One of the great ways
to tell that someone is completely, thoroughly,
and hopelessly insane is to see if he or she doggedly
does the same thing over and over the same way time
and time again – even if it doesn’t work,
hasn’t worked, and will never work. Based on
that definition many casino gamblers might be considered
insane, since they continue to play their games
of choice utilizing strategies that have cost them
dearly in their playing careers and will continue
to cost them dearly in the future.
Of course, labeling a casino gambler as insane is
merely an effort to shock our readers into paying
attention because, after all, even the best games
utilizing the best strategies are still overwhelmingly
favoring the house.
But
now that we have your attention, let’s take a look
at some of the crazy things gamblers do that might merit
the above label, if only facetiously, and what the should
do to increase their chances of winning or, at the very
least, increase their chances of losing less!
Slot machine players know that they are facing edges
of from 2 percent to 17 percent. Sane players would
like to keep the house edge at or as close to the 2
percent
range as they possibly
can. How can they do this? Know what to look for
in a slot machine and know what to avoid! Look for
machines that are certified at 97 or 98 percent
return. The casino will have a big sign that says
every machine in this bank is programmed to return
97 or 98 percent. Play those. Be aware that some
casinos might have signs that say, “The machines
in this area return up to of 98 percent.” All
the means is that a minimum of one machine has to
be programmed at that high return level; the rest
can be dogs. If you can’t find machines that
are “certified” at 97 or 98 percent; the
next best thing is to look for machines that are
stand-alone models, that is, machines that aren’t
linked up with other machines for joint jackpots.
Avoid machines that have multi-casino progressive
jackpots in the hundreds of thousands or millions
of dollars. Why? Because these machines, to generate
that jackpot, and to pay for the licensing agreements
between the casinos and the manufacturers, must
keep about 15 percent of all the money played in
them. That means for every $100 a player puts through
the machine in the long run, the player can expect
to lose $15. That’s a big hit, especially if
you don’t hit it big on these machines. Video
poker is a great game to learn, especially when
you can play machines where the house measures its
edge in the tenths of a percent, instead of in whole
percents. The classic Jacks-or-Better 9/6 machines
have only an approximately one-half percent house
edge. That means for every $100 you play through
this machine in the long run, you’ll lose a
mere 50 cents. That’s a far cry from the progressive
jackpots. There are books that can help you learn
which machines to play and which to avoid. My Break
the One-Armed Bandits!, and Victory at Video Poker,
and also John Robison’s The Slot Expert’s
Guide to Playing Slots. Of course, once you have
selected your machine to play, how you play it is
also a key factor in whether you will be able to
go home some nights (or none nights) with some of
the casino’s money jingle-jangling in your
coin cup or pocket.
Visit Websites Of The Scoblete Network
www.goldentouchpoker.com
www.goldentouchcraps.com
www.goldentouchblackjack.com
www.scoblete.com
www.gscobe.blogspot.com More
Columns By Franki Scoblete
