Dear Mark,
On a crap table, there are spaces with a "C"
or "E" in a circle. I know that the "C"
is for craps and the "E" is for eleven.
Does betting on these circles differ from the regular
"Any Craps" bet? Jim E.
Somewhat, Jim, tag along.
With Any Craps (2, 3 or 12), you are betting that
the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. Payout for a
win is 7:1; but house edge floats up there at 11.1%.
Players making this wager believe that their loss
on the pass line bet (because of a craps: 2, 3, or
12) is nullified by the win on this bet. Yet, these
canny players may not realize that offsetting a loss
with a win doesn¹t change the steep house edge
on an Any Craps bet.
TAs
for a C & E (Craps-Eleven, which means 2, 3, 11
or 12), the letters C and E represent two different
bets. The C component places a wager on the "Any
Craps" betting area. The E segment places a wager
on the Any 11 bet. The C payout for a 2, 3 or 12 is
3:1. The E payout for an 11 is 7:1.
While observing a crap game last week, I overheard the
dealer recommend NOT making a C & E wager to a player.
He mouthed, "Fuhgetaboutit, it¹s a slow bleed."
The "slow bleed"
in gamblingo, Jim, is losing your bankroll in a slow
and consistent manner. No matter how you bet, you
cannot win enough back to come out even. Aye, Jimbo,
you might hit an occasional C & E or Any Craps,
but you will lose over the long haul.
The dealer was correct in informing the player that
the C & E is a bloodshed bet, but his warning
was too modest. Betting either Any Craps or a C &
E, both with a house edge in double digits, is more
like hemorrhaging.
Dear Mark,
When I play Deuces Wild on my computer, if I draw
two pairs (for example 9¹s and 4¹s) the
tutorial on the CD tells me to discard one of the
pairs and draw three. This does not seem to be a good
idea. Could I have your opinion on this please? Jack
C.
Add Yours Truly to the
vast coalition of gaming experts (and I¹ve read
em all) who will firmly tell you that holding two
pairs is a misguided move which deviates from perfect
basic strategy. WHY?
The essential thing to remember when playing Deuces
Wild video poker is that the four two¹s (deuces)
in the deck are not just wild; they¹re savage!
and can be substituted for any other card, for any
rank, in any suit. So, you never, ever discard a deuce.
Because you have a fair chance at these four savages
to help make up winning combinations, the lowest payout
in Deuces Wild is for Three-of-a-Kind. Unlike a Jacks-or-Better
machine, two pairs in Deuces Wild gets you squat.
One of the more notable player errors in Deuces Wild
is the sticky unwillingness to throw away one of the
two pairs. This is an important strategy, in that
you want to make room for those additional cards which
could include a deuce or two.
So Jack, never keep two pairs in Deuces wild video.
Select one or the other (rank doesn¹t matter).
Keeping that single pair gives you a better expected
outcome, and 3-of-a-kind, the minimum scheduled payout,
ain¹t all that bad.
Gambling quote of
the week: "Gambling has held human beings
in thrall for millennia. It has been engaged in everywhere,
from the dregs of society to the most respectable
circles." Peter L Bernstein, Against the Gods
Good
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