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Article: Henry Tamburin on Blackjack...

SEAT POSITION

DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

By Henry Tamburin

You stroll through the crowded casino, itching to play blackjack, when you spot two adjacent tables with open seats. The first table has an opening at the first-base position, while the second table has an opening at third base. Where would you sit?

Before I discuss whether one seat is better than another, let me briefly review the terminology for seat positions in blackjack. As you face a blackjack table, the first betting position (or seat) on your far right is known as first base. The dealer will always start each round by dealing the cards one at a time sequentially from her left to her right, so that the player seated at first base will receive the cards first, and also will be the first player to act on his hand (meaning to make a playing decision, such as whether to stand or hit).

On the opposite end of the table is the third-base position, and the player seated there is often referred to as the anchor player. The third-base player is the last table player to receive the initial two cards from the dealer, and he is also the last player to act on his hand before the dealer acts on her hand.

The playing position located in the middle of the table is sometimes referred to as the shortstop position (is this blackjack or baseball we're playing?). As far as I know, first base, third base, and shortstop are the only designations given to the three respective playing positions on a blackjack table even though most blackjack tables can accommodate up to six (and sometimes seven) players.

So which seat is better? Mathematically, it makes no difference where you sit, if you are a basic strategy player, or a player who does not keep of the cards (card counter). Are you surprised at the answer? I know many players are, because they mistakenly believe that the anchor player can influence whether the table wins or loses by how he plays his hand. Some players even expect the anchor player to "sacrifice" his hand for the betterment of his fellow table players (no, I'm not kidding you on this). Why do players believe this? Probably because they vividly remember the times that an anchor player misplayed his hand and screwed the other table players. It goes something like this.

"I'm sitting there playing blackjack and minding my own business when that anchor fellow decides to hit his 16 with the dealer showing a 6. We tried to convince the dummy to stand, but he wouldn't listen. Sure enough he draws the dealer's bust card. And of course the dealer has a picture card in the hole, and draws a 5 for 21 and we all lose. So don't tell me a screwball playing third base won't hurt me."

If you play blackjack, I'm sure the above scenario, or one similar, has happened to you (if it hasn't yet, trust me, it will). Somehow we always seem to remember the times we lose a big hand because of the clueless player at third base (I call it selective memory).

Let's suppose that the lack of skill of an anchor player can result in bad things happening to other table players. Now let's suppose we pool our money and open a casino with lots of blackjack tables. To ensure that we make a ton of money at blackjack, we're going to pay players to sit at every third-base seat with instructions that they must hit when they are supposed to stand, and stand when they are supposed to hit, to cause all the other players to lose. We'll be rich!

Of course this is nonsense; otherwise casinos would have implemented "clueless shills" to their benefit a long time ago. The facts are these: the skill of the anchor player, or for that matter any player on the table, has no effect whatsoever on your chances of winning or losing. In fact, you could have five chimpanzees playing next to you on the same table and your chances of winning and losing in the long run won't change one iota. The reason is because you have no earthly idea what the sequence of the cards is in a shoe, so it could happen that a dumb play by any player could result in you winning the hand, or, just as likely, losing the hand. In the long run, it all evens out.

Nevertheless, blackjack misconceptions such as this one live on, so here's my advice for players who fret about where to sit. If you are a newbie to the game and need to bring a strategy card along as an aid (hey, there is nothing wrong with that, and its casino legal), I suggest you sit in player spots 3, 4, or 5. Why? If you sit at first base, the dealer will be looking your way for a playing decision rather quickly (remember that the first-base player acts first). This doesn't give the first-base player much time to look at his hand, then the dealer's upcard, and then glance at his strategy card to determine how to play the hand. However, if you sit in positions 3, 4, or 5, you will have a little more time to figure out how to play your hand, and when you are not rushed, you are more likely to make the right play, win more, and enjoy the game better.

