Rump riders can play
along
23 March 2007
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark: In blackjack, are you ever allowed to
stand behind a player and make a bet in the
circle of a player sitting in front of you? They
seem to allow it where I play, but personally I
find it very annoying. Johnny E.
I too, Johnny, am no fan of an over-the-shoulder
bet, especially when it knocks over another
player's Slurpee Super Gulp and delays the game
for 20 minutes, which just enlivened a recent
evening for me.
The wager you're describing is called a Rider
bet, a separate wager that rides alongside the
typical bet made by a player whose chips are in
the betting circle. If allowed in the casino you
play in, you can have up to two Riders per
circle, but the total amount of wagers placed on
the betting circle cannot exceed the table
maximum.
As for the decision-making on the wager, the
player whose rear end is in the seat making the
original bet in the circle gets to decide how
the hand will be played, although in one joint I
was recently in, the player who places the
largest amount gets to direct play, even if he
or she is the Rider. Also, the player sitting
front-and-center can also bet the maximum table
amount, which trumps anyone else who wishes to
make a Rider bet.
Dear Mark: I've noticed that some casinos pay
double on the 12 when making a field bet in
craps, while others pay triple. Obviously the
smart move is getting paid triple, but what if
the casino I am playing in only offers getting
paid double? Should I ever play it? Vince F.
Many casinos pay even money on a winning field
bet if a 3, 4, 9,10, or 11 is rolled, double on
a 2, and triple on a 12. Informed dice players
know that getting triple on the 12 reduces the
house edge to 2.78%.
Luckily, Vince, on every crap layout, the pay
schedule for a field bet is clearly marked, so
you'll know ahead of time, if you're getting
fleeced, though they don't use that honest word
on the layout. I state fleeced because some
casinos pay only double on the 12, and this
minor change brings the casino advantage up to
5.56%, making it a bet you shouldn't ever make.
Dear Mark: I was told that unless I play maximum
coins in a video poker machine that I will never
hit the royal flush. Is that true? Jenny S.
You were told wrong, Jenny. You have the same
chance of hitting a royal regardless of how many
coins inserted. Video poker machines are NOT set
to give more royals with short coin play. States
that follow Nevada gaming standards require that
the number of coins bet must not affect the
outcome of play. The randomizing shuffle of the
virtual deck stops when the first coin is
inserted, or, on the microsecond when you push
the first bet button, with the deck remaining
unchanged until the hand is over.
But consider, Jenny, that playing short is going
to cost you. When you play five coins you
typically win 4,000 for the royal as opposed to
250-for-1 when playing fewer, costing you about
1.5% on your payback. And although your chances
for hitting a royal remain the same, at that
squinchy payoff, you'll never beat that machine
over the long haul.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week:
"To the average casino visitor, gambling is all
about luck. To a few knowledgeable players and
those in the gambling business, it's all about
mathematics." --VP Pappy
|
