Q. I play basic strategy blackjack, but I don’t count cards. I’m curious about team play. I heard about the MIT guys playing as a team. How does that work? They can’t help out each other at the table, can they? Where is there any extra advantage in playing as a team? Is it just in pooling their money?

A. Blackjack card-counting teams operate with one player counting cards while making minimum bets. When the count favors the players, the counter signals a big player, who joins the game and makes large bets. When the count turns and favors the house, the card counter gives another signal, and the big player leaves the table, perhaps to go to a different table where another counter has signaled.

The benefit to the team comes in a couple of different ways. The big player wagers most of the money, and he never plays in a count where he is at a disadvantage. That’s a huge advantage.

Neither the counter nor the big player raise or lower their wagers with the count. The counter makes only small bets, and the big player plays only when it’s time to bet large. Watching patterns of raising and lowering bets with the count is the primary way for casinos to detect counters. Without that pattern they need to associate the counter with the big player to identify the team. That makes team play particularly dangerous for casinos.

Some casinos don’t worry much about individual card counters, especially at low-limit games. Most people who try to count cards aren’t particularly successful. If a low-limit counter squeezes out a small profit, that’s part of the cost of doing business. And if the casino ejects a low-limit counter, he or she just might take a slot-playing spouse or friend with him, costing the casino more money than it saves in stopping the counter.

Other casinos don’t take as tolerant a view, and will back a player off the tables at the slightest sign of advantage play. But all casinos have to be vigilant about team play. When a big player bets big bucks without ever facing a count where the house has the edge, that’s hazardous to the bottom line.

Q. I was playing a penny slot with 25 lines, and you could bet 20 coins a line. I’m on a budget, and I can’t afford to be betting $5 at a time, so what I usually do is play all the lines, but just bet one coin or two coins a line, so I’m betting 25 cents or 50 cents.

I was wondering if it would be better to just bet 20 cents a line on fewer lines. Maybe three lines, so I am betting 60 cents. That way I wouldn’t win as often, but when I did, 20 would multiply the win. Sometimes, when I bet all 25 lines for a penny each, I’ll get a win on one line for five credits, and that’s less than I bet. If I bet 20 coins each on fewer lines, those five credits would be 100, and would be a real winner of more than I bet.

A. On some video slot machines, you’d get about the same payback percentage either way, just arriving at it in very different ways. You’re correct that when you win, the wins would be bigger, and some of those wins that are really losses—returns smaller than your bet—would become real wins. However, you would have many fewer winning spins to go with much longer losing streaks. In the long run, that would balance out.

But be careful. On some video slots, advancing to the bonus events requires the trigger symbols to land on an active pay line. If that’s the case, then it’s essential to cover all the pay lines. The real fun in video slots is in playing the bonus events, and that’s where much of our payback is too. The amount differs from game to game and manufacturer to manufacturer, but it’s pretty typical for 40 percent of a game’s payback to come from bonus events. You don’t want to short change yourself.

Also, while we’re playing the bonus events, we’re adding to the credit meter without making additional wagers. That means someone who is limiting their chances to go to the bonus round by playing fewer lines is making more wagers per hour than someone who covers all the lines. That can get expensive.

One last warning. If you’re playing a machine with a progressive jackpot or jackpots, make sure your wager qualifies you for the progressives.

If you’re playing a video slot where the bonus symbols can be scattered and don’t have to land on an active line, and where playing fewer lines won’t disqualify you from a progressive jackpot, then you pay your money and you take your choice. If fewer, bigger wins while risking long losing streaks is the way you want to go, it’s your decision.

Q. My sister wants me to go to the casino with her. I’ve never gone. What should I play?

A. Good luck on your first trip. I hope you have a good time and have some nice winners.

As for what you should play, I always struggle with that question. It depends on what you think is fun. I think trying to squeeze an edge through strategy is fun, so I like blackjack and video poker. My wife thinks the bonus events on video slots are fun, so she mixes in some video slots with video poker. Others like the win-together camaraderie at craps, or the excitement of the roulette wheel.

Most first-time players wind up at the slots. They’re easy and you don’t have to learn any strategies. If you find you enjoy your day, want to go back and need advice on a specific game, write back. I’m happy to help.

For more free Q&A tips, visit southerngaming.com/Q&A

By John Grochowski

Syndicated gaming columnist John Grochowski has been covering the casino industry for 17 years in his weekly column distributed to newspapers and websites. He is also the author of six books, including The Slot Machine Answer Book and The Video Poker Answer Book. You can find him online at CasinoAnswerMan.com.

One of the most important things to consider for video poker players is the risk factor. That’s because it impacts the probable number of entry tickets, your theoretical playing time, the fun factor, and even the cash back on your slot club card. In this two-part series, we’ll look at tips for determining whether you should look for a high-risk or a low-risk game (Part I), and then how to determine the risk to your bankroll with or without pay schedule tables (Part II).

How do you determine whether or not you want a high- or low-risk video poker game? That depends on your goals as a player. First, you must make sure the games you compare have similar expected returns, called the ER. For example, if one game has an ER of 99.54% and another has one of 99.49%, then the theoretical returns are close enough that comparing the risk factor for the two games becomes relevant. (There are free removable tables in my book, The Video Poker Edge, that give you the ER, variance and other game information.)

High Risk Objectives

Some people enjoy the adrenaline rush of risky games, both table and video poker devices. They would rather play for a shorter period of time than get a lot of even money hands, that’s a return of their wager, and be able to play longer on their bank roll.

Fun Factor

There’s no denying the fact that it’s much more exciting to play a video poker game that has the potential of paying off on several big hands. In other words, instead of having to wait for the once in 40,000 royal flush hands (an approximation), they’re aiming for any one of several large jackpots. For example, Double Double Bonus (DDB) returns 2,000 coins (5-coin bet) for four Aces with a Kicker (a Two, Three or Four) as well as other bonuses for specific four-of-a-kind (4OAK) combos. If you’re there to have a rip-roaring time you’ll surely love DDB.

High Progressive

Often high-risk games can be found on banks that are progressive for the royal as well as 4OAKs. In fact, when I find a very high progressive, it may be a game changer. In other words, I may have come to play a different game, but will switch to a bank with an especially high progressive royal. Of course the volatility (risk) increases as the royal grows, and so does the game strategy. Mostly you’ll go for the royal more frequently as the royal gets larger. Some exact cutoffs can be found in my book.

No Promo Interest

There are several reasons why you may not be interested in racking up a lot of entry tickets for a promotional event. First is that most require you to be present to win and you may be just passing through or have other plans. No point in earning entries if you’re ineligible. There are several other reasons, including too few prizes along with too many entries (this spells little contest equity), an undesirable prize or any other of a number of reasons. You should still keep your players card inserted, especially if there are cash back or any other benefits offered.

Low Risk Objectives

Some people just don’t have the temperament for high-risk games. They may have the monetary bankroll, but the psychological makeup is missing. If playing for a short time before becoming a spectator is objectionable, then you may want to stick with low-risk options. If your major goal is to have a shot at a highly coveted prize, say a car, then you may want to maximize your contest equity by pounding away on low risk games.

Short Fuse When Losing

I’m sure we’ve all played next to a person so angry with their bad luck that they’re talking to themselves, complaining out loud, banging on the glass and buttons, and so on. These people would be better off playing a game like Jacks or Better (JOB) than DDB, as their temperament can’t seem to tolerate too many consecutive losing or even-money hands.

Promo Equity

Of course there are no guarantees with any casino game, but the odds of playing longer, and therefore earning more ticket entries, are better with a low-risk game. That’s because most drawings are based on coin-in, and you’ll run more money through the device as the amount of hands played increases.

Cash Back Increases

Just like promotion equity the amount of slot points increases as the amount of coin-in increases. In fact it’s a good idea to choose low risk games when multiple points are offered by the casino, say a triple-point promo. Look for these to occur during slow times, like weekdays.

Final Thoughts

In Part I we see that your playing goals should determine the games with the best variance (volatility or risk) for you.

Be sure to check out The Risk Factor Part II (in the July Issue of Southern Gaming), where I discuss how you can tell the risk using a pay schedule or just approximate the risk if you don’t have pay tables with you. Keep in mind that the pay schedules that you’ll find on the device in the casino include the number of coins returned for each winning wager but do not indicate either the game’s variance or the ER.

For more free video poker tips, visit southerngaming.com/video poker

By Linda Boyd

Linda Boyd, a long-time table game player before turning to video poker, writes for Southern Gaming, Midwest Gaming and Travel and Arizona Player. Look for her article in the 2012 Edition of American Casino Guide and her YouTube video at their website. Linda’s YouTube video available at her book, The Video Poker Edge, includes free removable pay schedules and her free strategy cards for the most popular games. Amazon, Square One Publishers and bookstores are sending the second edition with a 2010 publishing date. Kindle edition now available.

While belly putters and long putters have been around for decades, it seems there are an increased number of tour players who are converting to them leading to several heated debates on their legality. As a teacher and club professional, I have been approached by dozens of amateurs with questions concerning anchored putters. I am guessing that most of you have either experimented with or are considering trying an anchored putter so I hope this column will answer some questions that you may be having.

Let’s first talk about the anchored putter as it pertains to the rules of golf. As of now, you are allowed to anchor a putter to your body. It is my belief this rule is likely not to change in the near future mainly because there are too many people using the anchored putter worldwide. I believe they should have been banned twenty years ago when only a few people were experimenting with them. That being said, the USGA did recently change the groove rule which affected EVERY player on tour, and in the future, every golfer who wishes to compete in tournament play. So banning the anchored putter is not completely out of the question.

I feel the anchored putter should be banned on the professional level. By anchoring the grip to any part of your body, you eliminate one of the main variables in the putting stroke by creating a definite fulcrum on which to swing the club. This, in turn, minimizes the role the hands take in the putting stroke and forces you to use your shoulders, which is a much more consistent way to putt. However, if an amateur switching to an anchored putter allows them to play at a higher level and maintains their interest in the game, I am all for it.

If you are considering making a switch to an anchored putter, which one is right for you? What length putter should you putt with? What style head should you putt with? These are questions that I hear almost daily. Let’s begin with the belly putter vs. the long putter. While the belly putter is definitely more popular, I hope that you at least give the long putter consideration before making your decision. I feel the greatest advantage to the long putter is it puts your right hand (for right handed golfers) in a natural position to make the stroke. To calculate speed when I am putting, I try to feel like my right hand is rolling the ball to the hole. With the long putter, you can definitely get this feeling easier since you only have one hand on the lower part of the grip. (Your left hand is anchoring the top of the putter to your upper body.) Thus, I feel you will have slightly better speed control with a long putter.

To find the correct length for a long putter, it is best to experiment. However, when I fit someone for a long putter there are a few key positions I look for. First, the putter should be at a length that you can still bend at the waist and position your eyes over the ball comfortably. Also, your right hand should be positioned directly under your shoulders. These are natural positions that will help create the most consistent putting stroke.

If you are leaning towards a belly putter, here are a few notes that I find consistent with almost anybody who has tried one:

• Putts from 10 ft. and in are almost automatic!

• Shoulders dominate the putting stroke.

• Lag putting becomes more difficult.

• It takes considerable practice to get comfortable with the belly putter.

• Practicing with a belly putter and switching back to a short putter is usually very successful.

The easiest way to find the proper belly putter length for you is with your current putter, a yardstick, and a mirror. First, set up with your current putter so your eyes are either directly over the ball or slightly inside the ball with your hands hanging directly beneath your shoulders. Next, take the yard stick and hold it on the same angle as your putter shaft. Simply slide the yard stick up the putter shaft until it sits in your belly where it would be anchored. Take your putter length and add the number of inches necessary to anchor the putter into your belly to find the correct belly putter length for you.

As far as head style, this is mainly personal preference. While most anchored putters you find will have a mallet head that is face balanced, there are a few that have a traditional blade style head. I feel it is most important for you to putt with a putter you like the look and feel of. Experimentation is highly recommended!

Anchored putters, if nothing else, are a great practice tool to help teach you how to make the proper putting stroke. By creating a definitive fulcrum, anchored putters force you to use your shoulders and help to eliminate any unnecessary hand action in the putting stroke. If you are considering making the switch, I strongly urge you to get fit by a PGA Professional to help ensure you get the right putter the first time. It also wouldn’t hurt to take a lesson when you first begin putting with an anchored putter so you learn the proper way to putt with it. Good luck on the greens!

