Gambling - The Games

Casinos offer a variety of games with new variations coming out all the time. Some are good games, while others should be avoided like day old macaroni salad you forgot to put away.

Casino games offered are: blackjack, craps, roulette, big six wheel, Caribbean stud poker, let it ride, pai gow poker, slots, video poker, and keno. There are also variations of these games, and it seems that each time I go to Vegas there’s a new variation of an old game.

House Edge
House edge is what what the casinos make. For instance, if the house edge is 2% that means that for every $100 wagered, the casino should win about $2 (your loss). Not too bad, huh? But remember, the house edge is calculated over the long-run . . . and how long is considered the long run? Thousands and thousands of hands. Unfortunately, most of us play in the short-run.

Another thing to consider is that these are averages, meaning there are going to be higher losses and lower losses in between. In addition, certain casino games require skill or knowledge of the game such as blackjack and pai gow poker. Therefore, it is very important to read at least one book and learn the basic strategy if you’re planning to play that game.

Lastly, if you’re not sure what to do, ask the dealer. They are there to help you make the “correct” play. The casino is not worried because they will make their money one way or another because they are the only ones playing in the long-run.

Now that the basics are covered we can get into the good stuff.

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