The Casino Survival Guide

Up until now, our focus on winning at the casinos has been on Blackjack, Poker and Video Poker, mainly because those are, for the most part, the only games where a player can overcome the house advantage. That's still true, but many of you have been asking for help at other games and we're here to give our readers what they want. Thus, is born the GameMaster's Guide to Casino Survival. As we go along, I'll try to cover each casino game with an eye towards helping you, the player, to win. In most of these games, the casino has a built-in edge and I can't show you how to beat them from a long term point of view. But, a lot of them have player options, so I'll show you how to at least lower the house advantage as much as possible and that may make you a winner some of the time.

There is no trick here, no magic answer, but there is a lot of mathematical analysis which is, I hope, explained in a way that you'll not only understand but will also inspire you to follow my advice. Listen, I really wish you would learn how to play Video Poker properly or learn how to count cards, but until you do, this guide will help you survive your visits to the casinos.

Let It Ride:

Let It Ride (TM) is a popular casino game, much like Double Down Stud and Caribbean Stud. While it's fun to play, the casino has a healthy edge over the unskilled player. I can help you keep that edge to a minimum.
Here's how.

Craps:

Craps used to be the most popular casino table game and the casinos loved it. They had a built-in edge, there was little chance of cheating or scams and the game was fast. Now, even though women are playing the game more and more, Craps has faded in popularity, but the casinos still love it and it's still fast. If you want to survive at the table and maybe even prosper,
play craps my way.

Roulette:

Roulette is the most popular table game in Europe, far out pacing Blackjack and Craps, but here in the United States, few casinos have more than just a couple of Roulette tables. What do they know in Europe that we don't know here?
Check it out.

Double Down Stud:

Available both in table and machine format, this game has developed a following in recent years, yet most people play it incorrectly. Doing it my way still won't give you a long term edge over the casino, but I can cut the house advantage in half. While it's not the best deal in the casino, 25-cent Double Down Stud machines are almost as easy to play as a slot machine and the return is usually better.
Here's why.

Slots:

Let's start off with a reality check. If there was a way to consistently beat the slots, they wouldn't be the primary source of income for most casinos in the United States. Of course we've all seen pictures of lucky winners holding oversized checks payable for oversized amounts, but when you consider how many millions of people play the slots everyday, it's no wonder that a few hit it big. But to think that there's a legal way to guarantee you'll be a winner is just not realistic.

Pull the arm and read the story.

Electronic Keno:

Keno has been around a long time; almost all of the older casinos in Las Vegas have, or did have a Keno 'parlor', but some have been replaced by keno machines which is actually a better deal for the player. I'm not saying that keno is a good deal, but at least in the electronic versions, the casino doesn't have to pay for a number caller, keno runners and other personnel. Consequently, the electronic versions usually pay more money back than the 'live' games, but neither is a bargain.
Right this way.

Baccarat:

This is a game which has undergone a democratization in the last few years. It used to be played only in Baccarat 'rooms' at the casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, was usually a $20 minimum bet and has always been considered a high-roller's game. Now, it's found in many casinos as 'mini' baccarat where it's played at the same type of table as Blackjack and usually at a $5 minimum bet. Perhaps not as glamorous as it once was, baccarat is still a pretty good game for gamblers to play. A player cannot overcome the house edge in baccarat, but it's a relatively small edge and the game is simple to play, so it offers a much better deal than roulette.
Here's how it works.

Caribbean Stud:

Did you know that there are almost 2,600,000 different poker hands which a player can be dealt from a 52-card deck? Four of those hands are Royal Flushes (one in each suit), so the odds of receiving one is about one in 650,000 hands. At a rate of 30 hands an hour, 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, it will take you seven and a half years to hit a Royal.
Here ya go.

Three Card Poker:

This is a new game which appears to be spreading and it's not the worst choice one can make in a casino. The player has the option to make three different bets.
Your card hand is right here.