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Maximize your odds on the casino floor
Casinos are designed for distraction, so it helps to know a bit about when the odds are in your favor and when they’re not before you push a stack of chips onto a table. Professional blackjack player Kevin Blackwood and lifelong sports bettor Swain Scheps know a thing or two about casino gambling. In Casino Gambling For Dummies, these seasoned gaming veterans guide you through the essential strategies for walking out of the casino ahead of the game. They also show you the most common mistakes made by players, helping you avoid gambling risks while you enjoy what the gaming industry has to offer.
Learn to see past the flashing lights, decide how much you’re willing to wager, and find out how to enjoy yourself. In this book, you’ll also discover:
The perfect guide for anyone looking for an easy introduction to the world of casino gaming, Casino Gambling For Dummies is also an essential resource for those seeking to improve their odds at blackjack, craps, video poker, slots, and other games.
Kevin Blackwood is a highly successful blackjack and poker player. He has written for several gaming magazines and is the author of four gambling books.
Swain Scheps is a games enthusiast, numbers guru, sports betting expert and the author of Business Intelligence For Dummies and Sports Betting For Dummies.
Introduction 1
Casinos and Gamblers 2
About This Book 3
What You’re Not to Read 4
Foolish Assumptions 4
Icons Used in This Book 5
Beyond the Book 5
Where to Go from Here 5
Part 1: Casino Gambling Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start 7
Chapter 1: Casino Gambling 101: The Inside Scoop 9
Entering the Casino: What You’re Up Against 10
Marketing their way to your wallet 10
Accepting the odds: The house rules 10
Protecting your money with a plan 11
Identifying the colors of the rainbow 12
Playing the Games: What’s Your Poison? 12
Touring the table games 13
Turning to digital and automated games 15
Betting on ball games and fast horses 16
Gambling Near and Far: Where to Find Casinos 18
Nevada: Viva the gambling state! 18
Atlantic City: Vegas of the east 19
Connecticut: Betting with the Yankees 19
Diving into on-the-water gambling 20
Tribal gaming: Cashing in on less bling 20
Beyond the borders: Gambling abroad 21
Betting on the Internet 21
Measuring Your Gambling IQ 22
Chapter 2: Taking a Quick Stroll Through the Casino 27
(Casino) Knowledge Is Power 28
Navigating the Casino Maze 29
Getting in is the easy part 29
Slot machines: Place them, and they will come 30
Table games: Penetrating the inner circle 30
The bar: Quiet escape — or not? 31
Cashing out: Heading to the cashier’s cage 33
Meeting the Casino’s Cast of Characters 34
In the pits: Serving the table players 34
Slot employees: The reel dealers 36
Management: Running the tables 37
Maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment 38
Security personnel: The human touch 39
Surveillance: The watchers 39
Taking safety into your own hands 40
Chapter 3: Probability, Odds, and a Bit of Luck: What You Need to Succeed 41
Defining Luck: A Temporary Fluctuation 42
Understanding the Role of Probability 42
Identifying independent events 43
Recognizing dependent events 43
Factoring in the odds 44
Examining How Casinos Operate and Make Money: House Edge 45
Charging a fee 46
Paying less than the true odds 46
Calculating the Odds in Casino Games 47
Identifying payoff odds 47
Getting an edge on the house edge 48
Avoiding Myths, Magic, and Other Superstitions 49
Relying on Betting Systems 50
The Martingale system 50
The D’Alembert system 51
Chapter 4: Managing Your Money in a Casino 53
Setting a Budget and Sticking to It 54
Playing within your means 54
Determining your daily limits 55
Sizing up your bets 56
Keeping your bets consistent 56
