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Gaming Guru
Casino management can't mandate cheerfulness4 February 2000
Dear Mark, Raymond, it could be something as simple as management forcing dealers to wear ridiculous "stinkin badges" that pronounce that they are certified friendly. Dealers who are subject to such autocratic casino marketing plans will tell you that other, more savory adjectives could also be applied. A specific example would be at Station Casinos in Las Vegas where they have a "10-5" rule for blackjack dealers. Dealers on dead tables are expected to show their pearly whites to any prospective player who comes within 10 feet of their game. Any player who comes within 5 feet of their tables is to be verbally greeted. Will any of this make a crabby dealer more like Snuggles, the Fabric Softener Bear? Hardly. Casino management can try to legislate geniality, but being a friendly dealer, of which there are many, comes from within. You can't decree friendliness.
Dear Mark, Yes, Chris, considerably. BUT, if your bankroll is undercapitalized, after a few bad rolls your typical weekend gambler will be wiped out. Even on a 50¢ game. A crap game that offers 100X odds is for players who typically wager between $25-$50 per hand, not a 50¢ inexperienced player. It takes nerve, and capital, to put $50.50 on the line and wait for a 4 to roll.
Dear Mark, Card counters in general have an inherent advantage of between .5 and 1.5 percent against the house. But in your brother-in-law's case, even if his debatable skills rival the pros, because his bankroll is limited (e.g., $1000 or less), his slight edge will produce nothing more than a $5-an-hour job for him. Is it worth the constant hassle from pit bosses, exposure of his bankroll and the possibility of financial ruin for $5 an hour? I'll pass and let him decide.
Dear Mark, Yes, Ronald, called War, this is a variation of the same senseless game you played as a youngster on the kitchen table. Both you and the dealer each receive one card, and the high card wins. In the event that both cards are equal, you must double your initial bet, and two more cards are dealt. Again the high card wins; however, you win only your original wager. This is how the casino pickpockets your billfold. The casino advantage from this one rule change: 7.14%. Thumbs down for War. Recent Articles
Mark Pilarski |
Mark Pilarski |