So why shouldn't a newbie sit at third base, since the anchor player has the most time to determine his playing strategy because he acts last? As I said earlier, blackjack misconceptions live on, and although the etiquette of players in general has improved over the 35 years I've played blackjack (just my observation), there are still some goofballs who get annoyed at anchor players who misplay their hands. This is why I recommend that newbies avoid the anchor position and instead take a seat closer to the middle of the table.

If you are a more experienced blackjack player, any seat is as good as any other seat on the table. However, that's not the case for a card counter; seat position is important and counters can actually boost their edge slightly if they know where to sit. But that's a story for another day.

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Henry Tamburin is the author of Blackjack Take The Money & Run, editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), and Lead Instructor for Golden Touch Blackjack Course (www.goldentouchblackjack.com). For more information, or to receive his FREE Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.

HOW TO BEAT CASINO SURVEILLANCE An Insider's Secrets for Card Counters By Vinny DeCarlo Tapping into his 27 years in the casino industry, many in surveillance, DeCarlo unveils behind-the-scenes information on the strengths and weaknesses of TWENTY-FIVE Las Vegas casinos AND their ability to catch card counters. A master card counter himself, DeCarlo knows how to take advantage of casino loopholes to avoid detection while beating them at their own games. Now you can too with the never-before-published information contained in his book.

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Article: Scoblete keeps pumping out the wisdom...

Good Betting Choices for Advantage-Play Craps Players

By Frank Scoblete

Many players in the dice control community attempt to formulate and then justify odd betting choices, thinking that they are prescribing excellent wagering schemes when, in fact, they advocate idiocy.

One such formulation is called the "See a horn, bet a horn" principle that advocates betting the horn with its 12.5 percent house edge should you see a streak of such horn numbers, those being 2, 3, 11, and 12. No one is quite sure what a streak consists of but some have likened it to the Supreme Court's opinion about pornography, which I'll paraphrase, "I can't define pornography but I know it when I see it."

Of course, a conservative religious person might see pornography in a kiss, while those reared in the sexual revolution might only see pornography when it involves a child. Who is right? Take your pick of either side - or any side in between.

However, we can make certain astute observations about whether one should bet a horn after seeing a controlled shooter hitting several horn numbers. The answer is no, obviously, since a house edge of 12.5 percent is out of the reach of most controlled shooters' abilities.

With six chances of occurring in a craps game, the horn has the same possibility of hitting as does the 4 and 10.
The Horn:
2 = one chance (1:1)
3 = two chances (2:1; 1:2)
11 = two chances (6:5; 5:6)
12 = one chance (6:6)

Total = six ways

The 4 and 10:
4 = three chances (2:2; 3:1; 1:3)
10 = three chances (5:5; 6:4; 4:6)

Total = six ways

Let's compare the house edges on both of these wagering choices (we will focus only on the "right" bets):

Horn = 12.5 percent
Place 4 and 10 = 6.67 percent
Buy 4 and 10 at $35 with $1 commission paid on all wagers = 2.78 percent
Buy the 4 and 10 at $25 with $1 commission paid on winning wagers only = 1.3 percent

Now given these house edges, players would have to be a true Crazy Crappers (as the Captain calls them) to bet the horn in a random game. But what of a controlled shooter, someone who can influence the outcome of a dice roll? After all, a controlled shooter is changing the statistics of the game to favor himself. That is true but only true in certain instances - very few controlled shooters can overcome that massive 12.5 percent house edge.

Unfortunately, the controlled shooter would have to be just as crazy betting that horn on controlled shooters as they would on random rollers and here's why. Even if we took the worst 4 and 10 bet, the simple placement coming in with a large 6.67 percent edge, it is still only about half as bad as the horn. Yes, a 6.67 percent edge is extremely difficult to overcome but it is still less difficult than that horn horror.

If we look at the other ways of "buy" betting on the 4 and 10, we see edges of 2.78 percent and 1.3 percent. These edges are incredibly good in comparison to the horn edge.

Of course, the "see a horn, bet a horn" ploppy advocates insist that in "some cases" those streaks (which they must recognize intuitively) of horn numbers means it is wise to throw your money (away) on this bet. After all, they chant, a controlled shooter might just be setting the dice for that horn. True, they might be setting for the horn - whether they can overcome that massive house edge or not. (In almost all cases it is not!)