Limiting your losses 57
Looking at Casino Credit and Its Risks 59
Grasping casino credit 59
Crediting yourself with an account 60
Using markers against casino credit 61
Knowing When Enough Is Enough 62
Knowing the odds of failure 63
Knowing thyself 63
Resisting the urge to chase losses 64
Sipping, not sinking 64
Recognizing a gambling addiction 65
Understanding Taxes and the Law 66
Deducting your losses and taxing your wins 66
Unreported winnings: Don’t fool the IRS 68
Counting comps for tax purposes 68
Lowering your gambling tax 69
Keeping a gambling log 69
Wagering with a group: Who pays the tax? 70
Part 2: Conquering the Table Games 71
Chapter 5: Minding Your Gambling Manners 73
Dressing (And Acting) the Part 74
Getting comfortable 74
Dressing up for evenings 75
Smoking permitted (sometimes) 75
Smoking other things 77
Drinking encouraged 78
Playing Well with Others: Minding Your Table Manners 79
Knowing your limits 80
Joining a game 80
Thou shall not touch and other table commandments 81
Giving Gratuities to Dealers and Others 82
Tipping your dealer 82
Tipping other casino employees 84
Avoiding the Appearance of Cheating 88
Doing the right thing 88
Playing fair and square 90
Chapter 6: Will Bluff for Food: Poker 95
Uncovering the ABCs of Casino Poker 96
Paying homage to hand hierarchy 97
Knowing the dealer 100
Following basic poker etiquette 101
Betting the Farm (Or Other Parcels of Real Estate) 102
Grasping the betting basics 103
Concluding the hand 104
Playing with (and without) betting limits 105
Bluffing: When deception pays 105
Betting it all 106
Playing the Popular Games 107
Holding your own at Texas Hold’em 108
Heading to Omaha 115
Avoiding Poker Pitfalls 117
Chapter 7: The Easiest Game to Beat: Blackjack 121
Dealing Out Blackjack Basics 121
Setting the scene 122
Valuing your cards 123
Preparing to Play 124
Finding a table: Strategic seating 124
Purchasing chips 126
Homing in on house rules 127
Dealing what’s in the cards 128
Betting Your Bottom Dollar 129
Playing Your Hand 130
Exercising your options 130
Going beyond Lady Luck 132
Strategizing in the computer age 136
Avoiding insurance 136
Betting on the side 138
Drawing the dealer’s curtain 139
Looking at payouts 140
Blackjack protocol: How to avoid trouble 141
Identifying Common Mistakes 141
Chapter 8: Rolling the Dice: Craps 143
Setting the Craps Stage 143
Casting the dice 144
Surveying the lay of the table 145
Getting to know the craps crew 147
Shooting for the whole table 148
Minding Mr Manners at a craps table 148
One Bet, Two Sets of Rules 150
One Throw, Four Possible Outcomes 150
Understanding the basic craps sequence 151
Buying in 151
Coming out: The first roll in the craps sequence 152
Making a point 153
Relying on Strategy to Place the Best Bets 154
The Pass-Line bet 154
The Come bet 155
The Don’t-Pass line bet 157
The Don’t-Come bet 158
The odds bet 159
Avoiding “Sucker” Bets 162
Resisting the lure of Big 6 and Big 8 163
Swearing off the worst place bets 163
Steering clear of buy bets 163
Laying off lay bets 164
Forswearing the field bet 164
Saying no to proposition bets 165
Finding out the hard way 166
The New Look of Casino Craps 167
Bubble craps 167
Hybrid craps 167
Chapter 9: Spinning Wheel Goes Round n’ Round: Roulette 169
Getting the Spin on Roulette Basics 170
Starting with the wheel 170
Taking in the table layout 172
Semi-automated roulette 174
Betting in technicolor 174
Chip denominations 175
Dealing with the croupier 176
Betting: the inside (and outside) scoop 177
Roulette’s special table limits 177
Making inside bets: Long shots and big payouts 178
Making outside bets: Better odds but lower payouts 179
Reciting Roulette Etiquette 181
Improving Your Odds 182
Starting with the basics 182
Playing a European wheel 183
Avoiding Strategies That Don’t Work 184
Basing your plays on history 185
