One oldie, one newbie --
it's a great world
18 August 2006
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
Even though I left Detroit in 1994, I still go
online to read the Detroit News and your column.
One thing I do not understand is what the
fascination with slot machines is. You, insert
coin, pull lever, insert coin, pull lever,
insert coins, etc. it seems almost mind numbing.
I only play blackjack because to me at least, I
have more of a say in the outcome than just,
insert coin, pull lever, insert coin. Am I
missing something? Am I mistaken or is Blackjack
the one game with the highest degree of
self-determined outcome? Jim L.
Dear Mark,
I'm new to casino gambling and would like to
find something in the casino that is very easy
to play (where no brains are needed), and the
house edge isn't sky-high. Is it slots, or is
there something else? Kathy R.
For starters, Jim -- I'll get back to you in
moment, Kathy -- blackjack isn't the only worthy
wager the casino offers. True, games like
blackjack or video poker involve some skill; but
there are plenty of others, for instance craps,
where placing the correct bet in the right place
on the layout can give what you refer to as "the
highest degree of self-determined outcome."
As for slots, besides the fact that little gray
matter is needed to yank a handle, players like
them because they are playing against a machine
that doesn't talk back, nor snicker at shabby
play, not give a hoot whether and how much you
win or lose, oh, and I forgot to mention, give
you a shot at those progressive bonus jackpots
that allow you to fantasize of champagne wishes
and caviar dreams.
Casinos love providing those mind-numbing
machines because they don't talk back to the
management, they don't ask for Christmas week
off, and they don't require medical and dental
insurance, oh, and --- how could I forget
---they've got that cozy double-digit casino
edge on most machines.
But not all slots, Jim, and you too Kathy,
pillage your pocketbook. Casinos do offer
"liberal" slot machines. What I mean by liberal
slots are those in the casinos that advertise a
higher payback percentage-like a 98.5% return-on
selected machines. You'll need to find a casino
advertising liberal paybacks, you'll then need
to ask someone in slot personnel which machines
those are. Sure, continually pressing a credit
button might be monotonous, but you'll have to
use your noggin for machine selection.
As for you, Kathy, a newbie with little or no
casino gambling experience who wants something
effortless to play, I would recommend baccarat.
Baccarat is one of the easiest casino games to
play (you don't even have to know the rules
because correct hitting is predetermined), and
the stakes are relatively low when you play on a
mini-baccarat table. The house advantage is
either 1.17% when betting the bank hand or 1.36%
with a player hand wager.
Dear Mark,
When you see a video representation of cards for
video blackjack or dice for video craps, are the
odds the same as those of a live game, or are
they altered to give the casino an even greater
advantage? Jeff R.
It is a Nevada (and I'm sure most states follow
suit) law that video representations of dice and
cards follow the same odds as those in a real
game with a human dealer. If the games, Jeff,
are already profitable based on a fair play, the
casino has no reason to swindle you.
What you need to concern yourself with is
"altered" rules. For instance, in video
blackjack, it's tough to find a machine that
pays you the true value of a blackjack (3 for
2). Most video blackjack machines pay even money
on natural 21's. The loss of that bonus is going
to cost you an additional 2.3 percent. On these
machines you are giving away a considerable
amount percentage-wise, but the cards dealt, and
dice thrown are random.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: Poker is the only
game for a grown man. Then, your hand is against
every man's, and every man's hand is against
yours. --Somerset Maugham
|
