Dear Mark,
Last weekend, on three separate occasions, the pit boss raised the table
limits higher while I was playing. It went from $5 to $10, then all the
way up to $25. Why do they do that? Rick D.
Given where your question came from,
Joliot, my guess is that you were playing on the green felt flotillas on
the river. From the casino's point of view, not mine, it makes fiscal
sense to raise the limits when the boat is full of captured customers
willing to surrender to higher table limits. They figure, Rick, you
won't swim to shore.
Here in Nevada, many casinos have the
policy of raising the table limits for new players only. Your $5 play
would have been grandfathered in.
Dear Mark,
Recently I hit a jackpot
for $1,200 on a 25¢ slot machine. The casino was not going to pay me
until I provided them with my drivers license and social security
number. I only complied because I wanted my winnings. Was there any way
around this? Stan G.
Not really, Stan. Casinos are required to
report to the IRS any slot jackpot of $1,200 or more. Because you played
at the quarter level, your best bet would have been finding a machine
that had a jackpot of $1,199 — one dollar below the amount at which
casinos are forced to take identification. Some exist on the boats in
the midwest.
Dear Mark,
What is the house
edge in Caribbean Stud and what are my chances of being dealt a natural
royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house and flush? Dan
H.
The game Caribbean Stud carries a 5.6% house edge.
The odds of hitting a royal flush are
approximately 650,000-1, 70,000-1 against a straight flush and 4,000-1
against a four of a kind, 700-1 against a full house and 500-1 against a
flush.
Dear Mark,
Are casino owners ever
afraid of system players? Mark J.
Gamblers believe in systems, the casinos
believe in the mathematics of the games. Most, if not all, casino owners
would be willing to give away the house — room, food and beverage — to any
system player willing to wager big bucks.
Dear Mark,
In a previous
column you mentioned that you didn't like Multi-Action blackjack, but
you failed to give an explanation. How about one? Dawn G.
Why? Because Multi-Action multiplies the
urge for most players to misplay their hands.
Far too many players employ a never-bust
strategy because they are afraid of losing all three bets at once. They
stand on a 12 regardless of the dealer up-card. They wish, hope and pray
the dealer will bust on one or more hands. This can be a
bankroll-killer. At a $5 minimum table, if you are not willing to risk
$15 on a hit/stand decision, you should not be playing Multi-Action.
Secondly, your blackjack bankroll has to
be higher. Five-dollar players have to make $15 worth of bets. A few
triple losses and you're in the keno lounge begging for free drinks.
Finally, many times the house rules of
Multi-Action are inferior to that of regular blackjack. An example of
this would be not being able to double down after splits on a
Multi-Action game.
You work hard for your money, Dawn. Why
give the casino any extra edge?