Blaming wheel bias 185
Buying into betting systems 186
Chapter 10: Baccarat: Not Just For High-Rollers 189
Counting Down the Baccarat Basics 190
Baccarat Math 191
The Baccarat Zoo 192
Stepping Into Baccarat 194
Positioning yourself to play 194
Betting the banker (or the player) 195
What’s the Deal? 195
Drawing for another card 196
Following the player’s rules 196
Adhering to the banker’s rules 197
Knowing when the banker follows the banker’s rules 198
Avoiding Baccarat Time Wasters 199
Dealing with ties 199
It’s not the history; it’s a mystery, and here’s how it goes 200
Counting cards 200
Relying on instinct 200
The Full Baccarat Experience 201
Playing in a room apart 201
Setting a table for 14 201
Dressing to the nines 202
Dealing and calling 202
Banking on the house 202
Dealing the hand 203
Part 3: Beyond the Tables: Slots, Video Poker, Sports Betting, and More 205
Chapter 11: Tackling the “Riskier” Table Games 207
Picking Up on Pai Gow Poker 208
Playing the game: An overview 208
Calculating your odds 210
Implementing some strategy 211
Tripling Your Fun with Three-Card Poker 211
Playing the game: An overview 211
Reckoning your odds 214
Betting in Circles with Let It Ride 214
Playing the game: An overview 215
Understanding the payout 217
Implementing some simplified strategy 217
Avoiding a side bet 218
Dabbling with the Riskiest Table Games 219
Chapter 12: Mastering the Slots 223
Understanding How to Play the Slots 224
Playing the game: Easy as pushing a button 225
Dissecting the innards: How slots work 226
Getting wise to virtual reel-ality 227
Paying and winning with tickets 227
Identifying Different Slot Games 229
Increasing wagers with multipliers 229
Zigzagging for multiple paylines 229
Tuning in to theme machines 231
Working the progressive slots 231
Engaging in skill-based slots 231
Getting a Handle on Slots Odds 233
Stretching Your Money at the Slots 234
Reading the paytable 234
Choosing your game 235
Choosing the denomination you bet 235
Hitting an empty casino 236
Playing full credits on progressive games 237
Maximizing your fun 238
Honing Your Slot Etiquette 239
Saving a machine 239
Playing two machines at once: Double trouble 239
Minding your manners 240
Playing for Comps 240
Taking advantage of the comps 241
Signing up for the players’ club 242
Cashing in on cash rebates 242
Chapter 13: Scoring Big in Video Poker 243
Poker? Slots? Arcade Games? Characterizing Video Poker 244
Looking at video poker machines 244
Distinguishing between video and traditional poker 245
Understanding the allure 246
Playing the Game 247
Making your bet 247
Stretching your bankroll 247
Making your best hand in one draw 248
Collecting your winnings 248
Putting Your Money on the Best Machines 249
Holding out for the highest payout 249
Comparing short-pay and full-pay machines 250
Advancing to progressive machines 251
Playing Jacks or Better: The Best Bet for Beginners 251
Adding strategy to the equation 253
Sticking to the system no matter what 257
Investigating Other Video Poker Games 258
Walking on the wild side 258
Multitasking with multi-game play 259
Exploring other video poker games 260
Chapter 14: Striking the Mother Lode: Keno and Bingo 261
Catching On to Keno Basics 262
Filling out your ticket: X marks the spot 264
Winning and collecting 267
Exploring keno variations 269
Improving Your Odds at Keno 270
Figuring Out the ABCs of B-I-N-G-O 271
Setting the scene: The cast, crew, and props 272
Playing B-I-N-G-O down the line 273
Spicing up cover patterns 274
Uncovering bigger prizes with coverall 275
Calling Forth Winning Bingo Strategies 276
Seeking the ideal bingo venue 276
Winning at bingo: Odds aren’t all that bad (sometimes) 276
Chapter 15: From the Cubs to the Bears: Sports Betting 279
Legal Sports Betting: Coming Soon to a State Near You 280
Betting on a wide world of sports 280
