Foreword...xxi Introduction...1 Part I: Casino Gambling Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start...7

Transcription

1 Contents at a Glance Foreword...xxi Introduction...1 Part I: Casino Gambling Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start...7 Chapter 1: Casino Gambling 101: The Inside Scoop...9 Chapter 2: Taking a Quick Stroll Through the Casino...25 Chapter 3: Probability, Odds, and a Bit of Luck: What You Need to Succeed...39 Chapter 4: Managing Your Money in a Casino...53 Chapter 5: Minding Your Gambling Manners...69 Part II: Conquering the Table Games...83 Chapter 6: Will Bluff for Food: Poker...85 Chapter 7: The Easiest Game to Beat: Blackjack Chapter 8: Rolling the Dice: Craps Chapter 9: Spinning Wheel Goes Round n Round: Roulette Chapter 10: Not Just For High Rollers: Baccarat Chapter 11: Tackling the Riskier Table Games Part III: Beyond the Tables: Slots, Video Poker, Sports Betting, and More Chapter 12: Mastering the Machines: Slots Chapter 13: Scoring Big in Video Poker Chapter 14: Striking the Mother Lode: Keno and Bingo Chapter 15: From the Cubs to the Bears: Sports Betting Chapter 16: More than Just the Derby: Betting on Horse Racing COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL Part IV: Taking Casino Gambling to a Different Level Chapter 17: Casino Gambling: Online and in the Comfort of Home Chapter 18: The Wild World of Tournaments...293

2 Part V: The Part of Tens Chapter 19: Ten Cool Places to Gamble Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Common Casino Gambling Mistakes to Avoid Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Score Comps Part VI: Appendixes Appendix A: Glossary Appendix B: Important Resources Index...343

3 Table of Contents Foreword...xxi Introduction...1 About This Book...2 Conventions Used in This Book...2 What You re Not to Read...3 Foolish Assumptions...3 How This Book Is Organized...3 Part I: Casino Gambling Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start...4 Part II: Conquering the Table Games...4 Part III: Beyond the Tables: Slots, Video Poker, Sports Betting, and More...4 Part IV: Taking Casino Gambling to a Different Level...4 Part V: The Part of Tens...5 Part VI: Appendixes...5 Icons Used in This Book...5 Where to Go from Here...6 Part I: Casino Gambling Basics: Everything You Need to Know to Start...7 Chapter 1: Casino Gambling 101: The Inside Scoop Entering the Casino: What You re Up Against...10 Marketing their way to your wallet...10 Accepting the odds: The house rules...10 Protecting your money with a plan...11 Identifying the colors of the rainbow...12 Playing the Games: What s Your Poison?...12 Touring the table games...13 Turning to machine games...15 Betting on ball games and fast horses...16 Gambling Near and Far: Where to Find Casinos...17 Nevada: Viva the gambling state!...17 Atlantic City: Vegas of the east...18 Diving into on-the-water gambling...19 Indian gaming: Cashing in on less glitz...19 Beyond the borders: Gambling abroad...20 Betting on the Internet...20 Measuring Your Gambling IQ...21

4 xii Casino Gambling For Dummies Chapter 2: Taking a Quick Stroll Through the Casino (Casino) Knowledge Is Power...26 Navigating the Casino Maze...26 Getting in is the easy part...27 Slot machines: Place them and they will come...28 Table games: Penetrating the inner circle...28 The bar: Quiet escape or not?...29 Cashing out: Heading to the cashier s cage...30 Meeting the Casino s Cast of Characters...31 In the pits: Serving the table players...32 Slot employees: The reel dealers...33 Management: Running the tables...34 Maintaining a Safe and Secure Environment...36 Security personnel: The human touch...36 Surveillance: The eye in the sky...37 Taking safety into your own hands...38 Chapter 3: Probability, Odds, and a Bit of Luck: What You Need to Succeed Defining Luck: A Temporary Fluctuation...39 Understanding the Role of Probability...40 Identifying independent events...41 Recognizing dependent events...41 Factoring in the odds...42 Examining How Casinos Operate and Make Money: House Edge...42 Charging a fee...43 Paying less than the true odds...44 Muddying the odds...44 Calculating the Odds in Casino Games...45 Identifying payoff odds...46 Getting an edge on the house edge...47 Avoiding Myths, Magic, and Other Superstitions...47 Going with your hunches...48 Playing a lucky machine...49 Breaking the law of probability...49 Forecasting the trends...49 Succumbing to selective memory...51 Relying on betting systems...50 Quitting early...51 Chasing rainbows...52 Chapter 4: Managing Your Money in a Casino Setting a Budget and Sticking to It...54 Playing within your means...54 Determining your daily limits...55 Sizing up your bets...56

