest Gaming and Travel, Slot Manager, Casino Journal, Strictly Slots and Casino Player.

Listen to John Grochowski's "Casino Answer Man" tips Tuesday through Friday at 5:18 p.m. on WLS-AM (890) in Chicago. Look for John Grochowski on Facebook and Twitter @GrochowskiJ.

John Grochowski Websites:

www.casinoanswerman.com

Books by John Grochowski:

> More Books By John Grochowski

John Grochowski
John Grochowski is the best-selling author of The Craps Answer Book, The Slot Machine Answer Book and The Video Poker Answer Book. His weekly column is syndicated to newspapers and Web sites, and he contributes to many of the major magazines and newspapers in the gaming field, including Midwest Gaming and Travel, Slot Manager, Casino Journal, Strictly Slots and Casino Player.

Listen to John Grochowski's "Casino Answer Man" tips Tuesday through Friday at 5:18 p.m. on WLS-AM (890) in Chicago. Look for John Grochowski on Facebook and Twitter @GrochowskiJ.

John Grochowski Websites:

www.casinoanswerman.com

Books by John Grochowski:

> More Books By John Grochowski