Making money for the house 281
The sports betting market metaphor 281
Let’s talk vigorish 282
Leveling the Betting Field with Lines and Point Spreads 283
Setting the moneyline 284
Moneyline and implied probability 284
Defining point spread 285
Push ’em, hook ’em, and pick ’em 286
Being a total winner 287
Locking in the line 288
Early lines 288
Line lead times 289
Line movement 290
Derivative bets 291
Eyeing the exotics bets 291
Placing Your Bet in a Sports Book 295
Reading the board 296
Redeeming your winnings 298
Rounding Up Sports Betting Differences 299
Tackling football wagers 299
Slam-dunking basketball bets 300
Taking a swing at baseball betting 300
Lining up hockey wagers 301
Prop and multi-outcome bets 301
Relying on Strategic Handicapping 302
Handicapper Taxonomy 304
Part 4: Taking Casino Gambling to a Different Level 307
Chapter 16: More than Just the Derby: Betting on Horse Racing 309
Identifying Different Racing Formats 310
Betting in a Casino: Inside the Race Book 311
Understanding and Reading the Sheets 312
Placing Bets in the Race Book 314
Understanding the pari-mutuel system 314
Looking for pari-mutuel overlays 315
Sticking to straight bets 316
Experimenting with exotic bets 317
Placing your bet at the window 318
Winning strategies for your wagers 318
Picking Winners: Handicapping Basics 320
Digesting the race data: The Daily Racing Form 320
Assessing the speed factor 321
Contemplating pace 322
Showing a bit of class 323
Rounding into form 324
Considering other factors 325
Trip handicapping 326
Chapter 17: Gambling Online and in the Comfort of Home 327
Mapping the Legal Landscape 328
Playing at licensed online casinos 328
Going international with offshore casinos 329
Understanding How Online Casinos Work 329
Connecting to an online casino 330
Getting up to speed with practice games 330
Setting up an account 331
Paying to play 331
Accessing your winnings 333
Locating the Best (and Safest) Online Casino Games 334
Taking the first step: Online watchdogs 335
Checking out license origin 335
Choosing good online casinos 336
Selecting the best games for Internet play 337
Taking Advantage of Promos and Giveaways 338
Chapter 18: The Wild World of Tournaments 339
Learning Tournament Basics 340
Tournament Structure 340
Event Categories 341
Betting on the Most Lucrative Tournaments 342
Taking advantage of overlays 343
Finding a freeroll (Who says you can’t get a free lunch?) 343
Entering a Tournament (and Knowing What to Expect) 344
Playing with fixed chips 345
Seating yourself in the tournament section 346
Strategizing to Eliminate the Competition 346
Choosing a successful tournament strategy 346
Tabling a win with table game tournaments 347
Table game tournament quirks 348
Strategizing for table game tournaments 349
Soaring over the poker crowd 350
Maneuvering through slot and video poker tournaments 355
Picking winners in sports betting contests 355
Part 5: The Part of Tens 357
Chapter 19: Ten Cool Places to Gamble 359
Living Large in Las Vegas 360
Landing on Boardwalk: Atlantic City 361
Touring Tahoe and Reno 361
Cruising the High Seas 362
Exploring Native American Casinos 362
Collecting Chips in Connecticut 363
Striking Gold in California 364
Finding Hidden Treasures in the Caribbean 364
Joining the Jet Set 365
Rolling on the River (or Lake) 365
Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Score Comps 367
Ask and Ye Shall Receive 368
Learning Comp Math 368
Using a Players’ Card 369
Learning to Love Video Poker and Blackjack 369
Bet Low in Secret 370
Making the Bathroom Your Second Home 371
Looking Like You’re Losing 371
Greasing the Wheels 371
Never Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth 372
Behaving with Courtesy and Respect 372
Appendix A: Important Resources 373
Index 379
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