At the casino

By the Careful Gambler

From Canandaigua to Niagara Falls to Salamanca we now have eight casinos or casino/racetracks to visit in our geographic area, and I love it. As my byline implies, I am a gambler, albeit a careful one. There should be no question as to the profitability of casinosäand where do their profits come fromäthe players of courseäyou and me. If you go to a casino often enough and gamble long enough, you will, with rare exception, lose money. Every slot machine and table game in a casino is profitable for that casino or it wouldnπt be there. As my witty gambling friend, Double Down Dan once said, ≥I depend on luck, the casino depends on mathematics.≤

So then, why go to a casino? Simply put it is fun, it is exciting, and mostly it is entertainment. Entertainment with the chance to win some money! As the Careful Gambler I will give you tips, advice, and strategy for you to use to minimize the casino advantage when you play. In that way it will maximize both your enjoyment and your chance to win.

Who are those ≥rare exceptions≤ that I mentioned that can be profitable long-term gamblers? Well they are the very skilled poker players, playing in casino card rooms or on the net. Or they are members of a large bankroll, card counting blackjack team, or are well-informed racetrack betters who follow and track horse races. All the rest of us will be entertained by the spin of a slot machine, the roll of the dice, the turn of a card or the speed of a horse. We will also enjoy the very reasonably priced food and free non-alcoholic drinks.

So then, what games or slots are best for a careful gambler to play?Well these general facts will help. The pay out percentage on slot machines will run from the low 80s to the high 90s. Said differently, the house edge can be as low as 2 percent, or as high as 17 percent or more on slot machines. Unlike other locales, our local casinos do not publish their slot pay out percentages. However, analysis of casino results from other places and articles in gambling reference books leads to these facts that will help you stretch your slot gambling money and thereby enjoy more entertainment.

First, and always go to the Players Club, join it and obtain a Players Card (I ask for a second card since I often lose one.). This card is small, credit card sized and should be inserted into each slot machine that you play. This enables the casino to track your play and may entitle you to complimentary food or cash-back money. This is one way the casino recognizes and rewards their steady customers. You may also receive additional reward coupons in periodic casino mailings. While you are at the Players Club, inquire as to whether or not there are any current promotions, as often there are free spins or slot tournaments or drawings available that day to members of that Players Club. Additionally, video poker slot machines have discernable pay out percentages and those payouts are generally higher than the payouts on the traditional reel type slot machines. So you will need to learn the proper strategy to use and what type game to select when playing video slot machines. This is necessary, for on video poker machines you must make a decision as to what cards to play and what cards to discard. There is information available on proper strategy in books on gambling and it will also be covered in a future ≥careful gambler≤ article.

Final tips on slot play would tell you to play the highest denomination reel type slot machine your entertainment budget would allow. A review of published casino slot payouts shows that a dollar slot machine has a higher pay out percentage than a quarter machine, which in turn has a higher pay out than a nickel machine. Although statistics are not yet available for penny machines, I surmise that their pay out would be lower still.

Lastly, always read the details on pay outs available on the face of the machine and be careful for some machine will not award a bonus or jackpot unless full coins are played. This means you may need to play three coins or nine lines to qualify for the bonus. If you have a question or donπt understand the machine instructions on this, ask a casino employee for help, as there are usually slot attendants roaming the slot area.

If, on the other hand, you wish to try your luck or skill at a table game, these are some helpful hints. Again, use your Players Card, handed to the dealer when you buy your chips and it will be recorded. Dependent on your length and level of play, you may qualify for complimentary food. To find out, at the end of play ask your dealer or the pit boss to check for you. The casino edge on table games can run from under 2 percent to over 20 percent, so always know and understand the game you are playing. Some casinos offer free instructions on the game, or you can read up on it in a book on gambling, or find a friend who will explain it to you while you play. Some table games, like craps and roulette are random event games and there is no skill involved. You do need to know what type bet to make as the casino edge varies dependent on your type bet, a subject for a future column. Other games, blackjack or let it ride for example, are not random events as you must make a decision on what cards to play and how to bet them. In order to effectively play these games it is essential that you know and follow a proper strategy. Strategy cards or tables are often available in gambling books and will be covered in future issues of Sports & Leisure Magazine.

Future columns by the ≥careful gambler≤ will cover such subjects as; how do reel type slot machines work, how do video poker machines work, what video poker machines are the best to play and what strategy should be used, what table games have the lowest house edge and how to play them, just to name a few good subjects. There may also be trip reports on visits to local casinos and racetracks. So until next issueäEnjoy Your Gambling.