For more free golf tips, visit southerngaming.com/golf 

By Colby Wolitz

Colby Wolitz is a PGA-Certified teaching pro at Hunting Creek Country Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

To begin with, I recommend playing only the top 10 hands and folding on all others. The top 10 are in order of relative promise: A-A, K-K, Q-Q, A-K, J-J, 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, A-Q and 7-7. Experience has shown me that these are the strongest starting hands in limit Hold ’Em. The beginning strategy for survival is designed to keep you in the game while you learn the more subtle techniques that are necessary to beat tougher games, or to extract more money from weak games. And, in some games, using just this strategy will make you a winner. With this patient strategy alone, and really not much else in the way of poker instruction, I was able to crush the games in Madison. What happens is, when you consistently play only the top 10 hands, your opponents will begin to fear your bets and raises because they’ll see that you’re always playing something powerful. This fear gives you some leeway to make a few different plays later, when you’ve absorbed the intermediate and more advanced advice I’ll be giving you later. In other words, the top-10-hands strategy teaches the right fundamentals. You will need these fundamentals when you add some intermediate and advanced strategy to your arsenal, because playing super tight alone won’t get the pots in these tougher games. The good hands don’t come along often enough, and perhaps even more important, you risk becoming a bit too predictable.

When you break limit Hold ’Em down to its basic elements, good game theory suggests that you wait for big starting hands before you get involved in a hand. The blinds are relatively small compared with the size of the pots, unless you’re playing in a very tight game (which is rare at low stakes). It may seem a bit boring to play only these top 10 hands; after all, most of you play poker just to have a good time and socialize—for entertainment. Fair enough, but if you want to win the money, then you need to show some patience and entertain yourself in another way. And, anyway, how entertaining is it to play all the hands and lose most of them?

In general, I recommend playing the top 10 hands regardless of your position in the betting order or the number of bets it will cost you to get involved in the hand. Always raise with these hands, no matter what it costs you to get involved. Of course, if you have a lot of evidence to suggest that your 7-7 is beaten (perhaps the tightest player in the game has just re-raised the hand, making it as we say “four bets to go”), then you might do well to fold the hand. But in general, playing these hands aggressively is a good way to play Hold ’Em.

I know that you’re probably thinking right now, “Is it really that easy? All I have to do is play Phil’s top 10 hands?” The answer is basically yes, at least as far as the starting requirements (your first two cards) are concerned. Yes, because it will be easy for you to play before the flop (on the first round of betting) when all you have to remember is to play only the top 10. (Playing after the flop is much more complicated, I’m afraid; but don’t worry, we’ll cover that as well.)

In what follows I’ll be giving you a number of examples of hands that will help you understand the best courses of action for a beginning player to take. But before I give you these examples, it is time to introduce those “animals” I promised you. I cannot go much further in teaching you how to play poker without characterizing some of the personality types that you will inevitably face as you play Texas Hold ’Em. No matter how much you may want to think of Hold ’Em as a card game played by people, in many respects it is even more valid to think of it as a game about people that happens to be played with cards. This becomes more and more true as the stakes get higher and the games get tougher.

For more free poker tips, visit southerngaming.com/poker

By Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Phil Hellmuth Jr. is an 11-time World Series Poker Champion, leading all poker players in the world. He has two New York Times best-seller books, Play Poker Like the Pros and Bad Beats and Lucky Draws. Both books can be found at Amazon.com. Phil’s books, blog, tips and more can also be found at PhilHellmuth.com. This column is an excerpt from Phil’s book Phil Hellmuth’s Texas Hold ’Em, rules, tips and strategies from the champ for playing and wining the world’s hottest big money game.

The DRF/NTRA National Handicapping Contest is the Cadillac of contests for horseplayers around the world. The invitation or earned entry event produces the top handicapper in the world every year. The 2011 contest was held in Las Vegas at Treasure Island Casino and it was a real pay day for Baton Rouge, La., native, Michael Beychok.

Last year Beychok finished third in the TwinSpires.com Online Handicapping Championship and gained a $1-million first prize as the winner of the National Handicapping Championship.

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Beychok, who uses TwinSpires.com for both his contests and horse-playing endeavors, needed only $11 to reach the top of the NHC standings on the last race of the two-day tournament, and he achieved that goal by a nose and $1 when Glorious Dancer rallied to nip Greeley’s Agenda to pay $8.20 to win and $3.80 to place. The race was on, literally, and Beychok was up for the challenge.

He entered the final stages of the tournament within striking range of TwinSpires.com member Dave Flanzbaum, who led throughout most of day two, but did not make up the necessary ground until the final race.

“After the last mandatory race, I still had four options left to play,” Beychok said. “I started thinking about likely winners in the 2-to-1 and 5-to-2 range, which isn’t my normal strategy, but I knew I could win this thing.

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“When I went up to bet [Glorious Dancer], he was 7-to-2, but afterward he clicked down to 5-to-2. Everyone was excited when he won, but I knew I’d need 3-to-1, so when they flashed those odds up there I was feeling pretty good.”

In addition to being involved in thoroughbred racing as a horseplayer via TwinSpires.com, Beychok is managing partner of That’s Me Stable, a racing partnership that campaigns horses in Louisiana. “I definitely plan to invest this back into racing,” Beychok said. “I own a few horses, and would like to own a few more.”

Before winning $1 million at the NHC, Beychok’s biggest score was a six-figure Pick 6 score in January 2011, at Santa Anita Park.

Twinspires.com is the official online wagering platform of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. They are 100% legal in most states and do not charge any fees to make bets or watch races live. They have the premium product when it comes to extras from free live streaming races and the best handicapping information at your fingertips with the Brisnet.com reports. You can even place your wagers over the phone or through their smartphone app. It is like having your own OTB right in your hand! Good luck and when you get a chance, check out Twinspires.com!

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A fellow gambler named Joe Connelly has a rather peculiar habit of asking hypothetical questions to everyone he encounters. These queries pertain to everything under the sun, but when he solicited yours truly, “If you could change just one piece of history, what would it be?” I emphatically answered, “I would go back to the morning of June 8, 1998, and ask the good Lord to add two inches of length to Real Quiet’s nose.”

REAL QUIET MADE A RUN at the Triple Crown in 1998.

Now, before you question my lack of compassion for not averting one of history’s many catastrophic disasters, I will amend this atypical response with some background. In 1998 I selected a thoroughbred named Real Quiet to win the 124th Kentucky Derby. This racer, nicknamed “The Fish,” did just that. After adding the Preakness Stakes to his resume, Real Quiet arrived at Belmont Park with an opportunity to become the Sport of Kings’ 12th Triple Crown Champion.

In both the 1998 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes, a late closer named Victory Gallop played the role of bridesmaid, and for much of the Belmont’s stretch drive it certainly looked as if second money was this equine’s habitual destiny. Instead of following in the footsteps of Alydar (who finished second to Affirmed in each leg of the 1978 Triple Crown), Victory Gallop took advantage of the Belmont’s added distance and clipped Real Quiet on the wire.

Legitimate partnership with a Triple Crown Champion would be listed on my resume, and though I technically didn’t own Real Quiet, every horseplayer subscribes to the notion that a share of bona-fide horseflesh may be duly acquired at any mutual window.

It’s obvious not everybody thinks the way I do. Actually there are a great many races that trump every leg of the Triple Crown with regard to purse structure. In a sport driven by the amount of dollars wagered, the Triple Crown seems to somehow transcend material wealth. I’ll put it this way. I won a $1,000 betting on Monarchos in the 2001 Kentucky Derby. However, when I gaze at the picture of him that hangs in my office, it’s the elation of victory and not the cruise he paid for that glaringly resonates.

Even the casual horseracing fan is aware of the current 34-year drought concerning the Triple Crown. Not since Affirmed was inducted into the Sport of Kings’ most revered fraternity in 1978 has horseracing’s steepest peek been surmounted. This sustained suspension of excellence coupled with an array of “near misses” only fuels the thirst of turf enthusiasts who have seen many racers besides Real Quiet graze, but fail to grasp the golden ring.

One soul who seemingly expected this epic halt in the expansion of racing’s elite is Eddie Arcaro. Arcaro is the only jockey to ever pilot a pair of Triple Crown Champions (Whirlaway 1941 and Citation 1948). Labeled “The Master” by his peers, he amassed a record 17 victories… (five Kentucky Derbies, six Peakness Stakes and six Belmont Stakes). He reportedly proclaimed on his deathbed in 1997, “There will never be another Triple Crown Champion.”

Whether The Master’s foreboding proclamation was authored in an attempt to solidify a personal legacy remains a mystery, but what’s undeniable is the opening sentiments of this article remain pertinent to why many horseplayers have abandoned all hope for an equine hero. Since Affirmed’s coronation, 11 thoroughbreds have turned the Derby/Preakness double only to stumble somewhere inside the 12 furlongs that make up the Belmont Stakes. Popularly known as the “Test of Champions,” the Triple Crown’s third jewel represents every racer’s Goliath, and mine is certainly not the only broken heart that litters Belmont Park’s sandy straightaway.

When Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978) posted the first back-to-back Triple Crown Championships in history, an unparalleled state of euphoric optimism abounded within thoroughbred racing. After all, Secretariat (1973) had ended a quarter-century Triple Crown famine just five years earlier and many assumed that the Sport of Kings’ ultimate accomplishment would now become commonplace due to the advent of modernistic training techniques.

SECRETARIAT WON the Triple Crown in 1973.

Spectacular Bid won the first five starts of his three-year-old campaign before running off with the roses by 2-¾ lengths as an odds-on favorite. For an encore, “The Bid” (as he was affectionately known) romped by 5-½ lengths in the Preakness Stakes, where he posted a faster time than both Seattle Slew and Affirmed. On the morning of the Belmont Stakes, a squall stirred up the calm waters surrounding Spectacular Bid, as the horse had mysteriously stepped on a safety pin in his stall.

The abrasion left by the pin was termed minor, and after putting away pacesetter Gallant Best on the Belmont Backstretch it seemed as if a Triple Crown three-peat was written in the stars. At the top of the lane “The Bid’s” advantage was three, but the quick early fractions started to take their toll. Coastal flew to victory up the inner rail and Golden Act launched a belated mid-strip rally good enough to swipe Spectacular Bid’s place honors.

Nearly 20 years after “The Bid” left racing fans wondering what could have been, another seemingly invincible equine arrived in the Big Apple ready to brand his mark on the “Sport of Kings.” Big Brown had made just three starts before breaking from post #20 underneath the Twin Spires, but this undefeated “freak” ridden by Kent Desormeaux (who also rode Real Quiet) wasn’t hampered in the least by his disadvantaged starting position. Although he traveled several paths wide around the oval, Big Brown conquered by 4-¾ lengths, and talk of a Triple Crown was instantly ignited.

The Preakness field had no luck knocking the Derby Champ off course, but the Friday following his triumph at Pimlico Racecourse, Big Brown sustained a three-inch quarter crack in his left front hoof. The injury termed “a minor hiccup” by trainer Rick Dutrow most likely contributed to a dismal Belmont performance, which saw Kent Desormeaux pull up his mount at the head of the lane. This is the only occasion where an aspiring Triple Crown Champion finished last in the Belmont Stakes.

Naturally the pain of Real Quiet’s saga is exponential due to the racer’s agonizing margin of defeat, yet many turf historians will argue that the inability of Smarty Jones to complete thoroughbred racing’s archaic trilogy cut even deeper.

Smarty Jones stems from the same lineage that produced Secretariat and Count Fleet (1943 Triple Crown Champion), yet due to a freak accident this royally bred runner almost never made it to the racetrack at all. A fractured skull sustained in a gate schooling accident nearly cost Smarty Jones his life. But, after being sidelined for several months, this resilient two year old re-entered training and broke his maiden by 7-¾ lengths in a six-furlong dash at Philadelphia Park. Two weeks later in the Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes, the winning margin was 15 lengths.

After opening his three-year-old campaign with a five-length score in Aqueduct Park’s Count Fleet Stakes, Smarty Jones was shipped to Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Victories in the Southwest Stakes, Rebel Stakes and prestigious Arkansas Derby gained Smarty Jones national acclaim. When post time descended over Churchill Downs on May’s first Saturday, the bettors sent an undefeated Pennsylvania-bred with a wise-guy name away from the gate as a slight favorite. After stalking a pacesetter named Lion Heart for much of the race, jockey Stewart Elliot implored his mount at the top of the lane and over sloppy going Smarty Jones splashed home by 2-¾ lengths to become the first undefeated winner of the Kentucky Derby since Seattle Slew.

