Sometimes you wonder who
runs the nut house
17 November 2000
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
I have heard that in some casinos in Las Vegas a
pit boss will keep track of a dealer's gains and
losses on a per shift basis, and the subsequent
pit that they get assigned to will be based on
these numbers. Generally speaking, hot dealers
(dealers who are winning more than they are
losing) will be assigned the higher limit
tables. Two different dealers in one casino told
me how much pressure they were under to win. Is
this true? Darrell L.
If it is, Darrell, you've got dimwits running
the insane asylum.
Dealers assigned to the high-limit table games
should be those with both experience and the
ability to deal to heavy action without feeling
the pressure of the dollar denomination.
Unfortunately, some pit supervisors sweat the
money as if it were their own pirated loot and
have been known to take the casino's losses out
on your friendly dealer. Quoting Forest Gump:
"Stupid is as stupid does."
Funny thing, Darrell, deep down, casino
management knows the money, over time, will
always swing back the casino's way regardless of
the dealer's flaming wizardry. It is too bad
that in some casinos heat from management is
still part of a dealer's job description.
Over the long haul, the "hot" dealer for any
casino is a dealer who can deal the most hands
per hour. Period! If I ran the asylum, give me a
dealer who can pitch plus pay and take with
speed, not one who charts out having the hot
hand that day.
Dear Mark,
How do the dealers like the Shufflemaster and
does it speed up the game? Joe L.
Speaking as a former dealer, most of us dislike
shuffling machines. Shuffling allows the dealer
to catch his or her breath, plus it breaks up
the monotony of only pitching cards. Now,
speaking with my former casino management suit
on, we love the Shufflemaster because we can
grind out more hands per hour on a game that has
a built-in house advantage.
Dear Mark,
Are progressive slot machines programmed to hit
different with the amount of coins played? I
have been told that the jackpot hits more often
with one coin played. Yes or No? Gene A.
Gene, you've got to start reading this column
more often. I have answered your question one
way or another at least six times this past
year.
The definitive, absolute, conclusive answer is
NO. A jackpot will not hit more often if you
play fewer coins.
Dear Mark,
Because a royal flush is really only a straight
flush with a fancy name (as well as the highest
straight flush), why then is it more powerful
than five-of-a-kind on a deuces wild machine?
Dan H.
When was the last time you hit a royal flush,
Dan? I know plenty of video poker players who
never have. The odds of hitting a royal flush
are almost 40,000 to one.
A five-of-a-kind hand uses four additional wild
cards (deuces), making the hand relatively easy
to obtain. On a deuces wild paytable, five of a
kind ranks fourth behind a royal flush, four
deuces and a wild royal flush. You should be
able to hit one by your second roll of quarters.
A royal flush can be elusive your entire
lifetime.
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