5 Table of Contents xiii Keeping your bets consistent...56 Limiting your losses...56 Looking at Casino Credit and Its Risks...58 Grasping casino credit...58 Crediting yourself with an account...59 Using markers against casino credit...60 Knowing When Enough Is Enough...61 Knowing the odds of failure...62 Knowing thyself...62 Resisting the urge to chase losses...63 Sipping, not sinking...64 Recognizing a gambling addiction...64 Understanding Taxes and the Law...65 Deducting your losses and taxing your wins...65 Unreported winnings: Don t fool the IRS...66 Counting comps for tax purposes...66 Lowering your gambling tax...67 Keeping a gambling log...67 Sharing with Uncle Sam upfront...68 Wagering with a group: Who pays the tax?...68 Chapter 5: Minding Your Gambling Manners Dressing (And Acting) the Part...70 Getting comfortable...70 Dressing up for evenings...71 Smoking permitted (sometimes)...71 Drinking encouraged...72 Playing Well with Others: Minding Your Table Manners...73 Knowing your limits...73 Joining a game...74 Thou shall not touch... and other table commandments...74 Giving Gratuities to Dealers and Others...75 Tipping your dealer...76 Tipping other casino employees...78 Avoiding the Appearance of Cheating...80 Part II: Conquering the Table Games...83 Chapter 6: Will Bluff for Food: Poker Uncovering the ABCs of Casino Poker...86 Paying homage to hand hierarchy...87 Knowing the dealer...90 Following basic poker etiquette...90 Betting the Farm (Or Other Parcels of Real Estate)...91 Grasping the betting basics...92 Following betting limits...92

6 xiv Casino Gambling For Dummies Knowing when to check or fold...93 Upping your knowledge of raising...93 Bluffing: When deception pays...94 Betting when you re low on chips...94 Checking Out the Most Popular Versions...95 Playing Seven-Card Stud...95 Holding your own at Texas Hold em...99 Flirting with Omaha/ Avoiding Poker Pitfalls Chapter 7: The Easiest Game to Beat: Blackjack Dealing Out Blackjack Basics Setting the scene Valuing your cards Preparing to Play Finding a table: Strategic seating Purchasing chips Homing in on house rules Dealing what s in the cards Betting Your Bottom Dollar Playing Your Hand Exercising your options Going beyond Lady Luck Strategizing in the computer age Making a side bet Drawing the dealer s curtain Looking at payouts Blackjack protocol: How to avoid trouble Identifying Common Mistakes Chapter 8: Rolling the Dice: Craps Setting the Craps Stage Casting the dice Surveying the lay of the table Getting to know the craps crew Shooting for the whole table Minding Mr. Manners at a craps table Walking through Craps, Step by Step Buying in Coming out (no, not of the closet): The first roll in craps Making a point Relying on Strategy to Place the Best Bets The pass-line bet The come bet The don t-pass line bet...137

7 Table of Contents xv The don t-come bet The odds bet Avoiding Sucker Bets Resisting the lure of Big 6 and Big Swearing off the place bets Steering clear of buy bets Laying off lay bets Passing up field bets Saying no to proposition bets Finding out the hard way Chapter 9: Spinning Wheel Goes Round n Round: Roulette Getting the Spin on Roulette Basics Starting with the wheel Taking in the table layout Betting with chips of a different color Dealing with the croupier Betting: The Inside (and Outside) Scoop Knowing your (table) limits Making inside bets: Long shots and big payouts Making outside bets: Better odds but lower payouts Reciting Roulette Etiquette Improving Your Odds Starting with the basics Playing a European wheel Avoiding Strategies That Don t Work Basing your plays on history Blaming wheel bias Buying into betting systems Chapter 10: Not Just For High Rollers: Baccarat Counting Down the Baccarat Basics Formal baccarat: High stakes, high rollers Minibaccarat: Less glitz, lower stakes Stepping into Baccarat Positioning yourself to play Betting the banker (or the player) Dealing the hand Drawing for another card Avoiding Baccarat Time Wasters Wagering on ties Note taking and keeping score Counting cards Relying on instinct...172

8 xvi Casino Gambling For Dummies Chapter 11: Tackling the Riskier Table Games Cruising for Caribbean Stud Poker Playing the game: An overview Assessing your odds Betting in Circles with Let It Ride Playing the game: An overview Understanding the payout Implementing some simplified strategy Avoiding a side bet Picking Up on Pai Gow Poker Playing the game: An overview Calculating your odds Implementing some strategy Tripling Your Fun with Three Card Poker Playing the game: An overview Reckoning your odds Avoiding the Riskiest Table Games Part III: Beyond the Tables: Slots, Video Poker, Sports Betting, and More Chapter 12: Mastering the Machines: Slots Understanding How to Play the Slots Playing the game: Easy as pushing a button Dissecting the innards: How slots work Getting wise to virtual reel-ality Entering the coinless age: Cashout tickets Identifying Differences in Slot Machines Increasing wagers with multipliers Zigzagging for multiple paylines Tuning in to theme machines Working the progressive slots Engaging in interactive machines Getting a Handle on Slots Odds Stretching Your Money at the Slots Reading the paytable Choosing the type of machine Choosing the denomination you bet Hitting an empty casino Playing full credits on progressive games Maximizing your fun Honing Your Slot Etiquette Saving a machine Playing two machines at once: Double trouble Minding your manners...208