As impressive as Smarty Jones’ triumph in the Kentucky Derby was, I personally contend that his effort in the 129th Preakness Stakes was the finest performance by any three year old this century. Jockey Mike Smith, who seemed to purposely float a stalking Smarty Jones out wide around the first turn, again sent out Lion Heart early in the Preakness. This initial positioning was maintained until the turn for home. After Stewart Elliot slipped his Derby Champion through the opening left at the rail, Smarty Jones pulled away over deep going to a 12-length victory. This winning margin remains a Preakness benchmark and the time of 1:55:4 fell shy of the Stakes record by a mere fifth of a second.

I distinctly remember the resolute level of confidence that accompanied Smarty Jones into the starting gate for the 136th Belmont Stakes on June 5, 2004. Announcer Tom Durkin’s call could barely be heard over the 120,000+ boisterous supporters packing the grandstand. After securing a clean break, Smarty Jones comfortably rounded the first turn behind leaders Purge and Rock Hard Ten. A tsunami of enthusiasm flooded Belmont Park’s oval when Stewart Elliot went to the lead a furlong into the backstretch, but Jerry Bailey who was aboard Eddington moved stoutly from fourth position and instantaneously pressed the new leader. Alex Solis, situated in the irons of Rock Hard Ten, opted to rev the throttle as well. But even with pressure coming from all sides for most of the race, Smarty Jones scooted clear rounding the far turn.

Due to the plethora of activity taking place on the Belmont’s front end, the sustained mid-pack drive coming from a 36-1 shot named Birdstone flew under the radar. This Nick Zito trained racer had been well beaten in the Kentucky Derby, but when he inhaled Eddington and Rock Hard Ten to secure second position, it was clear every horse included in the first flight had been softened up by the torrid early fractions. Every time I watch a replay of the 2004 Belmont Stakes I think Smarty Jones is going to hold on, but then Eddie Arcaro’s famous words ring through my cerebral cortex. When the dust settled it was Birdstone by a length, Smarty Jones never raced again.

A definite shade of gray currently shrouds the cosmos surrounding thoroughbred racing’s highest honor, but I constantly remind fellow horseplayers this is all the more reason to salute the four-legged legends that got the job done. While all 11 Triple Crown Champions secure equal footing in my heart, we will now reflect on the representative of this class who patiently waits to pass on the torch.

Due to an expansive chasm that exists between June 10, 1978, and the current moment, Affirmed receives an excessive amount of press when Kentucky Derby fever begins to peak. This equine’s moniker typically evokes discussions on when horseracing’s dynasty will be born an heir, but unfortunately the pride of Florida’s Harbor View Farm usually gets shorted his just due. Aside from having racing’s most notable accomplishment, Affirmed also has more Grade I victories to his credit than any other Triple Crown Champion, or for that matter any other racehorse in history besides John Henry.

It is simply impossible to discuss Affirmed without mentioning Alydar, for theirs is a classic rivalry. The duo first engaged each other on June 15, 1977, in Belmont Park’s Youthful Stakes and though round one went to Affirmed, Alydar evened the ledger three weeks later with a 3-½-length score in the Great American Stakes, which was also held at Belmont Park. By their third meeting in Saratoga Racecourse’s Hopeful Stakes, Affirmed had secured the services of a 17-year-old jockey named Steve Cauthen and in his initial bout with Alydar, this rider known along the backstretch as “The Kid” landed on the right side of a half-length decision.

In an effort to counter “The Kid’s” punching power, conditioner John Veitch brought in jockey Jorge Velasquez who guided Alydar to a 1-¼ length win over Affirmed in Belmont Park’s Champagne Stakes. The battle then shifted to Laurel Racecourse for the Laurel Futurity and Cauthen’s handling of his mount proved to be the difference in a result that went to Affirmed by a neck. The triumph sewed up Two-Year Old Championship honors for the Harbor View racer who was then shipped west to prepare for the Triple Crown series.

The 130,000 fans that packed Churchill Downs for the 104th Kentucky Derby showed partiality to the Bluegrass State’s native son, and sent Alydar off as the 6-5 favorite in a field of 11. The race’s early stages adhered to the usual script and, as Affirmed settled nicely near the front, Alydar struggled to hold the track and dropped 17 lengths back off the leader. By upper stretch Steve Cauthen had roused his colt to the lead and despite a furious rush by the betting public’s top choice, the “Run for the Roses” went to the Two-Year Old Champion by 1-½ lengths.

Through the home stretch of the Preakness you couldn’t shine a flashlight between the top two finishers from the Kentucky Derby. As one trainer who also ran put it, “Every time Alydar came to Affirmed, it was like he struck an iron wall.” John Veitch’s pupil had reduced the margin of defeat to a long neck, but knew it was time to change tactics if he wanted to salvage the Triple Crown’s final jewel for Calumet Farms. Soon after the Belmont’s onset jockey Jorge Velasquez put Alydar on even terms with Affirmed, and for 10 furlongs these warriors ran as if their bridals were chained together. In mid-stretch Velasquez managed to attain a momentary lead while forcing Steve Cauthen ever closer to the rail. Even with his position compromised, Affirmed dug in under left-handed urging and stymied Alydar for the third consecutive time to become a Triple Crown Champion.

Devout horseplayers undoubtedly live for the five-week span between early May and mid June. But, as the 2012 Triple Crown sorts itself out, do not shun the idea of looking back to appreciate what Affirmed and the other 10 Triple Crown Champions accomplished.

BY ERIC FLOYD

Eric Vaughn Floyd is a turf writer for various gaming publications and a Triple Crown pari-mutuel consultant for several nationwide media outlets. Excerpts from his gambling memoir, My First Decade Playing the Game, can be read at LuLu.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HORSEPHOTOS.COM

Every year on the first Saturday in May equine zealots everywhere cast their undivided attention upon Louisville, Ky., in expectation of the foremost thoroughbred horserace. Most refer to the racing calendar’s epic route as the “Run for the Roses” or the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” But, no matter how a soul verbally depicts the Kentucky Derby, one thing is certain. The spoils of this event remain unrivaled for souls that harbor unwavering dedication concerning matters of the turf.

The Kentucky Derby’s lifeblood will always be comprised of royally bred horseflesh, either fulfilling all promise or woefully shattering dreams. Yet surrounding this infrastructure is a fascinating culture saturated with tradition.

Before anyone can fully appreciate the entire body of what transpires in Louisville, Ky., every spring, they must first be provided with some historical perspective on exactly how America’s most renowned racetrack was conceived. It all started in 1872 when a gentleman named Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr. (grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition) skipped the pond to experience the grandeur of not only England’s Epsom Derby, but also France’s impeccable flat racing scene. With a staunch fever for equine sport now duly acquired, Clark returned home to Kentucky and formed the Louisville Jockey Club. Aimed at erecting a high-quality racing establishment just outside the city, this organization secured land from Clark’s relatives (John and Henry Churchill) then proceeded to head construction of Churchill Downs.

On May 17, 1875, the inaugural Kentucky Derby was contested at 1-½ miles (the same distance as the Epsom Derby) in front of an estimated 10,000 patrons. Under jockey Oliver Lewis a colt named Aristides, who was trained by Hall of Famer Ansel Williamson, bested a field of 15 to win the feature of the three-race card that also included the Kentucky Oaks and Clark Handicap.

Due in large part to extensive renovations and shrewd promotions spearheaded by Matt Winn, Churchill Downs’ turnaround was practically immediate. Later on in 1911 on-site bookmaking was replaced by pari-mutuel wagering and the handle exponentially increased by this system that lowered the minimum bet from $5 to $2. In a stroke of marketing genius, Winn convinced multi-millionaire Harry Payne to race his highly regarded filly Regret in the 1915 Kentucky Derby. This horse’s victory heartedly stoked an interest in racing that was already smoldering within the female populous. Bestowed with the honored title of “Kentucky Colonel” from his home state’s governor, Winn was featured on the cover of Time Magazine in 1937 and continued feverish endorsement of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby until his death in 1949.

By the time the “Run for the Roses” arrived at its golden anniversary, many traditions had gained a permanent foothold. “A-listers” from the realms of film, music, sports and politics now routinely sopped up Derby merriment, and one of the first to engage in this practice was Polish actress Helena Modjeska. In the book Down the Stretch, co-comprised by Matt Winn, it was reported that this beautiful thespian was extremely impressed with the Kentucky Derby of 1877, yet more enamored with the delicious mint julep served to her by a hospitable steward.

Edward George Villiers (the 17th Earl of Derby, from whose family the term “Derby” was derived) witnessed the 1930 Kentucky Derby, but due to prohibition was unable to sip a mint julep while doing so. “You have a great many advantages I should like to copy for England,” the Earl confessed. “However, prohibition is not one of them!”

Whether or not a Kentucky Derby attendee’s title brings forth awe, all who have crossed over the threshold into Churchill Downs cannot help but throw a glance skyward to reverence the iconic Twin Spires. In 1895 a 24-year-old draftsman named Joseph Dominic Baldez was asked to design plans for Churchill Downs’ new grandstand. Though the Twin Spires were not initially included, they were later added in an effort to make the structure “more striking.”

THE FAMED TWIN SPIRES AT CHURCHILL DOWNS were added in 1895.

A national historic landmark, the Twin Spires remain more tightly interwoven with the Kentucky Derby than does any other image. During his tenure as president of Churchill Downs, Matt Winn pulled Joseph Dominic Baldez aside and reportedly declared, “Joe after you die there is one monument that will never be taken down—the Twin Spires.”

In days of yesteryear it was not uncommon for both ladies and gentlemen to wear their Sunday best to the racetrack. It’s generally accepted that this practice bled over from the United Kingdom, where equine enthusiasts that frequented the famed Ascot Racecourse routinely donned lavish wardrobe. These days the dress code around American ovals has considerably loosened, yet on Kentucky Derby day a great percentage of patrons opt to leave the blue jeans and tank tops at home.

Obviously, when it comes to Derby fashion, a hat is the one accessory that stands heads and shoulders above the rest. For ladies this article is typically the centerpiece of an entire outfit, and many scholars note that the practice of modeling custom chapeaus dates back to the very first Kentucky Derby. Since the bonnet is typically void in modern wardrobe, many women go to extremes when it comes to the garb atop their head on May’s first Saturday; but, with several on site and local “best hat” contests awarding fabulous prizes, who can blame them?

Social studies have shown that women lean toward headwear parallel to their personality and social caste. Thus Millionaires’ Row (a block of optimum seating in the main grandstand, which accommodates those of tremendous means) showcases an array of hats that cost more than an average citizen’s annual property tax. On the flip side you have fashion within the confines of the infield that could often be described as downright frivolous. Most hats fall somewhere between these two extremes, and the “Southern Belle” design featuring an oversized brim remains most popular among the locals.

The Kentucky Derby’s official beverage has already been referenced more than once in this article but the mint julep, which has been promoted in association with the Kentucky Derby since 1938, is a delight definitely worth expounding upon. A traditional mint julep contains mint leaf, bourbon, sugar and water with the mint used as a garnish to introduce flavor and aroma through the nose. While this recipe is accepted as standard, a popular variation exists where the mint is “muddled” or crushed then mixed into the drink itself to enhance flavoring.

MINT JULEPS AND CIGARS ARE also popular traditions at the Kentucky Derby.

Over the two-day period between the Kentucky Oaks and “Run for the Roses” 120,000 mint juleps are served in souvenir glasses that feature the current Kentucky Derby logo and name of every former Derby champ.

In 2006 Churchill Downs began offering an extra premium custom-made mint julep at a cost of $1,000 with all proceeds going to charities that support retired thoroughbred racers. These “grand” libations dwell in gold-plated goblets and feature: Woodford Reserve bourbon, imported Irish mint, spring water ice cubes from the Bavarian Alps, Australian sugar and a sterling silver straw.

The Kentucky Derby’s pageantry only intensifies as post time draws near and while admiring the Twin Spires, bearing witness to the “best hat” contest, sipping on premium bourbon, rubbing elbows with the stars and feasting on burgoo stimulates the senses, nothing equates to what precedes the post-parade. Written in 1852 by Stephen Foster and played by the University of Louisville’s Marching Band, My Old Kentucky Home serenades each Derby entrant as they step onto the racecourse for their life’s most pivotal journey. Aside from the stretch run of the race itself, no other moment on Kentucky Derby day encapsulates more emotion then when 100,000+ souls join together to sing My Old Kentucky Home. In this twinkling of an eye every patron shares the same rooting interest and all motives directed towards self temporarily evaporate. I’ve always proclaimed that if seeing nature’s most magnificent creature being paraded under the cloak of this particular melody doesn’t make you misty eyed, nothing ever will.

