Dear Mark,
I was in Atlantic City last week minding my own business on a blackjack
game, when a player started verbally insulting me on how I played my hands.
He told me I was ruining his hands and always taking the dealers bust card.
Do I really have that much control over the outcome of the game? Helen W.
Watertown, CT
First, Helen, it's your money, not theirs, so you should be able to play
your hand any way you want. Second, one of the biggest fallacies in all
of gambling is that your play affects the overall outcome of all hands dealt.
Not true! Each card comes out of the shoe randomly and since you, the dealer,
fellow players, and yes, even the nitwit who insulted you, have no idea
what the next card is, poor play will have no consequence on the game in
general. Unfortunately, it does influence the outcome of "your hand,"
which leads me to third-playing perfect basic strategy.
Blackjack is a unique casino game because it allows players to make playing
decisions that will affect the outcome of their bet. Poor play will allow
the casino to have a 4-5% edge over the average player. If however you learn
perfect basic strategy, that edge can be reduced to well under 1%, making
it a terrific wager and one of the best player bets in the casino. Now if
the thought of breaking even against the house does not offer you ample
monetary incentive to take the time to learn basic strategy, maybe knowing
that you will place yourself in the 99th percentile among all players will,
since less than one in every 100 players uses perfect basic strategy. Helen,
your goal should be to join the one percent who do take advantage of this
lucrative way of wagering. How? For starters, read the "Before I Shuffle"
section.
Dear Mark,
I am taking a trip to Las Vegas next month, and cheap just so happens to
be my middle name. Tell me, do penny slots still exist anywhere in Nevada?
Jerry H. Glendale, CA
They still exist, but these remnants of the past can be very hard to find.
In Vegas, you can play them downtown at the Gold Spike, Plaza, and the Western
Hotel. My guess is that no more than 100 exist today in all of Las Vegas.
Good luck, Jerry.
Before I Shuffle:
Basic strategy is nothing more than how you play your hand against the dealers
"up card." So before making your first wager on a blackjack game,
I implore you to learn basic strategy to a point where it becomes an automatic
response. It's simple to learn, and all you have to do is purchase a laminated
basic strategy card the casinos sell for about three dollars in their gift
shops.
Ah, but why give the casinos any more of your hard-earned money than you
have? Instead, you can get one free by just sending a self-addressed stamped
envelope to the address below. The casinos don't give these cards away because
they make their profits extracting money from uneducated players. My reward
will come from knowing you won't be losing a king's ransom on poor play.
I invite you to send for one today.
Got a question about gambling? Write to: Deal Me In, 774 Mays Blvd.
Suite 10, Incline Village, NV 89451 or e-mail:winners@winner.com
· To order Mark Pilarski's "Hooked on Winning" audio cassettes-laminated
win cards package ($12.95 plus $2. S&H) call (800) WINNERS.
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