Dear Mark,
I was playing roulette
and betting on the outside in a Missouri casino. Double zero hit and I
lost my whole bet. I asked why I didn't get half my bet back as I
thought was the rule, but the roulette dealer had no idea what I was
talking about. Was I wrong or is this just a Missouri rule? Darren D.
The croupier in Missouri would not have
known what you're speaking of because only Atlantic City, by law, offers
a "surrender" rule on all even-money outside bets on the roulette layout.
Because there are no single-zero wheels
in Jersey, all Atlantic City casinos feature double zero wheels that
have both 0 and 00. If you bet black or red, 1 to 18 or 19 to 36, or odd
or even, and the ball lands on 0 or 00, you only lose one half of your
original wager. This is known as the "surrender" rule and it cuts the
casino edge in half from 5.26% to 2.63%. The surrender rule only applies
to these even-money bets. For all remaining wagers, the casino edge
remains a hefty 5.26%.
Dear Mark,
Can you explain why
casinos have similar atmospheres? The lighting and sound seem to create
a certain ambiance conducive to gambling, or am I imagining this? April
F.
Bullseye, April. Most of what you see,
feel and hear in a casino is methodically and deliberately arranged to
separate you from your money as painlessly as possible.
Dear Mark,
Why is it that certain
slot machines never pay off? Dina S.
All slot machines, Dina, consistently
pay. They pay the casino's rent, the light bills, and all the employees'
salaries. They also pay millions of dollars in profits to casino owners
and stockholders. The player just so happens to be on the low end of the
food chain.
Dear Mark,
Do you have a favorite
video poker pay table (machine) that you like to play? Peter T.
Unfortunately, Peter, you won't encounter
my favorite video poker machine in your gaming jurisdiction, Missouri.
They are even difficult to find here in Nevada. But when you do, you are
playing on one of the best video poker machines available. It is a
Jacks or Better machine with a 10/7 pay table. With perfect basic
strategy, it returns, over the long haul, 101.94% to the player. Use a
slot club card that offers generous cash rebates, and the machine will
yield well over 105% against the house.
Dear Mark,
What do you mean by a
kicker in video poker? Mavis K.
A kicker is a single card held with a
pair. For example 7, 7, A or Q, Q, K are hands in which an extra card
(the kicker) is retained.
When playing kitchen table poker, it is
OK to hold a kicker in certain scenarios but never in video poker.
Kickers add absolutely no value to a video poker hand.
Dear Mark,
Exactly what is crapless
craps? Also, is it worth playing? Pete N.
Also known as Never Ever Craps, crapless
craps is another example of a casino offering that could cost you dearly
if you belly up to a crapless craps table.
In this modified variation of a regular
crap game, you can't lose on the come out roll if the shooter tosses a
2, 3 or 12. Instead, it automatically becomes the point, just like the
4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 on a standard game. You also don't win if the
shooter throws a natural 11. It too becomes the point. With these
additional funky rules, the house now holds a 5.4% edge on your pass
line bet versus 1.4% on a typical craps game.
Ho-hum games or wagers won't cut it here,
Pete. Crapless craps rates a "no play" for Deal Me In
readers.