Soon after the dust kicked up by this year’s Kentucky Derby field settles back over the strip, it will be time to commence coronation of thoroughbred racing’s new equine king (or perhaps queen). The winner’s circle located in front of the clock tower on the infield of Churchill Downs is only tread upon once a year and the showering of posies that takes place inside of this enclosure remains my favorite Kentucky Derby ritual.

Most are familiar with the lush blanket of 554 red roses, which is draped over the racer that secures the Triple Crown’s initial jewel, but the idea for this dressing might have started thanks to a well-to-do gent named E. Berry Wall. This socialite presented red roses to the ladies at a post Derby soiree in 1883 that was attended by none other than Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark. It is believed that Wall’s gesture persuaded Clark to make the Kentucky Derby’s official flower a rose. The first rose blanket ever used in a Kentucky Derby post-race ceremony was draped over the withers of 1896 Champion Ben Brush and contained not red, but pink and white flowers.

Every major sport awards a trophy to those whose efforts were the season’s best, and many athletes in our country toil their entire career pursuing the Vince Lombardi Trophy, Lord Stanley’s Cup, the Larry O’ Brien Trophy (NBA Championship) or the Commissioner’s Trophy (MLB Championship). Throughout thoroughbred racing it is also common for ownership, conditioners, jockeys and even grooms to receive awards when equines they’re associated with dominate a contest of consequence. But, when it comes to the Triple Crown, the stakes become nearly unfathomable.

The term “Holy Grail” is thrown around way too often these days, but when it comes to the Kentucky Derby Trophy, no other title even approaches accurate representation. The initial history of this award is somewhat murky and, though trinkets were sporadically presented to winners of the Kentucky Derby from 1875 to 1923, Matt Winn commissioned construction of a golden anniversary trophy several months before the 50th “Run for the Roses.” Aside from slight embellishments instituted for the Derby’s 75th, 100th and 125th anniversaries, the Kentucky Derby Trophy remained largely unchanged until 1999. That year the outer horseshoe was turned 180 degrees to honor superstitious types who believe luck runs out of an inverted equine sneaker.

THE KENTUCKY DERBY TROPHY IS topped with an 18kt gold horse wearing a “blanket of roses” made of 350 rubies and 12 emeralds.

Excluding the base, the Kentucky Derby Trophy stands 22 inches tall and weighs 56 ounces. The cup portion is hand tooled out of 14kt gold, while the adorning 18kt gold horse and rider are fashioned from a mold. Craftsmen at New England Sterling in Attleboro, Mass., begin work on the trophy in mid-autumn and log hundreds of hours in labor before delivering the finished product to Churchill Downs in April. The Kentucky Derby Trophy is the only solid-gold prize awarded annually for athletics of any type in the United States. A blanket of roses pieced together with 350 rubies and 12 emeralds has been affixed to the withers of the cup’s equine guardian.

If anyone that professes allegiance to thoroughbred racing ever proclaims they haven’t dreamed of hoisting the Kentucky Derby Trophy high in the air while cuddling up next to a rose-covered equine, don’t believe them. Whether someone’s role inside the Sport of Kings is that of owner, conditioner, jockey, groom, outrider, backstretch laborer, teller, agent or handicapper, all have at one point or another come down with an incurable condition horsemen refer to as “Derby Fever.”

BY ERIC FLOYD

Eric Vaughn Floyd is a turf writer for various gaming publications and a Triple Crown pari-mutuel consultant for several nationwide media outlets. Excerpts from his gambling memoir, My First Decade Playing the Game, can be read at LuLu.com.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DARREN ROGERS/CHURCHILL DOWNS

As the most popular casino table game for roughly a half-century, blackjack has an intrigue of its own. With decisions on when to hit or stand, whether to split pairs or maybe double down, and then waiting for the dealer play to see if your decisions pay off or come to naught—well, there’s plenty to hold your interest.

But some players are always looking for a little extra. Perhaps winning even money on a blackjack hand isn’t exciting enough. Rather than letting the succession of small wins interspersed with even-money losses tell the story at the end of the session, they want to take their chances at a quick strike.

It’s for those players that blackjack side bets were invented—separate plays that offer a chance at a single big hit you just can’t get on the basic game of blackjack. The house edge on the side bets usually is a bit higher than the basic game of blackjack. Those who play accept that for the chance at that one-hand bonanza.

New side bets are being developed all the time. When one rises to popularity, it becomes a red-hot choice among players for a couple of months, or a few years, and then is replaced by a new hot bet. Sometimes an old favorite resurfaces. That’s happening today with Royal Match—a common option on blackjack tables in the mid-1990s—that is enjoying resurgence. It’s a ShuffleMaster game, and as that company’s iTable with electronic wagering gains ground in the marketplace, Royal Match figures to be a frequent addition.

You’ll usually find only one side bet at a time at a given casino. You might see a number of 21 + 3 tables at one place, but when you go to another casino you’ll find Lucky Ladies, or Royal Match. On any of the side bets, you don’t have to make them. You can just play blackjack and leave the sides to others, if that’s your preference.

Let’s do a little comparison and check out the features of some blackjack side bets.

21 + 3

Invented by Derek Webb, who devised the game Three Card Poker, 21 + 3 is one of the most frequently offered side bets at today’s blackjack tables. The “21” part is regular blackjack, and the “+ 3” is a side bet on a three-card poker hand consisting of the player’s first two cards and the dealer’s face-up card. If those three cards combine to yield a flush, straight, three of a kind or straight flush, the player gets a 9-1 payoff.

With three-card poker hands, flushes come up more often than straights, so the most common winning hand will be a flush. In a six-deck game, you’ll win about once per 10.3 hands, and the house has an edge of about 3.2 percent.

That’s one of the lower house edges on side bets, which is probably the reason 21 + 3 has been more durable than most. If you’re a basic strategy player facing a house edge of a half percent or so depending on house rules in the basic game, you’re spotting the house a little extra by making the side bet, and if you’re a card counter with an edge on blackjack, you’re not going to make this bet. But for an average recreational player, the house edge on blackjack is about 2 to 2.5 percent, not very far below the “+ 3” edge.

On my last trip to a casino with 21 + 3, I sat at a full seven-player table where there was always someone playing the side bet. Usually there were three playing, sometimes two, sometimes four. That’s pretty busy for a side bet.

Royal Match

Here’s one that comes and goes, and comes back for more. In fact it’s one of the most durable of blackjack extras. It’s an attractive concept, with the biggest payoffs coming on King-Queen of the same suit. So you have a strong blackjack hand—a 20—that gives you a bonanza on the side.

The bet pays off if the player’s first two cards are of the same suit, with a larger payoff for King-Queen of the same suit—a “Royal Match.” The most common version pays 2.5-1 on most matches, and 25-1 on a Royal Match. Suited hands are more common with more decks in play, so the house edge at Royal Match actually decreases as the number of decks increase. The house edge in a six-deck game is 6.7 percent. In a single-deck game, the house edge rises to 10.9 percent.

There’s a higher-paying version of Royal Match that’s designed for single-deck play. It cuts the return on suited King-Queen to 10-1, but raises other matches to 3-1. On that one, the house edge is 3.8 percent on a single-deck game, but the player actually gets a 1.1 percent edge on a six-deck game. The single-deck version is one side bet you’ll probably never see.

Hits are fairly frequent. You’ll get two cards of the same suit nearly a quarter of the time in a six-deck game, and about 23.5 percent in single-deck blackjack. The Royal Matches of suited King-Queen are rare at about once per 336 hands in six-deck blackjack and once per 331 hands in the single-deck game. It’s the other matches that keep you going, waiting for the big one.

Lucky Ladies

An Internet favorite that spread into brick-and-mortar casinos, Lucky Ladies is a wager that your first two cards will total 20. There are three pay tables. On one any unsuited 20 will bring you a 4-1 payoff, and you’ll get 9-1 on a suited 20, 19-1 on a matched 20 where both suit and rank match, 125-1 on two Queens of hearts, and 1,000-1 on two Queens of hearts when the dealer has a blackjack. Michael Shackelford’s website (www.wizardofodds.com) lists the house edges as ranging from 24.05 percent with eight decks to 38.16 percent with one deck; the more decks the lower the house edge.

A second pay table leaves the top and bottom payoffs alone, but raises the suited 20 to 10-1, matched 20 to 25-1 and Queen of hearts pair to 200-1. That cuts house edges to a range from 16.73 percent to 36.05 percent. A third pay table eliminates that big payoff at the top, but the luckiest ladies become any Queens instead of just the hearts. Any 20 pays 3-1, suited 20 6-1, ranked 20 9-1, pair of Queens 25-1 and pair of Queens with a dealer blackjack 250-1. House edges range from 22.28 percent to 29.89 percent.

Note that even the best pay table on this wager—the second pay table in an eight-deck game—has a house edge of 16.73 percent. Those who make the bet are jackpot chasers, willing to absorb the extra risk for the chance at a jackpot that could reach 1,000-1. The big payoff on two Queens of hearts plus a dealer blackjack comes an average of once per 68,666 hands. Those are slot machine-like odds, and that indicates who those games really are for—those who, like slot players, will tolerate frequent losing plays for the chance at a big winner.

Dealer Busts on Ace

The title tells it all. You win this side bet if the dealer busts after starting with an Ace as the face-up card. The side bet is available only on hands when the dealer starts with an Ace. You’re not going to lose hand after hand as you watch the dealer start hands with 2s or Jacks or other cards.

House rules on the basic blackjack game make a difference here, both on the payoffs and the house edge. If the dealer hits soft 17, Dealer Busts on Ace pays 6-1 and has a house edge of 2.6 percent, right in line with the house edge against average players in blackjack. If the dealer stands on all 17s, the bet pays 7-1 and has a house edge of 7.62 percent.

Jackpot Blackjack

This one is a progressive jackpot, available in pay tables

designed for either one- or two-dollar wagers. You’re betting that there are going to be blackjacks, either in your hand or the dealer’s.

In the basic $1 pay table, if either you or the dealer have a two-card 21, you’re paid $3. If the blackjack is suited, you get $6, on up to $25 if both have blackjacks, $250 if both have suited blackjacks, $1,000 if both have Ace-Jack suited and a progressive jackpot if both have Ace-Jack of spades. With a rollover jackpot value of $10,000, Stanley Ko’s analysis calculates the house edge at 24 percent on a two-deck game, and 23.6 percent on a six-decker. The house edge declines as the jackpot increases, similar to the effect of a rising progressive jackpot in Caribbean Stud Poker or other jackpot table games.

In any table game with a progressive jackpot, the side bet is for those stalking the big payday, with the understanding that the jackpot is rare. If it weren’t rare, the payoffs couldn’t be so high.

Second Chance Blackjack

This one is fun to play, though it hasn’t yet made a big casino breakthrough. Second Chance Blackjack’s side bet is a combination of blackjack and poker. If you make the Second Chance wager and bust, the card that busts your hand is used along with four additional cards dealt to make a five-card poker hand. Winners are paid according to a pay table that starts at even money for a suited pair of 2s through 10s and tops out at 250-1 for a royal flush. House edge is 5.28 percent, so you pay a little extra premium for that second chance.

Perfect Pairs

A reader e-mailed to ask about this one, a side bet I hadn’t yet seen. It turns out there are several pay tables. The one the reader saw paid 25-1 on suited pairs. Two 8s of clubs, for example,

would be a perfect pair that brings that 25-1 return.

There’s also a 12-1 payoff on black or red pairs. If those two 8s included an 8 of spades and an 8 of clubs, you’d get 12-1. And it pays 6-1 on any pair, so that’s what you’d get if your 8 of spades were accompanied by an 8 of hearts.

At that pay table, the house edge is 6.1 percent on a six-deck game, and a bit lower at 4.1 percent on an eight-deck game. Casinos can’t offer Perfect Pairs on a single-deck table. When there’s only one 8 of spades, one 6 of hearts and one of any other card, there are no perfect pairs.

Bonanza Blackjack

Side bets are built around two-card totals of 20 pretty often. The best payback on Royal Match is on a suited King-Queen. Payoffs on Lucky Ladies are 20s. And Bonanza Blackjack is another, a $1 side bet that pays off if you have a 20 and the dealer’s face up card is a 10. It aims to take the sting out of the frustration factor. Players grumble when they have a couple of 10 value cards, thinking they’re sitting pretty with a 20, and the dealer pushes them with 10s up and down.

