 
The
correct spelling is...
A
L B U Q U E R Q U E
Dear
Mark,
This is not exactly a casino gambling
question but an inquiry regarding
bar betting strategies. Why is it
that I am always buying free drinks?
It does not matter if it's trivia
or a magic trick, I am always duped
into paying. Help! James S.
Every
tavern I have patronized has at
least five bar-stool regulars who
can spell Albuquerque. In the real
world no one can spell it.
You won't be a patsy for free drinks
if you heed this classic warning
from Damon Runyon: "Son, no
matter how far you travel, or how
smart you get, always remember this:
someday, somewhere, a guy is going
to come up to you and show you a
nice brand-new deck of cards on
which the seal has not been broken,
and this guy is going to offer to
bet you that the jack of spades
will jump out of this deck and squirt
cider in your ear. But, son, do
not bet him, for as sure as you
do, you are going to get an ear
full of cider."
Dear
Mark,
Are not the rules better for roulette
in Atlantic City than in Las Vegas?
Jay G.
Only
on one wager, Jay. When you make
an even-money bet (red/black, odd/even,
1-18/9-36) in Atlantic City, you
lose only half your wager if the
roulette ball lands on 0 or 00.
These outside wagers cut the house
edge down from 5.26 to 2.63%.
Keep in mind, Jay, that this advantage
is only in effect for even-money
bets. For even better value, Las
Vegas offers single zero roulette
tables at numerous casinos. A single
zero game will give the casino only
a 2.7% edge on all roulette bets.
Dear
Mark,
I have only been to the casinos
three times but have come home a
winner on each occasion. I operate
strictly by a "feel" for
certain machines. Ever hear of consistent
winners that base their skill on
"feelings"? Dusty R.
I
am willing to wager dollars to donuts
that I can prove with 100% certainty
that you do not possess such an
ability. I bet you want me to prove
it. Well, Bob, if you answer my
question, "Yes, I go to work
every Monday morning," then
you don't have such skills.
Dear
Mark,
Thank you for the advice on playing
the single-zero roulette game at
the Monte Carlo. My wife broke even
and I actually won $200. I do have
a question regarding the single
zero game. Is the game I played
at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas
an exact duplicate in rules as a
roulette table at the real Monte
Carlo in Europe? Paul L.
Not
quite, Paul. A true European single-zero
wheel offers a rule called "en
prison." If you make an even
money bet and the ball lands on
zero, the croupier doesn't rake
in your wager. Instead, your bet
is "imprisoned" or held
hostage, and you are forced to let
it ride until the next spin. If
your bet wins, you can remove it
from the table. What is exciting
about this wager is that it cuts
the house edge on even money bets
in half, down to a very respectable
1.35%. This makes it one of the
better bets in European casinos.
Dear
Mark,
Is there ever a time when you would
double down for less in blackjack?
Sal G.
Never
is the correct answer. Because you
only double down when you are more
likely to win the hand than lose,
you always want to wager the maximum
amount. It is the double downs and
blackjacks that take your blackjack
play from the red to the black.
Don't shortchange yourself in these
situations.
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