Meditative Casino Games

16 February 2023

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Now we come to the end of our current series on the two basic types of casino games, the caffeine games and the meditative games. We covered the caffeine games last week and now we look at the meditative ones.

ABBY: In fact, some of the meditative games are actually bets in games that could otherwise be caffeine games. But don’t be confused because when we say meditative, we mean it. The option of playing such games is always available even if the total game is bustling.

CINDY: I think the game of Pai Gow Poker is a meditative game for the most part. Yes, the player does have to play his two hands correctly but doing so is relatively easy. This isn’t like blackjack where every hand is a challenge to playing and thinking. Indeed, when in doubt you just ask the dealer how the “house” plays a set of cards. I always follow the house play of the hands.

ABBY: Yes, look at the house and look at your house. Whichever is bigger and richer is probably the right move, wouldn’t you say? Bet the house way.

CINDY: You can settle down in a Pai Gow Poker game and not really exercise your brain or bump around other players. The game is soothing if you ask me, very soothing. You’ll find that there isn’t too much back-and-forth with other players as there can be in craps or roulette.

ABBY: Yes, you can get into a sort of meditative state playing this game. It is also leisurely with a lot of pushes.

CINDY: Next up is a single bet in roulette that pays even-money. In fact, these are called even-money bets because they pay out even money. You can win 18 decisions on the American double-zero wheel and you will lose 20 decisions. You probably won’t have too many long losing streaks as you would betting directly on a number.

ABBY: Here is what you do. You choose the lowest bet that you want to bet at the table, maybe $10, $25 or $50 let us say. You push this bet out onto the spot you want to bet. I bet red or black. I sit right in the middle of the table so I can just slide my bet into the black or red spot. If I am really in a meditative state, I just bet the same bet over and over and over again. Sometimes I might look at the ball spinning around the wheel and bouncing in the pockets or I just sit and wait to hear the decision. When I am really into it, I am really out of it.

CINDY: Slot machines…

ABBY: Ah, the slot machines.

CINDY: You are looking for a machine that doesn’t require you to constantly decide what to do with your money. Multi-game or multi-lines like the 10X game machines are out. You want a simple machine that you just have to press the credit button in order to get the next decision. This can be just like the even-money bets at roulette or the relaxed playing of one’s hands at Pai Gow Poker. You can get into a relaxing rhythm and find yourself sailing away.

ABBY: Video-poker is not the same as a slot machine because you have to think about every hand you receive. So that game is out of the meditative realm.

CINDY: There are many times when you are in a casino and you don’t want the push and tug of other players or of having to make constant decisions about doing this or doing that. The meditative games offer you that option.

ABBY: Every player can choose at just about any time to play one or the other of these two types of games.

CINDY: And the best of luck to you!