Well, in Bonanza Blackjack, by the time the dealer turns up that second 10, you’ve already won. You might even be rooting for it. If your 20 consists of two cards of the same rank and suit, and both the dealer’s cards match yours, that’s worth $25,000 for your $1 investment. If you have two Kings of diamonds, and the dealer’s up card also is a King of diamonds, that’s worth at least $2,500, but you’re really rooting for the dealer to have another King of diamonds face down.

Other pays are $100 if your cards are of the same rank and suit but the dealer’s up card doesn’t match; $30 if your cards are the same suit but different ranks, such as King-Jack of hearts; $20 for same rank, different suit such as Queen of clubs-Queen of spades, and $10 for different rank, different suit, such as Queen of clubs-Jack of hearts, or Ace of spades-9 of diamonds. For any of your combos to pay off, the dealer must have a 10 face up.

This is a big jackpot game, so the house edge is high, at 18.2 percent. That’s the way it works on casino table games. If you’re jackpot hunting, you’ll have to spot the house a bigger edge than on the base game to have a chance at that bonanza.

BY JOHN GROCHOWSKI

John Grochowski has been writing about casinos and casino games since 1994. He blogs regularly for the Tunica Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, downtheroad.tunicatravel.com. He is the author of six books on gaming, including “The Slot Machine Answer Book” and “The Video Poker Answer Book.” You can find him online at casinoanswerman.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.

It is a time of year like no other for poker players. The summer months in Las Vegas are filled with nonstop gaming, thanks to the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Players begin anticipating the release of the tournament schedule as soon as the year begins, and one look at said schedule drives them to plan for living arrangements and start bankroll analysis. And, by the end of May, there is a worldwide rush to get to Sin City and register for that first tournament.

The pilgrimage to the WSOP is nothing new. Every year, no matter the dates or list of tournaments, the poker community flocks to it. The media doesn’t want to miss the history-making nature of the series, with its millions of dollars up for grabs and the potential for players to achieve goals that no others have before. Poker fans know they will be able to see their favorite players, from Doyle Brunson to Phil Hellmuth, from Ben Lamb to Jason Somerville. They will be at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino to play as many tournaments as possible. Fans can not only interact with them in the hallways, but also watch the best in the world from only a few feet away on the rail.

And let’s not forget the poker players themselves. No player wants to miss the opportunity to win a WSOP bracelet, but it’s more than that. There is a camaraderie that happens at the series, as players share living quarters and private tables at nightclubs, and as they prop bet their way through the tournaments to provide extra excitement. They visit restaurants around town, go for hikes at Red Rock together, and enjoy some of the Vegas attractions. It is a special time—a bonding experience in addition to a nonstop poker thrill ride—with tournaments and cash games throughout the city. The WSOP is summer camp for players, media and fans of the game. And May 27 begins the welcome party.

The WSOP hasn’t always been so popular. When it began, only a few dozen poker players, some of who already lived in Las Vegas, gathered at Binion’s Horseshoe to play. At that time not many knew their names—Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim Preston, Johnny Moss—and the players were perfectly fine with their anonymity outside the confines of the poker felt.

Initially the gathering at Binion’s consisted of some high-stakes cash games and the voting of the overall best player. In 1970 seven players competed in a winner-take-all tournament for the title. There were 12 players in 1972, when Preston took the title from Johnny Moss, winner of the two previous get-togethers. That began the path from quaint poker game to the massive news-making event it is today, when Preston took his victory to the mainstream media and even The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

By the following year CBS Sports filmed the WSOP for broadcast on national television. The four events that year grew into more each year, and players who were not known in the circle of high-stakes poker players began to trickle in. Hal Fowler, an amateur player, won the 1979 Main Event, and the size and scope ballooned. There were 13 events in 1982, including a ladies-only tournament. The series expanded further in 1983, when satellites were introduced to give players a chance to win a seat to the $10,000 buy-in Main Event for a discounted price.

By the 1990s the WSOP had developed into a series of events that spanned several weeks, but it wasn’t until the next decade that it could be called a phenomenon. It was in 2003 when Chris Moneymaker, an unknown accountant from Nashville, Tenn., won a cheap satellite tournament online at PokerStars winning his way to Las Vegas. He played in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event, won the tournament, and walked away with $2.5 million. The poker boom had begun.

Online poker saw a dramatic increase in the number of players around the world as word spread that an online poker satellite for less than $40 transformed the life of a regular Joe (or Chris), and it could happen to anyone. Not only did PokerStars grow immensely from the Moneymaker victory publicity, but also other sites grew and even more entered the market. The WSOP benefited as well, as participation increased exponentially in each subsequent year, peaking in 2006 when Jamie Gold won $12 million in the Main Event. When Harrah’s Entertainment bought the rights to the WSOP and moved it to the Rio, the corporate sponsorship behind the brand was another positive in the process.

There were bumps along the way though. Gold’s victory was controversial, as a lawsuit ensued between him and a now-former friend regarding a verbal partnership agreement about the buy-in and winnings. It brought to light some of the details of poker backing and honor that were previously not known to many poker fans or casual players.

The biggest impediment to growth, though, was what the poker world now refers to as Black Friday. As a significant part of the WSOP’s growth in the past decade had been due to online poker qualifiers, the steps the U.S. took on April 15, 2010— Department of Justice indictments and criminal charges against sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker—constituted a hurdle. American players were no longer allowed to win their seats online, and many of them had no other way to qualify.

In addition, while players from other countries were still allowed to win seats to the WSOP through satellites, the WSOP felt it wouldn’t be prudent to accept money directly from those sites, considering the U.S. took such a hard line against online gaming. Players then had to cash out their winnings and make their own flight, hotel and tournament arrangements. But many of them chose to simply keep the cash and not play in the WSOP with a chance of losing it all.

Participation decreased, but the bright side is that the downswing wasn’t nearly what was predicted in some circles. The WSOP adjusted by offering more low buy-in tournaments—in the $1,000 and $1,500 range—and continued to boast a schedule of more than 50 tournaments per year.

The 2011 WSOP was bigger than ever. There were 58 tournaments, which ran from May 30 to July 19, with the November Nine (Main Event final table) playing out later in the year. Some of the featured tournaments were big buy-ins, such as the $25,000 No Limit Hold ’Em Heads-Up tournament and the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship. For lower buy-in players, there were $1,000 NLHE tournaments every weekend, with numerous $1,500 events scattered throughout the series.

It was another booming success. In fact, it was the largest WSOP in history with 75,672 players in the 58 events, resulting in a cumulative prize pool of $191,990,010. It was a 3.7 percent increase over the previous year. The Main Event drew a solid 6,753 participants and $64,531,000 prize pool, awarding over $8.7 million to the winner—Pius Heinz of Germany.

Enter the 2012 WSOP. Beginning on May 27, 2012, players will again be invited to the Rio in Las Vegas for nonstop tournament action in the form of 61 bracelet events. The biggest of them all will be the $10,000 buy-in NLHE Main Event, which will begin the first of three starting days on July 7 and running through July 16 to determine the final nine players. They will then return to the Rio on October 28 and determine a champion on October 30.

Organizers have expanded the space set up for the WSOP in 2012, so more tables can be played and a larger cash game area will be available. There will be three Daily Deepstack non-bracelet tournaments, which proved very popular with last year’s crowds.

Among the new additions to the schedule this year are several events that have proven to be player favorites on other tours. The $1,500 NLHE event on June 2 will allow re-entries for players eliminated on the first day. There will be a $5,000 buy-in Mix Max event that will play nine-handed on the first day, six-handed on the second, and heads-up to the winner’s circle. A fourhanded event (Event 28) will debut as well, and a no-blind event (Event 49) will feature antes but no blinds. There will also be a Doubles event on June 30, and a Bounty tournament on July 6, the latter adding a bounty to all former WSOP bracelet winners in the field, though these two events will not award bracelets.

The biggest addition to this year’s schedule is The Big One for One Drop tournament, which requires a $1 million buy-in and donates 11 percent of the buy-in to the One Drop charity.

The full schedule, including buy-in and pre-registration information, can be found on the WSOP website

(http://www.wsop.com/tourney/tourneydetails.asp?groupID=887).

As each year, this year’s events look to feature the best players in the game. While some like Doyle Brunson may not play many events, as he has chosen to focus his energy on cash games in recent years, there are those who will play a frantic lineup of events. Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman and Barry Greenstein are among those who typically play a large number of tournaments, even playing more than one at a time when they feel they have an edge. While Phil Ivey sat out of the WSOP last year, he has since emerged from the Full Tilt Poker debacle and may compete at the Rio this year. On the other hand, former Full Tilt Poker players like Chris Ferguson and Howard Lederer may refrain from playing because of the ire of the poker community over the continued silence from FTP and unreturned funds to players.

One of the most well known players who will be gunning for a bracelet will be Phil Hellmuth. In an effort to prove his skills outside of the Hold ’Em arena, Hellmuth took the WSOP tables in 2011 and showed his abilities in a big way. He finished second in the $10,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw World Championship, second in the $10,000 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Championship, and second in the $50,000 8-Game Poker Player’s Championship, while also making deep runs in two NLHE tournaments. And showing that he hasn’t lost his NLHE prowess, he made the final table of the WSOP Europe €2,500 NLHE Six-Max tournament in Cannes. In early 2012 he won the 8-Game Mix tournament at the L.A. Poker Classic.

Hellmuth will likely be out to prove that his LAPC win was no fluke and he can overcome the second places of 2011. The 2012 WSOP will see Hellmuth on a mission to win his 12th bracelet—the first one in a non-Hold-’Em event.

Some of the other big names that won bracelets last year are hungry for more. Jason Mercier, Bertrand Grospellier, Vanessa Selbst and Eugene Katchalov are among those who seem to be unstoppable on the live tournament circuit. More wins for them would not surprise many who are familiar with their records. Others who are less well-known but have big scores in their past like Shawn Buchanan, Will Failla and Brian Rast will also look to win bracelets and could easily become new fan favorites.

Ben Lamb also has something to prove. He was one of the 2011 WSOP stars, not only winning his first bracelet in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship, but also final tabling two others—one being the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship—and ultimately finishing third in the Main Event. He ultimately took the WSOP Player of the Year award, edging out Phil Hellmuth, and he will likely aim to show the poker community his success can be maintained for a second year.

There are a slew of players on the must watch list. David “Doc” Sands made a deep run in the WSOP Main Event last year, alongside fiancée Erika Moutinho. Sands won a WSOP Europe title last year in a NLHE tournament, and he won a side event at the Bellagio Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic series in December. Most recently he finished second in the World Poker Tour’s L.A. Poker Classic Main Event in February.

Another player on the list to watch is Steve O’Dwyer. After moving to Europe in late 2011 to play online poker legally, he has also been ripping up the European poker circuit. Even before he left, he won an event at the Bellagio Cup and the inaugural Epic Poker Pro/Am, and proceeded to final table events all over Europe. He finished second in the European Poker Tour London Main Event, final tabled a WSOP Europe event in Cannes, won a side event at the EPT Loutraki, and finished second at WPT Venice’s Main Event. He then made the EPT Copenhagen Main Event final table and won the WPT National Series event in Denmark.

Jason Somerville is another to watch. He won his first WSOP bracelet last year in a $1K NLHE event after final tabling two events in 2010. Most recently he made the WPT L.A. Poker Classic final table and finished sixth. On the heels of his recent out-of-the-closet announcement that resulted in media attention and much poker community support, Somerville is one to watch at this year’s WSOP.

Sean Getzwiller is hungry. After winning his first WSOP bracelet last year, he continued to fly under the radar, but received more publicity after winning Epic Poker Main Event seats in two consecutive Pro/Am events and final tabling one of the Main Events. He then began 2012 with a third place finish at the WSOP Circuit Main Event at Caesars in Las Vegas.

Speaking of the WSOP Circuit, two players who have become stars individually and as a couple are La Sengphet and David Clark. The pair has been a force on the WSOP-C over the past year, with Sengphet winning a Ladies Event and three ring events and Clark winning two ring events. They continue to play the Circuit with a vengeance, and should they choose to play a number of events at the WSOP at the Rio, they will each be a force at the tables.

Max Silver is another name to watch this year. Though the European-based player has mostly found success on foreign soil, he looks to spend the summer in Las Vegas and score an American bracelet. He currently holds two U.K. and Ireland Poker Tour Main Event titles, and the young pro will be aiming even higher in 2012.

Matt Waxman is one that could be classified as an underrated player. He took home his WSOP Circuit title in 2010, and he won a World Poker Tour title at the 2011 Grand Prix de Paris Main Event. His final tables are many and include a 2011 WSOP Omaha final table. Traveling the world of late, Waxman has become a recognizable face and wants to see his name on a WSOP bracelet this year.

