Gaming Blog

Did you know?

¨        More than 3 million people regularly play bingo in the UK.

¨        In 1440, Johann Gutenberg of Germany printed the first known deck of playing cards.

¨        The name ‘Craps’ is believed to be a French pronunciation of the word crabs, which means a pair of ones.

¨        In eighteen-century English gambling clubs, which were illegal at the time, one employee was hired for the specific job of swallowing the dice if the police raided the place.

¨        There are still more than 300 ten thousand dollar bills in circulation today, although they have not been printed since 1944.

¨        About 30 percent of the 39 million visitors to Atlantic City arrive by charter bus and stay for less than a full day.

¨        Between 1790 to the Civil War, fifty colleges, 300 schools and 200 churches were erected with lottery proceeds. Most notably, universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Columbia were funded by lotteries.

¨        Taxes on European casinos can be extremely high; 50 to 90 percent, while US taxation on casinos runs between 6 to 8 percent.

• From space, the brightest man-made place in the world is Las Vegas, Nevada.

Understanding the game

On a recent trip to Las Vegas I was quite surprised with the amount of players I saw at the blackjack tables where the house was paying only 6 to 5 for a blackjack. I heard some players say “its only single deck, so it must be a good game.” However, you should know that the house advantage with this rule goes from a small 0.18 percent for the normal single-deck game to about 1.45 percent. Here is the math: the traditional 3-2 payout for a blackjack will get the player $7.50 for a $5 bet. With the 6 to 5 rule the player is only paid $6 for a $5 bet. That difference in the payout will rate the game as a poor one for the player. Al Rogers, manager of the website bj21.com and a semi-retired professional gambler is quoted as saying "People are being scammed, and I don't like to see them being ripped off." Going back in time when Doctor Edward Thorps’ great classic blackjack book “Beat The Dealer” came out, casinos panicked and changed the game rules, which greatly increased the house edge. Well, players stayed away from the game since the odds were so bad and that forced the casinos to suspend those poor rule changes. Today, if players would avoid blackjack tables with a 6 to 5 payout they could again get the rule changed and return blackjack to a reasonable game.

Looking for loose machines

The standard places for loose slots are always changing. You might not find them near the front door or near the end of the aisles anymore, as these spots are now reserved for mid-paying and tight slots. Some casinos are changing loose slot locations to elevated carousels and areas that are highly visible form all angles because players are more likely to play where they see winners. Remember, loose machines are few and far between, and there are more mid-pay and tight machines scattered around than loose ones. Try some of these tips to help improve you play:

1. Play in the area near the change booth. This is often a popular location for loose slots. Players waiting for change are lured by the sound of excited winners.
2. Seek out machines near the coffee shops; again, the winning sounds are designed to entice diners to eat quickly and get out there and “win” some money.
3. Take your time and walk around, observing the slot action. One method for finding winning machines is to view the payout window on machines. See what past players cashed out for before they left.
4. Start with machines that you have won on before. For example, you might have had good luck in the past with double Diamonds or Blazing 7’s. Past experience will give you some idea what these machines are all about.

Since tight machines are normally placed on either side of loose ones, when you do find a machine that is paying off, don’t play the ones on either side of it

Gaming Tip for Keno

Many keno managers will admit that the three-spot tickets are the least profitable for the casino, because three numbers are relatively easy to hit. A three-spot ticket pays $42 in most casinos; you will also get your money back if you catch two out of your three picks. Try this strategy; choose your three lucky numbers and play 21 games at $3 each. Total cost will be $63. Most casinos will pay $126 if all three numbers hit. If all three of your numbers come in only once in 21 games, you’ve made a profit of at least $63. In other words you’ve doubled your money!