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Gaming Guru  Deal me in: Be “Put” off by this bet11 May 2012
By Mark Pilarski Dear Mark: Some casinos offer a wager on the crap game called a “Put” bet; others do not. Should I be playing craps where they offer it, since it might be a bet that is favorable to the player? Rick K. A "Put" bet, Rick, is a seldom-played wager that you can make on the Pass line after a point is established. For instance, say you have no action on the Pass line and the shooter rolls a six. You can then "Put" a bet down on the Pass line and instantly take the maximum odds. The reason the casino allows you to make a “Put” bet is because you bypass a 22.2 percent chance of winning on the come-out if the 7 or 11 rolls, and only an 11.11 percent chance of losing if you crap-out, which is when the 2, 3, or 12 appears. For the normal crap player, especially one who does not take free odds, it is a terrible bet and not worth giving up the come-out roll potential. If you abstain from taking Free odds, which, by the way, carries no house edge, the casino has a 9.1 percent advantage on a 6 or 8 Put bet, 20 percent on the 5 or 9, and an enormous 33.3 percent edge on the 4 or 10. Players who take the benefit of instant Free odds will need to play on a table that offers at least 5x odds if the Put bet is played on either the 6 or 8: otherwise, Rick, it’s better to be Placing those numbers instead. Only if the casino offers 10X, 50X and even 100X odds, is a “put” bet is a decent bad wager, especially on a $2 game. The higher odds will more than offset the 7/11 come-out advantage. However, Rick, if the casino where you play offers only 2X odds max, it is still more profitable to make a Pass line bet and take advantage of the come out seven/eleven. Dear Mark: When I approached a blackjack game, a dealer told me he was cold. After an hour of play, I was down just $10 dollars, so I would consider that an overall win. Does a dealer really know if he or she is about to get hot or cold? Bill A. As you approached the game, the dealer was offering comment on past performance, along with misguidedly relying on the notion that his preceding hands are a predictor of a future, frigid result. Sure, Bill, any dealer can tell you at any given moment if they are “presently” hot or cold, but that is just an observation from previous hands. What no dealer can do is predict whether he or she will be hot or cold in the future, simply because the next hand remains an independent, random event, with the cards not caring what has happened in the past. Gambling Wisdom of the Week: “Man is a gaming animal. He must always be trying to get the better in something or other.” — Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia, 1823 Deal Me In: Making doing OK even better4 May 2012
Dear Mark: In today's article in the Detroit Free Press, you answered a question about playing craps. You mention the Pass line wager and a Place bet on the 6 or 8, giving the house edge of about 1.5%. You then state that this is lowered even more when taking Odds. What exactly is taking odds? I bet the Pass ... (read more)
Deal Me In: To assure a win, hold your breath and count to thirteen27 April 2012
Dear Mark: Why is it that when a player jumps in while I’m playing blackjack, it seems to screw up the order of the cards in the shoe for the worse? Brian M.
Many players’ superstitions lead to strong, dubious, beliefs, such as: a new player enters the game in the middle of a shoe, changing the order of the cards and causing the innocent believer-in-magic to lose. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Those costly bargains20 April 2012
Dear Mark: Both my wife and I have separate casino club cards at the same casino. She plays slots while I mostly play video poker. We play about the same amount, $100 per visit, and yet, she receives more in comps that I do. Does that sound right to you? Martin G.
The reason your wife is getting more ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Whoever said you had to have fun?Dear Mark: Assume a gambler had the discipline to walk into a casino, sit down at the blackjack table, and make one $100 bet, win or lose, then walk away. Of course, the gambler would have enough money to cover any splits or double downs. Would that not be better than sitting there making $10 bets for several hours. ... (read more)Deal Me In: Never and always are princes among slippery termsDear Mark: Why do some players on a blackjack table get all hot and bothered when I split 10’s? I don’t do it every time, nor do I get a 20 hand very often. I never correct their play, like when the dealer is showing a six, and they hit a 12-16. Dan P. A number of players will go into a tizzy when you ... (read more)Deal Me In: Reading your way to richesDear Mark: Can you recommend a book or two that outlines the proper strategy on video poker? Peter E. Video poker, Peter, is one of those rare casino games that can be beaten by the knowledgeable player. The game can often have a positive expectation on select machines, and can offer the player the chance ... (read more)Deal Me In: Round and round she goesDear Mark: I liked your indifferent answer last week regarding system players trying to find trends on a roulette wheel based on previous numbers. I will agree, that numbers spun are random, but, isn’t there a system based on following the traits of the way a dealer spins the ball? Brett H. What your ... (read more)Deal Me In: Beware of Greeks bearing giftsDear Mark: Why do roulette tables display previous numbers since the next number is completely random? If the house thinks people will try to play a system based on these previous numbers, it doesn't benefit the house anyway because it is still random. Gordon M. Most casino roulette tables today have a ... (read more) |
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