What Players Should Know

4 April 2024

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Last week we tackled a simple question: What should dealers know in order to do their best job? Essentially it was, dealers have to know how to deal the games and act as if they were personable and liked the players. By the way, they didn’t really have to like the players, or some of the players, they only had to pretend they did.

ABBY: Part of dealing with the public, in any profession, is to make the public feel as if you like them. It takes a special kind of creep to insult or harangue a worker who is pleasant to them. (Yes, those creeps are out there; usually among food stuffs and gambling.)

CINDY: But what should a player know?

ABBY: They should be experts in playing the game or games they love to play. It is stupid – yes, I use the word stupid to describe someone who plays a game he or she is not an expert in – and it is simple to know the games you are playing and the correct strategies to play those games. You can find the perfect strategies in books and even in articles on the Internet. Just make sure these strategies give you the math of the games so you know the writers know what they are advocating in terms of playing properly.

CINDY: Be friendly to the dealers. You don’t have to be the type of person who talks up a storm but a smile here and there or some words of encouragement now and then is a great thing for the dealers to hear.

ABBY: If you are having a losing session do not blame the dealers. They have no control over your good or bad luck. The games are random. There will be good streaks and bad streaks. In card games, you will have some decisions to make on how to play your hand(s), make the right choices to lessen the odds against you.

CINDY: Whiners are truly annoying players for all the rest of us players playing at the same tables. Even in slot machine aisles someone moaning and groaning about their bad luck makes me want to tell them to take up another hobby. You should know what you are getting into before you play – the good times and the bad times – and shut up if you are in a bad time or had a bad decision against you.

ABBY: We are all coming to the casino hoping to win but also knowing the casino has an edge on us at every game so don’t be so surprised that you do lose – maybe a lot, especially if you play the wrong strategies or make stupid bets.

CINDY: Do not beg for comps, especially if you are a low roller. They will come or they won’t come. Usually, a buffet or a free or reduced-rate room during weekdays. Be happy with whatever you get.

ABBY: Keep in mind what comps are based on – how much the casino figures you will lose based on how you play, meaning how much you risk and the potential losses over time that await you. Low rollers will probably get mailed comps they can use. High rollers will usually get just about anything they want. But whining doesn’t really do any good and it is annoying to the rest of us.

CINDY: Do not give advice on how to play the games! Players who barge into someone’s play are worse than whiners and moaners even. Other players will play as they play and even if you think those players are idiots, it is their money and you should stay out of it. At blackjack you will run into so-called experts who usually are not experts at all, but they will give out advice on how to play and criticize anyone not playing as they wished those players would play. Don’t be an annoying expert!

ABBY: We don’t like them.