This setting for the horn is utter nonsense when we realize that someone setting the dice to hit the horn has overlooked, through ignorance or stubbornness, the fact that it would be a much better proposition to set for the 4 and 10 by using a set called the 2-V which is designed to specifically hit those 4s and 10s.

Why would a shooter and/or bettor choose to go after a 12.5 percent house edge whose numbers have six ways of hitting when he can set those dice in a 2-V to go after the 4 and 10, a far better bet?

As incredible as it seems, the advocacy of the "see a horn, bet a horn" ploppy theorists is based more on a kind of mystical faith than on any kind of reasonable and logical approach to controlled shooting at craps. Such a ploppy can give circuitous and long-winded explanations as to why one should bet a horn when you see a horn but not one of those puffy explanations holds water. It's a dumb bet that can't be beaten except by the most masterful of dice controllers.

Now, even if a shooter can beat the horn's high house edge, as some Golden Touch elite dice control masters can, it is still an idiotic bet. If they waste their energy going after the horn, they have given up real money-making opportunities by ignoring much better propositions one of which I explained above.

"See a horn, bet a horn" is an unfunny joke perpetrated by the comedians of craps and dice control analysis that will have very few of their adherents laughing as they withdraw their funds from the ATM for more such foolish bets. Serious dice controllers stay away from such jokes because they know the truth about percentages and house edges. It isn't funny to lose money.

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Article: Stickman's stance... craps from the front line!

Which Casino Offers a Better Opportunity?

By Jerry "Stickman" Stich

Using a Casino Player's Card for Video Poker

By Jerry Stich

All casinos today have some sort of slot player's club. By joining the club and inserting your player's card when you play video poker, points are added to your balance. These points typically are redeemed for food, drink, merchandise, free play or cash. Players who earn enough points in a set period of time (usually six months to one year) earn elite status good for additional amenities including the ability to earn two or three times the points per dollar earned as the base players club member.

When these programs started many years ago, each casino offered their own individual program with their own set of rules. Over time, corporations acquired independent casinos. In the hope of drawing additional customers to their stable of casinos, corporate management combined individual slot clubs under one corporate umbrella. Gamers could now earn points at a local casino and use them at another anywhere in the country.

Most video poker players are unaware of the specifics of the players club at the casinos where they play. This can be a mistake. Video poker players can add up to a percentage point or even more to their return by playing at the right casino.

If you are a typical knowledgeable recreational video poker player who goes to a casino and plays several times a year, you tend to go to the same few casinos owned by the same corporation. You know the games and machines that offer the best payback. You typically play only one or two different video poker game types.

Consider the following two actual players clubs. Both are from casinos owned by the same corporation. Both casinos offer full pay Jacks-or-Better (99.54 percent payback with perfect play).

Points earned per dollar played - 1

Points required for one dollar cash back - 1,000

Points required for top tier benefits - 200,000

Point multiplier at top tier - 3 times

Additional casino video poker offers - 4 of a kind bonus - Scratch card good for $2 to $5,000

Points earned per dollar played - 2.5

Points required for one dollar cash back - 1,000

Points required for top tier benefits - 350,000

Point multiplier at top tier - 2 times

Additional casino video poker offers - None

Let's analyze these two casinos. Even though they are a part of the same corporation they have very different rules.

Cash back adds one tenth of a percent. At the top tier it becomes three times that, or three tenths of a percent.

To reach the top tier you must play $200,000 through the machines in six months. On a dollar machine, that is 40,000 hands - or 80 hours of play at 500 hands per hour.

The 4-of-a-kind bonus scratch card adds approximately one tenth of one percent assuming all you win each time is $2.

Total cash back percent benefit - 0.4 percent.

Cash back adds 0.25 percent. At the top tier it becomes double that, or half a percent.

To reach top tier you must play $140,000 through the machines in six months. On a dollar machine that is 28,000 hands - or 56 hours of play at 500 hands per hour.

