More hands per hour will modify your luck
February 8 2008
Dear Mark: This past weekend I got a chance
to play on two new video games where you
seem to playing against a live dealer on a
flat screen television set. First off, are
those real live dealers who are made to look
computer generated (they seem to acknowledge
my presence), and are my odds the same as if
I were to play on a live game? Peter V.
The electronic multiple-player table games
you speak of, Peter, of which I will state
here and now is a video game that l find
enjoyable to play, combines the latest
interactive technology with the camaraderie
of a live table game by using a life-sized
video dealer on a large screen, and which
can be played for as little as a buck a
hand.
From ShuffleMaster, these series of machines
are called Table Master, and no, Peter, they
don’t use live dealers who are made to look
computer generated, but just a video
representation of a dealer placed at the
center of a fully automated table game.
The animated Table Master dealer makes eye
contact and speaks to players, which gives
it a realistic live table-like experience on
games that include Blackjack, Three Card
Poker, Let It Ride, Dragon Bonus Baccarat,
Royal Match 21 Blackjack, and Ultimate Texas
Hold'em.
When these cyber dealers are on a dead game
they are in tracking mode, and seem to be
looking around for some sucker, I mean
player, and yes, Yours Truly, to park their
hind side in one of the five player
stations, but they actually can’t respond to
any of your verbal commands.
Don’t waste your time asking the pretty ones
out for a date, nor can they understand your
off-color jokes, they/it can’t hear you. But
once playing at the table they do verbally
prompt you to bet or fold, take insurance,
or, depending on the game, any other command
needing a decision on your part.
I am a little worried about players who are
responding to the looks and personalities of
these virtual dealers. It’s one thing to
have an affection for a machine that pays
off, another when specific dealers are
developing their own love interest
following. I’ve sat next to players who wish
their wives weren’t around.
Casinos love Table Master video games
because they can offer these games at a
fraction of the cost of live tables -- no
whining dealers to pay -- they can be placed
where live games are not legal, they are
dispute and misplay free, and here’s the
hook, Peter, the one that affects your
bankroll, Table Master games nearly doubles
the number of hands played per hour. Called
“incremental game speed,” the more hands you
are exposed to the built-in house advantage
on any of the Table Master games, the faster
any of these machines can wreak havoc on
your bankroll.
So even though the payoffs are effectively
the same as those of a live game, at least
on the games I’ve field tested, Blackjack
and Tree Card Poker, it’s important to
remember that speed kills in a casino
environment. The best thing to do here is
slow your play, that is until the dealer
says, “hey jerk, I ain’t got all day.”
Dear Mark: Do you know what the odds are
of getting the exact same hole cards in
Texas Hold’em two hands in a row? I’m not
accusing the dealer who dealt me the same
hand, an Ace of hearts and a Queen of
spades, of cheating, I was just wondering
what my chances were of getting the same
hand. Billy G.
It’s pretty simple math, Billy. With a
52-card deck, there are 1326 different
two-card arrangements (52 x 51 divided by
two). You divide by two because the order
doesn't matter; A Queen of spades and an Ace
of hearts is the same as an Ace of hearts
and a Queen of spades. So, Billy, the odds
of getting the same hand twice in a row are
1,326:1.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Money
isn't everything, unless you're playing in a
re-buy tournament.” Anonymous
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