Who's Watching Whom in the Pit
Dear Mark,
What is the power structure of the casino pit and how far did you rise?
Also, whose job is it to observe that no one is cheating? Paul D. Internet
The pecking-order is as follows: dealer, boxman, floorman, pit boss, games
shift manager, casino shift manager and finally casino manager. My
hierarchial assault up the ladder ceased at the casino shift managers position--held
for such a brief period you could time it with a stopwatch--because I incessantly
broke rule number one of casino advancement. NEVER MAKE SUGGESTIONS! Besides,
I spent an inordinate amount of time in my gaming career on secret-double
probation.
As for cheating, reverse the chain of command. The casino manager watches
the shift manager, who watches the pit bosses, who watches the floorman,
who watches the dealers-with the eye in the sky (cameras in the ceiling)
watching everybody.
Dear Mark,
When in Las Vegas, my mother-in-law plays a certain combination of bets
that she believes are better than other wagers on a roulette table. You
said that all bets on roulette have the same house advantage with the exception
of one. Who's, and which bet is it? Mary C. Mackinaw City, MI
Most players mistakenly believe that certain wagers on a roulette table
are superior to others. Example: Playing the even money bets (red/black
or odd/even) are always better plays than wagering a straight-up number.
Nothing could be further from the truth. All bets, with the exception of
one, hold the same house edge of 5.26%. That one wager is the five-number
bet, 0, 00, 1, 2, 3-also called "the beast with five numbers."
Makes sense, as the house advantage on this sole wager is 7.89%.
It behooves your mother-in-law, Mary, on her next trip to Las Vegas, to
play the more advantageous European, single zero wheel at the Monte Carlo,
Stratosphere or a few of the grind joints downtown. The house edge on a
single zero game is reduced to only 2.7%. That's shopping for value or "Deal
Me In" gambling.
Dear Mark,
What is the worst move a player can make with a dealt hand in blackjack?
Susan L. St. Paul, MN
Getting ridiculous here, Susan, it's actions like doubling down on a natural
blackjack. I've seen this happen once with a $200 wager when alcohol got
the best of this party animal. But for the average player it's standing
on a pair of eights against the dealers upcard of 7. Instead, you should
split those eights. A player making this basic strategy error will lose
70 percent of the time.
Before I Shuffle: I need to settle some confusion. Many of you have
written complaining of slot machines that advertise a relatively high payout
but still send you home devoid of casino loot. My friends, the answer, in
one word, is what makes every casino owner's pockets bulge with your cash-CHURN.
That higher payout rate only applies if you don't continue to bet your winning
credits. Unfortunately, that's not the way most people play. They recycle
(churn) their money back through the cybernetic one-armed bandit.
Casino operators have long realized the advantage they have between an advertised
payout and the coinage they eventually reap. How so you ask? By comparing
credits won versus credits payed out. Player behavior is such that credits
won are generally replayed, and replayed and replayed again, resulting mathematically
in a much greater chance of eventually tapping out. They may advertise a
95 percent return, but after the churn takes place, you'll generally go
home lighter in the wallet.
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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