Every so often customers demand the dumbest
things
December 31,
2009
Dear Mark:
The other day where I play, they had a
single zero video roulette game which could
be played for as little as a quarter.
Now it is double zero. Needless to say, I
won't be going there as often. Thoughts? Don
C.
More than likely,
the screws are being tightened on the
customer, but, Don, there is a possibility
that the single zero wheel was yanked out
because the uneducated fatten casino profits
in the oddest ways. Let me explain.
Most players don’t realize this, but on
a single zero game, the casino advantage of
2.63% comes from the presence of the 0 on
the layout. The casino pays all wagers
according to what the odds would be if there
were just 36 numbers on the wheel, even
though by adding the 0 there are now 37
numbers. The true odds of hitting your
number are 1/37, and winners are paid 35-1.
Once, when I was employed as a
pit boss at a South Lake Tahoe casino that
had the only single zero game in town, we
offered customers this terrific deal, yet we
ended up removing it after nine months, not
because management was tetchy about the
house edge being reduced to 2.63% across the
layout, but because of the drone of customer
complaints generated by inexperienced
players who couldn’t bet the 00 anymore. Go
figure; those supremely misguided gamblers
most absolutely couldn’t.
Dear Mark: Is it ethical to talk
about your poker hand while playing? A
couple players in my weekly card group do
and I was wondering how you would handle
this. Matt T.
Talking
about your hand, especially with the
disingenuous intent of deceiving other
players, is called coffeehousing. Is it
ethical? Well, barely at best, but it
depends on who you ask. I say it isn’t, but
house rules like coffeehousing among
belching buddies should be discussed at the
outset of play.
Dear
Mark: I like to play the table games based
on Texas Hold’em, specifically Bonus Texas
Hold’em and Ultimate Texas Hold’em.
Which game has better odds in favor of the
player? Bruce J.
First
off, Bruce, both of the above mentioned
games merit an independent column on their
rules, odds and strategy, and since I have
questions on each in the mailbag, look for
them in the near future.
Nevertheless, both Texas Hold'em Bonus and
Ultimate Texas Hold'em are poker based table
games having slightly different rules and
odds depending upon where you play them. For
instance, with Texas Hold 'em Bonus in Las
Vegas, the house edge can be a smidge over
2%, under Colorado rules 2.3%, and in
Atlantic City as high as 5.5%.
The Bonus bet, which is based on the
player’s initial hole cards, and in some
cases the dealer's two hole cards, is based
on the posted pay table and carries a steep
house edge in the range of 8.5-8.9%,
depending on location. Clearly, you want to
keep your distance from this wager.
With Ultimate Texas Hold'em the casino
advantage runs roughly 2.1% per ante bet,
but it can be lower depending on the average
total amount wagered by the conclusion of
the hand.
The game can be full
of twists and turns odds-wise on the Play,
when making the maximum raise. Lacking space
here to go in depth, a future column is
fighting its way to the front.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week:
“That's what they call the great pyramid of
gambling! Sharks at the top, then the
rounders, the minnows, and at the bottom,
the fish--the suckers, the suppliers.
Scavengers and suppliers just like in life.”
--Pug Pearson, Fast Company
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