Total cash back percent benefit - 0.5 percent.

Comparing the two results, Casino Two is the clear winner offering 20 percent more cash back than casino one. Payback on full pay Jacks-or-Better is 99.54 percent with perfect play. Including cash back, payback for full pay Jack-or-Better is:

Casino One - 99.94 percent

Casino Two - 100.04 percent

Casino Two's more generous cash back actually makes the game positive!

When deciding to commit your hard earned dollars to video poker play it is wise to consider all aspects of the casino where you choose to play them. Your bankroll will thank you.

Deuces Wild Strategy with Three Deuces Dealt

By Jerry "Stickman" Stich

Deuces Wild is a popular video poker game. The payback for full pay deuces wild is more than 100 percent, the variance (which directly affects how much bankroll is required) is relatively small and the playing strategy is reasonably simple. But the real attraction of Deuces Wild is the additional bonus you win for getting four deuces.

Because of this, strategy charts are ordered by the number of deuces that are dealt. If you are lucky enough to be dealt three deuces, there are very few choices to make. If fact, there are only three possible plays depending on what other cards were dealt with them.

If you are dealt a wild royal, you always keep it.

If you are dealt 5-of-kind (a pair along with the three deuces), deciding whether to save it or not depends on the payback of the game. For any game other than full pay deuces, save any 5-of-a-kind. If, however, you are playing the full pay game, save for a 5-of-a-kind only if they are 10's through Aces. If they are anything lower (3's through 9's), save the deuces only.

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Article: The Goddess Speaks...

LAS VEGAS HISTORY:

The Paleo Indians first visited the Las Vegas valley thousands of years ago, and left petroglyphs of their early history that can still be seen in The Valley of Fire State Park. Two thousand years ago, the Anansazi Indians and the Pauite came to the valley.

In 1829, Rafael Rivera scouted the area. Finding a valley with wild grasses and a plentiful supply of water, the valley was named Las Vegas, which is Spanish for "The Meadows."

In 1864, Nevada was admitted into the union as the 36th State. The State Land Act of 1885 sold land for $1.25 per acre, and agriculture was the dominant industry until the 1880's. In the 1900's, the main railway between southern California and Salt Lake City was brought by William Clark to Las Vegas and made Las Vegas a railroad town.

On May 15, 1905, Las Vegas was founded as a city when 110 acres of land were auctioned off. Las Vegas was incorporated on March 16, 1911, and the population was 800. In 1911, divorce laws were liberalized, and "quickie" divorces could be obtained after six weeks of residency. The Hoover Dam construction was begun in 1931, starting a population boom of workers, and helping the economy during the Great Depression. It was completed in 1935.

Although gambling had taken place illegally for many years, the state legislature legalized it in March 1931. At that time, it was a local entertainment, appealing to cowboys and ranch hands in Reno on weekends. In Las Vegas, the El Rancho and the Last Frontier casinos catered to army recruits.

In 1943, Bugsy Siegel was sent to Las Vegas by Meyer Lansky and Frank Costello, the heads of New York organized crime. With money made from the Cuban casinos, they financed the Flamingo, the first world class resort in Las Vegas. Siegel was killed on 6/20/47 for skimming funds, and the New York mobs seized control of the Flamingo. Other casino hotels sprouted up, controlled by the mob, offering top-name entertainment .

In 1951, the Moulin Rouge was the first racially integrated hotel to open.

In 1957, the first topless showgirls debuted at Minsky's Follies.

In 1959, the Nevada Gaming Commission was created.

In the 1960's, Howard Hughes led the building and buying of hotels and casinos by corporations. "Gaming" started the transition into legitimate business.

In the 1980's, prosecutions of mobsters from Chicago, Cleveland, and Kansas City, assisted Steve Wynn in ridding Las Vegas of the gangster elements.

In 2000, the population of Las Vegas was 478,434 over 113 square miles.

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Article: Bill Burton on sports betting

Why Sports Betting is Profitable