Finally, there are two other big names to watch at the 2012 WSOP. The first, Pius Heinz, is fresh in people’s minds, as he won the 2011 Main Event. It was not widely publicized that he made a final table in a $1,500 NLHE WSOP event prior to winning the Main Event last year, and he then won a side event at the EPT Barcelona before even playing out the November Nine. At the beginning of 2012, he final tabled a NLHE side event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure and has continued honing his skills online as a sponsored PokerStars Team Pro. Heinz will be looking to replicate some of last year’s success.

Also, the 2010 Main Event champion has been strong since his victory, especially in the past year. Jonathan Duhamel had an admittedly rough year, as he was robbed and beaten, the victim of a robbery of both money and his WSOP bracelet. But it seems to have made him stronger, as he hit several big final tables at the end of 2011, including the WPT Main Event in Marrakesh, and he had a solid PCA performance in the Bahamas at the beginning of 2012 with a $5,000 NLHE side-event victory and three other final tables, two of which were in high-roller events. He then finished second in an LAPC event and ran deep in the WPT Bay 101 Main Event.

As most WSOP summers, there will be repeat bracelet winners and new faces coming out of the shadows. Everyone, from the amateur working man from the Midwest to the professionals mentioned here, will be looking to make poker and personal history. The WSOP is the place at which to do just that.

2012 43rd Annual World Series of Poker

May 27            Event #1: Casino Employees No-Limit Hold’em$500

May 28            Event #2: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

May 29            Event #3: Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em/Pot-Limit Omaha$3,000

May 29            Event #4: Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better$1,500

May 30            Event #5: Pot-Limit Hold’em $1,500

May 31            Event #6: No-Limit Hold’em Mixed Max$5,000

May 31            Event#7: Seven Card Stud$1,500

June 1             Event #8: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better$1,500

June 2             Event #9A: No-Limit Hold’em Re-entry$1,500

Jun 3               Event #9B: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 3               Event #10: Seven Card Stud$5,000

Jun 4               Event #11: Pot-Limit Omaha$1,500

Jun 5              Event #12: Heads Up No-Limit Hold’em(512 player max)$10,000

Jun 5              Event #13: Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 6              Event #14: No-Limit Hold’em Shootout(2,000 player max)$1,500

Jun 6              Event #15: Seven Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better$5,000

Jun 7             Event #16: No-Limit Hold’em/Six Handed$1,500

Jun 8             Event #17: Pot-Limit Hold’em$10,000

Jun 8             Event #18: Seven Card Razz$2,500

Jun 9             Event #19: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 9             Event #20: Limit Hold’em$5,000

Jun 10          Event #21: No-Limit Hold’em$1,000

Jun 10          Event #22: 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Limit)$2,500

Jun 11          Event #23: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed$3,000

Jun 11          Event #24: Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better$5,000

Jun 12         Event #25: Limit Hold’em Shootout$1,500

Jun 12         Event #26: Pot-Limit Omaha$3,000

Jun 13         Event #27: H.O.R.S.E.$1,500

Jun 14         Event #28: No-Limit Hold’em / Four Handed$2,500

Jun 15         Event #29: Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship$1,000

Jun 15         Event #30: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit)$1,500

Jun 16         Event #31: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 16         Event #32: H.O.R.S.E.$10,000

Jun 17         Event #33: No-Limit Hold’em$1,000

Jun 18         Event #34: Pot-Limit Omaha / Six Handed$5,000

Jun 18         Event #35: Mixed Hold’em (Limit/No-Limit)$2,500

Jun 19         Event #36: No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (2,000 player max)$3,000

Jun 19         Event #37: Eight Game Mix$2,500

Jun 20         Event #38: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 21         Event #39: Pot-Limit Omaha$10,000

Jun 21         Event #40: Limit Hold’em / Six-Handed$2,500

Jun 22         Event #41: No-Limit Hold’em$3,000

Jun 22         Event #42: Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low 8 or Better$2,500

Jun 23         Event #43: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 24         Event #44: No-Limit Hold’em$1,000

Jun 24         Event #45: The Poker Players Championship$50,000

Jun 25         Event #46: No-Limit Hold’em$2,500

Jun 26         Event #47: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better$1,500

Jun 26         Event #48: Limit Hold’em$3,000

Jun 27         Event #49: Ante Only No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jun 28         Event #50: No-Limit Hold’em$5,000

Jun 29         Event #51: Ladies No-Limit Hold’em Championship$1,000

Jun 29         Event #52: 10-Game Mix / Six Handed$2,500

Jun 30         Event #53: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jul 1             Event #54: No-Limit Hold’em$1,000

Jul 1             Event #55: The Big One for One Drop–No-Limit Hold’em$1,000,000

Jul 2            Event #56: No-Limit Hold’em$1,500

Jul 3            Event #57: No-Limit Hold’em / Six Handed$10,000

Jul 3            Event #58: Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better$3,000

Jul 4            Event #59A: No-Limit Hold’em $1,000

Jul 5            Event #59B: No-Limit Hold’em$1,000

Jul 5            Event #60: 2-7 Draw Lowball (No-Limit)$10,000

Jul 6            Bracelet Bounty No-Limit Hold’em$560

Jul 6            WSOP National Championship$10,000

Jul 7             Event #61A: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event$10,000

Jul 8             Event #61B: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event$10,000

Jul 9             Event #61C: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event$10,000

BY JENNIFER NEWELL

It is true that during the last few years most casinos have had to adjust their comp policies because of the economic turndown. You might think that now only the high roller will get the comps, and the low roller doesn’t have much of a chance.

Not true! There are still comps being given at all levels of play. However, players will always score more comps if they are knowledgeable about the complete comp system.

There are three basic ways to get comps at a casino: through the players club system, through direct-mail offers that come from a marketing department, and through the casino player-development department using hosts. Actually many gamblers think this third method is the only, or at least the best, way to get comps. Many writers, including myself, have written in detail about using the host system, and it is a valuable resource for the heavy or high-denomination player. However, the majority of gamblers will find the other two methods are just fine for their needs.

Getting Comps Through the Players Club System

The players club is the main comp system used by most low-roller machine players. Of course, there are as many different club systems as there are casinos. So the mechanics of getting comps through the club vary widely from one casino to another. Best scenario: There’s a comp menu in a club brochure, listing what comps are available and how many points it takes to get each one. However, there are still some clubs that like to keep the details of their system very secret, so after you’ve finished playing, you must go to the club, queue up in “the beg line,” and just ask what comps you’ve earned.

Advantages of the Players Club Comp System

Although room and food comps are the most common, some clubs offer a wide selection to choose from, i.e., movies, childcare, shows and gift items.

It’s usually clear to see what amount of play gets specific benefits. Because the comps are directly related to points, people aren’t made to feel like they’re begging; they’ve earned the comp. There isn’t the hesitation that some have in approaching a host because of a fear of being turned down.

It’s often an easy process to redeem points for comps. You simply go to the club, where they check your account and immediately write or print the comp. Some casinos have made it even easier, with a redemption program built into the system so you can comp yourself right at your machine, or at electronic kiosks where you can print your own comp slip and skip the line at the club desk. The easiest are those casinos that have POP (point of purchase) systems. At the restaurant or other casino outlets, you give the cashier your player’s card to be swiped, and the appropriate number of points is removed from your account to pay for what you’re buying.

You can often get discounts in a casino (what I call “partial comps”) with little and even no play at the games, by just having a player’s card. In many casinos, flashing this card will give you an automatic discount (often 10%) at restaurants, gift shops and other retail outlets. The card may get you a heavily discounted room rate. It never hurts to ask if there is a club member discount.

Disadvantages of the Slot Club Comp System

Some club tracking systems are difficult to use—the card reader might just say “Accepted” rather than giving a point countdown or balance. Therefore, you don’t know how many points you’ve earned and what comps you’re entitled to unless you quiz the booth clerks.

Using the players club doesn’t give you extra comps you might have received had you talked to a host instead. Slot club employees do not usually have the authority to stretch the rules or to issue comps that do not come off your points.

Some slot clubs have a limited choice of comps, mainly for food. The only way to get a comped room or show tickets or other comps is through mail offers or using a host.

Some have awkward rules. For example, often comp points not used—mainly for food—do not go back into your comp bank. So if you overestimate the cost of the meal, you lose the unused points, and if you underestimate, you have to pay out of pocket for the rest. At some clubs your points expire at the end of the year or if you haven’t played for a certain amount of time. At some casinos your club points for comps might even expire at the end of your trip.

You often have to face long lines at the club booth to

get your comps.

Getting Comps via Mail Through the Direct Marketing System

A day without casino mail is like a day without sunshine. Although you may get food, show tickets and other freebies through the players club, the number-one way for most low-rollers all over the country, both table and machine players, to get room comps is through the direct mail system.

Typically, a casino visitor joins a players club or asks to be rated at the tables the first time he plays at a casino—at least this is what he should do. The player is often paying for his room this time—maybe he came to the casino town on a bargain airline, package deal that included a room. He’s prepared to pay for all his own meals this trip, though he might play long enough to ask for a food comp from the pit boss or to earn enough points to redeem them at the club for some meals.

However, a month or so after he returns home, he often receives a room offer in the mail. It could be for a reduced rate, or it could be free, depending on how much he gambled that first trip. He makes a reservation using this offer. This next trip he plays at the same casino, then gets another free-room offer in the mail. Soon he stays free at this same casino on every trip, always gambling enough to keep the mail offers coming.

Next he decides to start the cycle at another casino, playing enough to get the free room offers from them coming in the mail. Now he can stay twice as long, two or perhaps three free nights at each casino, always making sure he plays enough at both to keep the offers coming.

If he wants to start staying longer periods of time, he repeats this cycle at other casinos. At some, he finds out that because his history of play covers a longer period of time, even though he doesn’t increase his play, he starts getting better offers, perhaps for more nights or an upgrade to a suite. He learns that the offers often vary, depending on the time of year; slow times not only bring free-room offers, but extra goodies as well: free meals that don’t come off his points, free show tickets, logo wear and other free gifts, even a reduced-rate or free room for a friend.

If our casual gambler keeps building on this plan for many years, he might find he can stay in a casino for free as long as he wants to keep playing casino games. That is how Brad (WHO IS BRAD?) and I did it for many years before we moved to Las Vegas.

Advantages of the Direct

Marketing Comp System

Like the players club system, you don’t have to deal with a host, so for the shy person it’s an attractive non-threatening alternative.

Taking advantage of mail offers usually saves you from using players club points, so you can keep them for other comps, or perhaps for cash back or free play if offered by this casino. Point requirements for rooms are often higher proportionately than for food and other comps, so it’s gravy when a free-room offer shows up in your mailbox.

Casinos, especially smaller ones, may use a less complex formula in making comp offers by mail, often just basing them on actual coin-in (machines) or money put at risk (tables), rather than on win/loss figures and other complex factors that the host system is more frequently using these days. (However, this is changing quickly. I’ve already heard many reports of two people giving the same play, with the loser getting a nice mail offer and the winner receiving zilch. The number-crunching marketing gurus are taking over!)

It may send out more generous offers than you could get with the same play under the host system. Although marketing often does use a multi-tiered schedule of playing requirements to determine the value of the various offers they send out, the range within one level can be quite broad and you can get a good offer if you just barely make it into that next level. These offers can be more generous, because they take into consideration the specific time period. You’ll often get better offers for weekdays than for weekends. You’ll be amazed at the goodies marketing will entice you with to get you into their casinos during the slow days of mid-December. And when the country is in a recession, some casinos will send free-room offers to all breathing players club members!

It considers your long-term history at that casino. I’ve seen some send out free room offers to formerly regular players who haven’t been in their casino for several years. In fact, some marketing departments are very patient and extremely optimistic and continue for a couple of years to send offers to people who use their free-room offers, but don’t give any play at all—although you can’t count on this and I don’t recommend it!

Mail offers may give you free benefits in casinos where you’ve never played. With the consolidation of casino companies, there’s a lot of cross-property marketing going on. We’ve received generous offers, with free room and food, even cash coupons, from a casino in the eastern part of the country because it is owned by the same company as one where we play in Vegas. Also hosts move frequently and take their little black books with them, and sometimes these names are added to a casino database. Voila, an offer from a casino whose front door we’ve never even entered.

You may get to double-dip in a casino promotional-mail goodie dish. Different departments in the same casino will sometimes send out their own offers, seemingly not consulting with any other department. We’ve been the happy recipients of two promotions from the same casino for the same month (one from the club and one from direct marketing), so we never complain about this lack of coordination between the various casino departments. Let each supervisor jealously guard his own mailing list and plans!

