I ran across an article titled “Confessions of a casino pit boss” which was published by MSNBC way back in January of this year. It is so informative and useful and I can’t believe that I didn’t run across this when it was first published! Anyhow, I thought that I’d share it with you. Here goes.

The house edge
No matter what game you’re talking about — blackjack, craps, Elvis Presley slot machines — the odds are always in the casino’s favor. This advantage is called the house edge and ensures that the casinos stay in business. They aren’t cheating; they’ll lose their license if they rip you off. But there are plenty of legal ways they can get you to stop paying attention to your bet.

I have heard of this so many times that I do not know if I should believe it. Then again, if you think about how many times you find yourself losing in a casino, then it might be true. This information, however, should not really discourage you to play. Just find out what the odds are and play your best. After all, it’s all for fun!

Skip the free vodka
If you’re serious about gambling, don’t drink while you do it. Alcohol is a casino’s best friend: It makes you do things no sane, rational person would ever think of doing, like betting your entire paycheck on red 22 — again! In gambling jargon, a fish is an easy mark, and there’s a reason casinos try to make you drink like one. Also, be wary if a casino starts offering you other freebies, especially after you’ve won a lot. The casino owners are going to do whatever they can to keep you there so they can win their money back.

I could have told you this myself – alcohol and gambling do not mix. That is, at least for the gambler. You need all your wits when gambling and drinking will surely impair your judgment.

More next time!

When you go to a casino, what are the other things that you look for aside from the offered games? I am sure that different people would have various answers to this question. Perhaps you would say comps. Others would say a smoking section. Still some would say a policy that allows alcoholic drinks to be served within the casino premises.

If you are part of the last group, then you would not want to visit Harrah’s Cherokee Casino. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the people who run the casino, recently proposed a measure that would allow alcoholic drinks to be served. The idea was that serving alcoholic drinks at the casino would help increase the revenues. This makes sense, doesn’t it? The casino would widen its patronage. At the same time, people who like to drink would probably go back more often to the casino. Also, the alcohol sales would surely add to the income of the casino.

However, Principal Chief Michell Hicks vetoed the proposal. His rationale is that he is more concerned for the well-being of the tribe, whose stand on alcohol is well known. Hicks said:

The history of our Cherokee people is clear on our stance on alcohol, and as the elected leader of this tribe, it is my belief that an affirmative decision to open the door for alcohol would shame our forefathers for their efforts on this issue over the history of the tribe.

Though it may not help increase their revenues, I admire Hicks’ stand on this issue. After all, we can still have our cocktails and beer somewhere else.

Summer is almost over – but not quite. You could still probably squeeze in a quick trip to end the season. If you are considering going on a vacation – short or long – and you like casinos, then you might want to get a casino vacation package. The travel industry is certainly experiencing a boom and casinos are not out of the picture.

The good thing about a casino vacation package is that it gives you everything you need – and maybe even more. Think about it, if you want to go to Vegas or Atlantic City and you do all the planning yourself, you would have to pay separately for items such as airfare, hotel accommodations, shows, and so on. On the other hand, if you book a casino vacation package, you will only have to pay one fee for everything. This translates into considerable savings; savings that you can use where it matters most – the casinos!

Casino vacation packages are actually great for those who are not very experienced with casinos. The idea is that you will get to have a taste of everything that the place (say, Vegas) has to offer. And you can do this without worrying if you are missing out on something. If, by chance, you find that you prefer a casino other than the one you have booked a room with, then it’s fine. You can still go to that other casino. And remember, casino vacation packages usually come with tickets to shows and other entertainment venues.

The idea is to shop around and check out the different packages that you can avail of. Only after shopping around should you make your decision.

Newsday reports:

With a slow economy and competition from neighboring states cutting into their revenues, Atlantic City’s 11 gaming halls have begun to offer fewer complimentary benefits _ and they’re focusing those more on high-end players.

“No longer does everybody get a comp no matter what,” Andrew Zarnett, a gaming analyst with Deutsche Bank AG, told The Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer. “They have to be very discerning to give those comps to people who earn them.”

Overall, Atlantic City casinos spent $375 million on premium hotel rooms and other perks in the three months ending June 30. A year ago, they spent about $422 during the same period.

Some Atlantic City casino operators say the days of courting slots players with hefty comps probably won’t return. Slots revenue accounts for more than 70 percent of casinos’ revenue, but this year it is down eight percent.

“You are seeing a shift in the entire marketplace on how we market,” R. Scott Barber, senior vice president and general manager of Harrah’s Resort, told the newspaper.

This is both alarming and saddening. I know for a fact that comps makes people want to play even more. Without the comps, will the casino experience ever be the same? What do you think? Do comps matter that much to you?

Poker: Changing seats can change your luck. There’s nothing any more magical about the order in which the cards come out in poker than there is in blackjack or any other card game. If you’re changing seats because you’ve been getting bad cards and you think moving will bring you better hands, well, good luck to you.

Now, there are perfectly legitimate reasons to change seats. If you’re playing at home and a seat opens that’s closer to the refrigerator, by all means, grab it. If you’re next to a smoker and see clearer air across the table, go for it.

There are legitimate poker reasons, too. If you see a player at the table who you think you can take advantage of from a different betting position, that’s a move-worthy reason. If you’re on the other end of the stick, and a player betting before you has you on edge, change seats.

But if you think another seat will bring better cards … well, there’s as much chance your old seat will get better cards as that your new one will. Past deals have no effect on those in the future.

I totally agree with this point.  Changing seats does have its benefits as any decent poker player would know that the position at the table can affect game play.  However, if you want to change seats just because you want better cards is nothing but a superstitious move!