Waiving the white flag in
roulette
1 September 2000
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
I was playing roulette and betting on the
outside in a Missouri casino. Double zero hit
and I lost my whole bet. I asked why I didn't
get half my bet back as I thought was the rule,
but the roulette dealer had no idea what I was
talking about. Was I wrong or is this just a
Missouri rule? Darren D.
The croupier in Missouri would not have known
what you're speaking of because only Atlantic
City, by law, offers a "surrender" rule on all
even-money outside bets on the roulette layout.
Because there are no single zero wheels in
Jersey, all Atlantic City casinos feature double
zero wheels that have both 0 and 00. If you bet
black or red, 1 to 18 or 19 to 36, or odd or
even, and the ball lands on 0 or 00, you only
lose one half of your original wager. This is
known as the "surrender" rule and it cuts the
casino edge in half from 5.26% to 2.63%. The
surrender rule only applies to these even-money
bets. For all remaining wagers the casino edge
remains a hefty 5.26%.
Dear Mark,
Can you explain why casinos have similar
atmospheres? The lighting and sound seem to
create a certain ambience conducive to gambling,
or am I imagining this? April F.
Bullseye, April. Most of what you see, feel and
hear in a casino is methodically and
deliberately arranged to separate you from your
money as painlessly as possible.
Dear Mark,
Why is it that certain slot machines never pay
off? Dina S.
All slot machines, Dina, consistently pay. They
pay the casino's rent, the light bills, and all
the employee's salaries. They also pay millions
of dollars in profits to casino owners and
stockholders. The player just so happens to be
on the low end of the food chain.
Dear Mark,
Do you have a favorite video poker paytable
(machine) that you like to play? Peter T.
Unfortunately, Peter, you won't encounter my
favorite video poker machine in your gaming
jurisdiction, Missouri. They are even difficult
to find here in Nevada. But when you do, you are
playing on one of the best video poker machines
available. It is a Jacks-or Better machine with
a 10/7 paytable. With perfect basic strategy, it
returns, over the long haul, 101.94% to the
player. Use a slot club card that offers
generous cash rebates and the machine will yield
well over 105% against the house.
Dear Mark,
What do you mean by a kicker in video poker?
Mavis K.
A kicker is a single card held with a pair. For
example 7, 7, A or Q, Q, K are hands in which an
extra card (the kicker) is retained.
When playing kitchen table poker it is okay to
hold a kicker in certain scenarios but never in
video poker. Kickers add absolutely no value to
a video poker hand.
Dear Mark,
Exactly what is Crapless Craps? Also, is it
worth playing? Pete N.
Also known as Never Ever Craps, Crapless Craps
is another example of a casino offering that
could cost you dearly if you belly up to a
crapless crap table.
In this modified variation of a regular crap
game, you can't lose on the come out roll if the
shooter tosses a 2, 3 or 12. Instead, it
automatically becomes the point, just like the
4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 on a standard game. You
also don't win if the shooter throws a natural
11. It too becomes the point. With these
additional funky rules, the house now holds a
5.4% edge on your pass line bet versus 1.4% on a
typical crap game.
Ho-hum games or wagers won't cut it here, Pete.
Crapless Craps rates a "no play" for Deal Me In
readers.
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