Disadvantages of the Casino Marketing Comp System

Sometimes the free room offered by marketing is not as free as they want you to think. Even though you won’t have a room bill at the end of your stay, your comp account may be charged, even if it puts it in a negative state. Then you can’t get any meal comps from a host during your next visit until you play enough to get it back into the black. Sometimes the mail offer states this, but usually in the fine print; other times it comes as a surprise when you’re turned down when you ask for your first meal comp on that next visit.

Not all casinos send marketing offers to all customers; it may depend on their target base. For example, some casinos that cater to locals do not send mailings to out-of-town addresses, no matter how much the customer may have played there. Or, if they do send mailers to non-locals, the offers that are targeted to frequent visitors are useless for the occasional ones.

You cannot depend on direct-mail offers. Although some properties have a regular schedule and you can plan on receiving offers, at least for free rooms, every month or two, most casinos send their offers out on an irregular basis. Therefore, you can’t rely on them as your only way to get free rooms, especially if you’re not flexible in your schedule for casino visits.

It’s very difficult to figure out how much play gets what kind of marketing offer. This is one area that, no matter how experienced you are, you will never quite know all the answers. First, every casino has its own guidelines. Second, these guidelines are usually guarded as secretly as the details of the casino security system. I’ve rarely found a casino host or high-level executive who could or would share this information with me. Third, even if you found out the guidelines, it wouldn’t do you much good; they change as fast as the weather. Casino executives are known for their job mobility, and every time you get a new Director of Marketing, you get a new marketing plan.

Brad and I have tried, since we always have separate accounts, experimenting with different amounts of play on each card and studying the different mail offers we received; and we have had some success in getting a rough idea of how much play was required to get the offers we wanted. Generally speaking, the more you play at one casino the more offers you get. However, this is not always true. Maybe we have played heavily on Brad’s card for a period of time and not played on mine at all. Guess who gets a free-room offer. Not Brad, no reward for him. But I get a “we-want-you-to-come-back” offer.

Mail offers are all too often not sent far enough in advance that a customer has time to make adequate travel plans. This was my biggest pet peeve when we were staying in casino rooms for long periods of time back before we moved to Las Vegas. Why can’t casino marketing departments plan ahead? Your boss might not be too impressed with the reason why you just have to be off on a certain three days just three weeks from now. The best bargain airfares are usually gone if you don’t book a couple of months ahead. We found no easy answer to this problem, even after we retired and had a very flexible lifestyle. Sometimes you’re pretty sure you’ll be getting a promotional room offer from a casino that often sends you mailings, but you don’t want them to run out of rooms before you get that promotional letter, like on busy holiday weekends. Go ahead and reserve a room at that casino at the regular rate and, if later you get a promo offer for a lower rate or free room, you can call up and change the high-rate reservation to the free or reduced-rate.

Hints for More Comped Room Nights

1. Plan to play at least a little where you stay. Not playing when you’re staying on a free-room offer is usually the very best way to stop the offers from this casino littering your mailbox.

2. Your speed of response in calling and accepting room offers is crucial. Often all the rooms set aside for a particular offer are booked up quickly. However, if you call as soon as you get the offer and still find all the rooms gone, you can sometimes speak with polite insistence to a supervisor and a promotional room may suddenly be found for you.

3. In trying to establish yourself at a number of casinos in order to get mailings, try to play enough when you first get your players card to get to the minimum redemption level for benefits. Some have suggested that this often seems to be the key to getting entry-level mailings. However, many casinos base their mailings on frequency of play and/or long-term playing history, so that is a good reason to concentrate your play at one or two core casinos rather than scattering around light play.

4. If you want to get a high-level offer from a top casino resort where you have never played, concentrate your heaviest possible play in one day. I have known some high rollers to get extremely lucrative mailings after just this one big-play day.

The final lesson here is to learn as much as you can about the comp system where you play or want to play. First, find out what you can get through the players club. Next check your mail carefully for good marketing offers. Once you have maximized those options, then you might be ready to tackle the more complex host system.

BY JEAN SCOTT, QUEEN OF COMPS

Jean Scott is the best-selling author of the Frugal Gambling series of books, giving hundreds of thousands of details on how to make your money last longer in a casino. You can learn all about her helpful products at QueenofComps.com.

I have let at least one c-note ride on every Triple Crown race since 1998. While some of you may be thinking “big deal,” many others could not possibly comprehend why anyone would risk losing a day’s pay on the outcome of a horserace. I will admit that I threw away most of my 20’s attempting to become a professional handicapper, but it gets old trying to survive until payday with $8 in your wallet. These days I’m content to sit back and enjoy thoroughbred racing’s majesty with a $20 bankroll.

When the scent of spring fills my nostrils, I revert to the mind-set that the “Sport of Kings” can be beat. However, I’ll be the first to testify it’s going to take more than a double sawbuck (that’s gambling slang for $20) to retire in Maui. So if you also harbor fantasies about telling your boss to “have a nice day,” gambling’s foremost axiom must be surrendered to. If a player is serious, and I do mean serious, about consistently walking out of the racetrack or OTB with more liquidity than they walked in with, then know…Scared Money Doesn’t Win.

I strongly recommend that you paint this priceless anecdote on the ceiling of your bedroom in 12-inch bold letters, so when the alarm goes off in the morning its wisdom can be meditated upon. I personally go so far as to write the aforementioned statement atop the day’s Daily Racing Form before even cracking it open. Obsessive-compulsive you say? Well before you break out the long black robe and gavel, let’s attach a definition to today’s tutorial. Sure “scared money doesn’t win,” but the phrase is not to be taken literally. George Washington is cooler than a cucumber on the front of that dollar bill, but you on the other hand may be suffering from what many gamblers refer to as “The Fear.”

“A fear of what?” In response I emphatically declare, “of losing your money!” Receiving a 0% ROI (return on investment) at the racetrack cripples the spirit and manifests a feeling of dread that churns deep in the intestines like undigested fatback. This fear will intensify if players find themselves trapped in the snare of an extended losing streak, and it certainly has the propensity to swell in correlation with a player’s monetary misery.

When they hit the skids most turf enthusiasts still rouse the stones to gamble, but they play with “scared money.” Perhaps a rational method of reducing the average bet is applied to curb further angst, but herein is entangled the temptation to play exotics, which inherently carry more risk than standard straight wagers. For example, a hard-luck patron will invariably pass on betting $10 to win on a viable 3-1 shot for a cheaper dollar exacta that ultimately costs them $30 in profit because a 74-1 shot somehow runs second.

Need a clearer picture? “Scared money” is falling in love with a runner assigned odds of 8-1 and betting him to show. Of course you will see this racer crush the field by six lengths and return $18.20 to win, but a diluted show payout of $5.60 is the reward for those who played it safe. I’m sorry to tell you this, but the only way to break free from wagering with “scared money” is to disregard its numeric value and desperately clutch personal conviction concerning the outcome of an upcoming race.

Now, I’m not asserting this way of thinking is easy to embrace. When a horseplayer’s bank statement deteriorates over a short period of time, the mind clouds over and a sort of pandemonium ensues. Suddenly foolishness is rampant and betting $200 on a 4/5 shot to place so $40 can be netted sounds like a good idea. Souls seated outside insanity’s grip can see how ridiculous this notion is. On the other hand, while in total free fall, the handicapper only cares about stopping the bleeding, not about adhering to sound gambling doctrine.

Have you ever seen an NBA basketball player miss five straight three pointers, but beg for the ball so he can let another shot fly from downtown? This is called having a short memory, and handicappers should strive to include similar unconventional logic into their skill set. The only race that matters is the one on tap and being that we are currently wedged inside the Triple Crown series, this “scared money” lesson should be close at hand.

The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes each provide a legitimate opportunity for a year-changing score. But you’ve got to launch a full-blown attack to take advantage of the uneducated money that routinely pollutes the pools of these marquee contests. The public views betting on a Triple Crown race as a chic exploit, and usually the odds will be hinging on people who come up with their selections by throwing darts at the Form. Heck, I’ll be honest in that I’ve miserably lost the last six editions of the Belmont Stakes, but I won’t think twice about slapping down the Benjamins on June 9. After all, it only takes one well-timed bet to pay for that beach house in Maui. I hear the fishing is fantastic down there.

For more free horseracing tips, visit southerngaming.com/horseracing

by Eric Floyd

Eric Vaughn Floyd is a turf writer for various gaming publications, and a Triple Crown pari-mutuel consultant for several nationwide media outlets. Excerpts from his gambling memoir, My First Decade Playing the Game, can be read at LuLu.com.

The year was 1988 and the song of the year was “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, and George Bush was running what would be a successful presidential campaign. The movie Rain Man was cleaning up at the box office, and California had a big year in sports with the San Francisco 49ers winning the Super Bowl, the LA Lakers winning the NBA Championship, the LA Dodgers winning the World Series, and UCLA winning the Cotton Bowl. The year was also a good one for Hall of Fame Trainer D. Wayne Lukas when his filly, Winning Colors (with jockey Gary Stevens on board), edged out Forty Niner in the 114th Kentucky Derby.

Derby Recap

Winning Colors, away alertly, raced slightly out from the rail while making the pace under good handling, settled into the stretch with a clear advantage and was under left-handed pressure to last over Forty Niner. The latter broke sharply to prompt the pace into the first turn, was allowed to drop back through the backstretch and around the far turn, remained well out in the track into the stretch and finished strongly. Risen Star, outrun into the backstretch while racing wide, continued along the outside while rallying approaching the stretch and failed to seriously menace while making up ground late. Proper Reality moved into contention along the inside nearing the backstretch, moved closest to Winning Colors while continuing to save ground on the far turn, remained a factor to midstretch but lacked the needed later response. Regal Classic moved within striking distance along the inside approaching the end of the backstretch, but failed to seriously threaten with a mild late response. Brian’s Time, badly outrun after coming away in close quarters, raced widest of all while commencing to rally leaving the far turn and was going well at the finish. Seeking the Gold, away in good order, raced slightly out from the rail while racing forwardly to the upper stretch and weakened. Cefis, outrun to the far turn, moved through along the inside while rallying entering the stretch, but failed to sustain his bid. Private Terms, never far back, moved up between horses nearing the far turn, came out to continue his rally, but lacked a further response. Jim’s Orbit, between horses much of the way, failed to be a serious factor. Granacus, squeezed back after the start, was attempting to split horses when forced to take up sharply approaching the stretch. Lively One failed to reach serious contention while between horses throughout. Din’s Dancer, a forward factor until near the end of the backstretch, gave way. Kingpost came out after dropping back along the inside on the first turn and failed to be a factor. Intensive Command was never close. Purdue King showed some early foot while racing wide and tired badly. Sea Trek, forwardly placed into the first turn, was finished soon after entering the backstretch.

For more free horseracing tips, visit southerngaming.com/horseracing

by Eric Floyd

Information from this Triple Crown flashback is from KentuckyDerby.com. For a look at more history of the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, visit KentuckyDerby.com and look for “History” under the Derby Experience tab at the top of the page.

His eyes were feverish; his hands trembling. “Oh, my lord,” he thought excitedly. “I have found a sure-fire way to win at gambling. It is so simple; I am amazed no one ever thought of this before! I am brilliant!”

He turned to his wife, “Honey, we are going to own the world! This betting system will always win; it has to always win. It can’t lose.” He was ecstatic; that is, he was ecstatic until the system crashed and burned and took away everything he had previously won using it. He was crestfallen.

That he was me 25 years ago and that “can’t-lose” system I invented was called a Martingale—a system also invented by countless gamblers for centuries and played extensively at roulette by the aristocracy of Europe in the 18th century, before those aristocrats became peasants because they used it and lost their fortunes.

I think just about every casino gambler, especially at the start of his or her career, will discover the Martingale and think, “I can’t lose with this; it has to win! Honey, let’s buy a gargantuan safe.”

The simple Martingale is a double your bet after you lose system. I bet one dollar; I lose one dollar, I now bet two dollars. If I win the second bet, I have made up for the loss of that one dollar and made one dollar in profit. If I lose that second bet, well then my next bet is four dollars. If I win that, I get back the three dollars I lost plus one dollar in profit. And up it goes until I inevitably win.

Yes, it does sound like an unbeatable system, but two things prevent it from being successful in the real world of wagering. If there is no cap on your betting, you need an infinite amount of money to keep going “up, up and away” when you hit a prolonged losing streak. And all gamblers, using all betting systems, will run into long losing streaks. If you don’t have the cash, you are doomed, as I was, to crash.

In casinos the house betting limits stop players from going to extraordinary levels of betting using the Martingale. Usually seven to nine increases in one’s bet hits the highest limit and nothing higher can be wagered. That’s what did me in. I lost seven spins at roulette in a row, couldn’t bet enough on the next spin to get it all back, and I went down to peasantdom like those 18th-century aristocrats.

What about using the Martingale on slot machines? Could the slots, with their amazing variety of denominations and potential numbers of coins played, be the first and only successful use of the Martingale betting system? Let’s take a look at how one could structure a Martingale at slot play.

Go to quarter machines and play one coin. Say the jackpot line is $600. Once you have lost more than $600, you will have to start putting in two coins. If that jackpot is $900, then you have a $300 loss limit before you have to go to three coins. If the jackpot is $1,200, as soon as you have lost another $300 playing three coins you can no longer get an overall win on that quarter machine.

Yes, you will have some bigger and smaller non-jackpot hits, so really playing as described above is simplistic, but it makes a valid point. You will sooner or later have to jump up the bets to stay in the game. With slots, you might not lose that $600 or $900 or $1,200 for quite a while or you might lose it in a few dozen blinks of an eye. That is all a matter of luck and math.

Once you have lost all on the quarter machines, you must now go up to the 50-cent machines, then the dollar machines, five-dollar machines and higher. Remember playing the Martingale means you must win back all the money you lost to show a profit. Yes, the profit will be small—perhaps just a dollar—and the risk will be greater and greater as you go up in denomination, but that is the Martingale at work.

I am guessing with careful pen and paper work, you can make a chart of how much money you would need to take the slot machine Martingale through the roof. I am also thinking the amount would be staggering.

The bromide, “Well, I have to win sooner or later,” while sounding good really has no meaning. You actually don’t have to win sooner or later. You can wipe out your bankroll; indeed, you can wipe out every penny you have, if you keep going higher and higher in a Martingale and lose until you have nothing left to bet anymore.

Certainly, it would be a rare occasion to go through the roof on a slot machine Martingale system, but the more you play, the better the chance probability will catch you in its claws and send you through the roof, and send your money down the toilet.

In such a dire situation—one I experienced—you are risking everything for a little return. Is such a gamble worth it? True, you will have many wins along the Martingale trail, but as you proceed down that road, a big, hungry monster is lurking in the woods, getting ready to pounce and eat you up.

It is best to avoid the Martingale. It is an unbeatable system … until it loses.

For more free slots tips, visit southerngaming.com/slots

By Frank Scoblete

Frank Scoblete’s newest books are Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines! featuring advantage-play slots; Casino Craps: Shoot to Win!, which comes with a DVD showing unedited controlled throws; Cutting Edge Craps: Advanced Strategies for Serious Players! and Beat Blackjack Now! All are available from Amazon.com or at your favorite bookstore, or by mail order by calling 1-800-944-0406. Please call to request a free brochure.

The mention of card counting to recreational players brings a typical reaction of, “Me, card count? You’ve got to be kidding.” No, I’m not kidding. In fact, if you are a recreational blackjack player, I have some good news for you. You can elevate your game and get a small edge over the casino by learning a simple card-counting system that can be mastered in about the same time it takes to master basic strategy. Ready to get started?

Ace-10 Front Count

This counting system was developed by Fred Renzey and is described in detail in his book Blackjack Bluebook II. The Ace-10 Front Count gauges the strength of a six-deck shoe game after two decks have been dealt. Here’s how it works. After the shuffle, you add up all the Aces and 10s dealt out during the first two decks. There are 20 Aces and 10s in a deck of cards or 40 of them in two decks. Anytime there are 36 or fewer Aces and 10s dealt after the first two decks are dealt out, you will have a slight edge and will bet more for the rest of the shoe. (Consult Renzey’s book for details on how much to bet and how to vary your playing strategy.)

Speed Count

This system was developed by Dan Pronovost and is also discussed in Beat Blackjack Now! by Frank Scoblete. The key metric in Speed Count is the number of low cards per hand (on average there are 2.71 cards per hand and one of them is a low card). The way Speed Count works is as follows. You start your Speed Count at 30 (for a two-deck game) or 27 (for six-deck game) following the shuffle. You wait until a player completes his hand and then add one to your Speed Count for every low card (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6) in each player’s hand. You do this for every hand including the dealer’s hand. At the end of the round, you subtract one for every hand played. When the Speed Count increases to 31 or more, you have the advantage and you should bet more (likewise when the Speed Count is less than 31, the player is at a disadvantage and should bet the minimum). (Consult Scoblete’s book for details on the betting methodology—when to make the insurance bet, and when to leave the table).

Ace-Five Count

As the name of this counting system implies, you track the Aces and the fives as they are played. At the beginning of the shoe, you start your count at zero and bet small. Add one to your count for every five that is played and subtract one for every Ace. When your count is equal to or greater than two, you bet more (if it’s less, you bet the minimum). You can get more information on this simple counting system by going to the blackjack page at www.wizardofodds.com, and then to Appendix 17.

Rookie Knockout System

This unbalanced counting system is a simplified version of the full-blown Knockout System described in Knock-Out Blackjack by Olaf Vancura and Ken Fuchs. You only make two bets with this system—a small bet when you don’t have the edge, and a larger bet when the edge swings in your favor. With the Knockout system, add one for every 2 through 7 card that you see and subtract one for every 10-value card and Ace. For a six-deck game, your initial running count after the shuffle is -20. Bet small when your running count is below -4, and bet big when your running count is at or above -4. (Consult the book for details on the bet spread, and use of the system in single-, double-, and eight-deck games.)

“KISS” Counting System

KISS stands for “Keep It Simple Stupid,” and was developed as an entry-level counting system by Fred Renzey. With KISS, you keep track of only seven cards. In a six-deck game, you start your count after the shuffle at 10. Add one to your count for every 4, 5, 6 and a black deuce that you see, and subtract one for every picture card (J, Q, K). Ignore all other cards. Keep the running count from one round to the next. When your running count reaches 20 or greater, you have the edge and should bet more. You can also use the running count to deviate from basic strategy and take insurance. For details on the KISS count, consult Renzey’s Blackjack Bluebook II.

Before you head to the casinos to try these easy counting systems, practice at home. Get a deck of cards and flip them while you keep the running count. Then have a partner deal you cards while you try to keep the count. With some practice, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you can learn these easy counting systems.

Remember that you won’t win every time you play because your edge is small. Because you’ll be varying your bets (betting small when you don’t have the edge and big when the edge swings in your favor), you can expect fluctuations in your bankroll and will sustain losing sessions. Therefore, it is important not to over bet or you could lose your bankroll during the negative swings. Heed the advice in the above references when it comes to how much to bet and how much bankroll you should have.

When you use a simple counting system, you’ll no longer be a gambler; instead, you’ll become an advantage player. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that you have the edge over the casino whenever you sit down and play. In the long run you will win more money than you lose. Make the commitment to learn one of these simple counting systems; you’ll be glad you did.

For more free blackjack tips, visit southerngaming.com/blackjack

By Henry Tamburin

Henry Tamburin is the editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), Lead Instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack Course (www.goldentouchblackjack.com), and host of www.smartgaming.com. For a FREE three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial.com. To receive his FREE Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.

My colleagues in Golden Touch Craps Inc., Dominator and Mr. Finesse, are advocates of regression betting as a means of securing wins and avoiding losses. A typical regression play, called the $110 one-hit-and-down, would go like this:

The shooter has established his point. You place $110 inside; that’s $25 on the 5 and 9, $30 on the 6 and 8. The shooter has 18 ways to hit these four numbers. If he does, the payoff is $35 on the first hit. Once that hit takes place, you lower your bet to $22 across, securing a profit of $13. Now, the rest of this shooter’s roll is pure profit.

The thinking here is that the player has a 50-percent chance of winning this wager on any given roll as there are 36 possible combinations, of which, the “one-hit-and-down” bettor has 18 of them favoring him. How long would you leave your $110 at risk? Some players would leave it up until it hits or loses to the 7. Others will give themselves a few shots at it before pulling it back.

Is this a good way to wager? Actually, yes, it is. Well, kind of.

In a random game of craps, where the 7 is always a 1 in 6 probability, the house edge is a fixed mark. In the case of placing the “inside numbers” of 5, 6, 8, and 9, that mark is about 2.6 percent. What that means is that the player making the “inside numbers” bet will lose 2.6 percent of all the money he wagers – in the long run. If on one bet he has $110 at risk and on other bets he only has $22 at risk, the house edge is working on some average amount between the two extremes.

Of course, when regression betting is working to perfection (meaning it’s violating the probability gods) and an inside number is hit early and often on shooter after shooter, it is a guaranteed one-roll win per shooter. But when the 7 shows before an inside number, the loss is brutal. Once you’ve lost the $110, if you continue to regress on future shooters as you planned, will take approximately 10 shooters in a row to get past that first hit or one shooter to have a monster roll as you collect on your $22 across in $7 increments. Yeow!

How often will you be wiped off the board before an inside number can be hit? You’ll win 18 times on your numbers, lose six times on that abominable 7. That means you’ll win 3 times for a win of $35 + $35 +$35 = $105; then you’ll lose once for a loss of $110. You’re $5 in the hole. You’ll have the same effects once you regress down to $22 across. You’ll win $7 + $7 +$7 = $21 but you’ll lose the fourth bet for $22. You’ll be down $1.

The math of craps is annoying because it won’t go away; it’s implacable, like a dreaded in-law. While regression betting does reduce the house’s take on your money, it does so because you are betting less, not because you have come up with a way to beat the game or reduce the house edge.

Still, 75 percent of the time using the above regression will result in being ahead of the game on a particular shooter. If you come to a casino and jump out ahead on the first few shooters, you’re now in the catbird’s seat. You might even consider changing your attack to stop going up on that $110 inside and instead continue with $22 inside on subsequent shooters.

Not all regressions are as drastic as the $110 and down that I’ve just explained. You could, for example, put $44 inside and when it hits once, go to a six dollar 6 and 8. A single hit on $44 inside would see you win $14. Now with just $12 at risk on the 6 and 8, you are ahead $2. Again such a betting strategy cannot turn a negative into a positive; the house has its damnable edge on each and every bet you make in a random game betting those inside numbers.

Is regression betting worth considering? Yes, it is, if you can stomach putting a lot down and losing it to a “point-seven out” which will happen often enough to make even those with the strongest stomachs queasy.

Do I enjoy regression betting? No, I do not. As a general rule, once I’ve gone with a shooter (after assiduously applying the Captain’s 5-Count), I’m usually on that shooter come hell or high water. (Is high water considered good in this expression?) I prefer to take the risk to go for the bigger win by keeping my initial bets at their initial levels. But in math terms, against random rollers, I am giving the house a better whack at me than had I regressed.

For controlled shooters, regression betting is probably a more powerful strategy than it is on random shooters. Why? Because controlled shooters will have a tendency to hit certain numbers more than their probabilities indicate (most merely attempt to avoid the 7) – and they will tend to have somewhat longer than average rolls. The longer a controlled shooter rolls, the better the chance that fatigue or distraction will alter his throw, either making the game random once again or, worse, precipitating the appearance of the 7. There is an intriguing speculation amongst the brain trust of Golden Touch that controlled shooters, when they are the least off, tend to hit more 7s than normal because they are still changing the nature of the game but, being off slightly, they are changing it for the worse! A regression bettor can capitalize on that and lock up wins before the 7 shows.

Regression betting has its advocates and its opponents. Some people swear by it; some swear at it. In the final analysis, against random shooters, you’re betting less; against controlled shooters, you might be getting in for some significant hits before coming down. If you like this as an idea, try it out on your next casino trip and see if you like it as much in reality.

For more free craps tips, visit southerngaming.com/craps

By Frank Scoblete

Frank Scoblete is the #1 best-selling gaming author. His books and tapes have sold over a million copies. He is executive director of Golden Touch Craps dice-control seminars. His websites are www.scoblete.com and www.goldentouchcraps.com . For a free brochure or more information call: 1-800-944-0406 or write to: Paone Press, Box 610, Lynbrook, NY 11563.

LAS VEGAS (April 20, 2012) – Their at it again! Southern Gaming Magazine supporter’s, Aristocrat Technologies today announced the launch of its 14^th iPhone® game, Wild Panda™. Players can get their paws on the play-for-fun game now on the iTunes® App Store^SM.

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