9 Table of Contents xvii Playing for Comps Taking advantage of the comps Signing up for a slot club Cashing in on cash rebates Chapter 13: Scoring Big in Video Poker Poker? Slots? Characterizing Video Poker Contrasting video poker and slots Distinguishing between video and traditional poker Understanding the allure Playing the Game Making your bet Stretching your bankroll Making your best hand in one draw Collecting your winnings Putting Your Money on the Best Machines Holding out for the highest payout Comparing short-pay and full-pay machines Advancing to progressive machines Playing Jacks or Better: The Best Bet for Beginners Analyzing the payout Adding strategy to the equation Sticking to the system... no matter what Investigating Other Video Poker Machines Walking on the wild side Multitasking with Multi-Game Play Exploring other machines Chapter 14: Striking the Mother Lode: Keno and Bingo Catching On to Keno Basics Playing the game Filling out your ticket: X marks the spot Winning and collecting Exploring keno variations Improving Your Odds at Keno Figuring Out the ABCs of B-I-N-G-O Setting the scene: The cast, crew, and props Playing B-I-N-G-O down the line Spicing up cover patterns Uncovering bigger prizes with coverall Calling Forth Winning Bingo Strategies Seeking the ideal bingo venue Winning at bingo: Odds aren t all that bad (sometimes)...243

10 xviii Casino Gambling For Dummies Chapter 15: From the Cubs to the Bears: Sports Betting Defining Sports Betting: The Legal Kind, That Is Betting on a wide world of sports Making money for the house Leveling the Betting Field with Lines and Point Spreads Setting the money line Defining point spread Being a total winner Moving the line Eyeing the exotics (bets, not dancers) Placing Your Bet in a Sports Book Reading the board Redeeming your winnings Rounding Up Sports Betting Differences Tackling football wagers Slam-dunking basketball bets Taking a swing at baseball betting Knocking around some boxing bets Lining up hockey wagers Understanding Handicapping Basics Relying on Strategic Handicapping Chapter 16: More than Just the Derby: Betting on Horse Racing Identifying Different Racing Formats Betting in a Casino: Inside the Race Book Understanding and Reading the Sheets Placing Bets in the Race Book Understanding the system: The feeling is mutuel Sticking to straight bets Experimenting with exotic bets Placing your bet at the window Winning strategies for your wagers Getting a Hand on Horse Racing: Handicapping Basics Digesting the race data: The Daily Racing Form Assessing the speed factor Contemplating pace Showing a bit of class Rounding into form Considering other factors Trip handicapping...277

11 Table of Contents xix Part IV: Taking Casino Gambling to a Different Level Chapter 17: Casino Gambling: Online and in the Comfort of Home Mapping the Legal Landscape Understanding How Online Casinos Work Connecting with cyberspace Getting up to speed with practice games Setting up an account Paying to play Accessing your winnings Locating the Best (and Safest) Online Casino Games Taking the first step: Online watchdogs Sticking to reputable software suppliers Checking out license origin Identifying other signs of a good site Selecting the best games for Internet play Taking Advantage of Promos and Giveaways Chapter 18: The Wild World of Tournaments Sizing Up Tournaments: Which One Is Right for You? Betting on the Most Lucrative Tournaments Taking advantage of overlays Finding a freeroll (Who says you can t get a free lunch?) Entering a Tournament (And Knowing What to Expect) Eyeing the competition over cocktails Playing with fixed chips Seating yourself in the tournament section Strategizing to Eliminate the Competition Incorporating basic strategy for tournament success Soaring over the poker crowd Tabling a win with table tournaments Maneuvering through slot and video-poker tournaments Part V: The Part of Tens Chapter 19: Ten Cool Places to Gamble Living Large in Las Vegas Landing on Boardwalk: Atlantic City Touring Tahoe and Reno Cruising the High Seas...311

12 xx Casino Gambling For Dummies Rolling on the River (or Lake) Exploring Native American Casinos Collecting Chips in Connecticut Striking Gold in California Finding Hidden Treasures in the Caribbean Joining the Jet Set Chapter 20: Ten (Or So) Common Casino Gambling Mistakes to Avoid Gambling at All Failing to Keep Records Bouncing Around Like a Pinball Looking for Luck in All the Wrong Places Giving Up Too Easily Breaking the Law (Of Averages) Relying on Betting Systems Being Seduced Losing It Online Taking It to the Limit, One Too Many Times Overindulging Blaming Others Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Score Comps Ask and Ye Shall Receive Impressing the Boss with Club Card Mileage Finding the Weakest Link Betting More When the Boss Is Looking Betting Less When the Boss Isn t Looking Making the Bathroom Your Second Home Looking Like You re Losing Greasing the Wheels Never Looking a Gift Horse in the Mouth Behaving with Courtesy and Respect Part VI: Appendixes Appendix A: Glossary Appendix B: Important Resources Books Magazines Web Sites Gamblers Anonymous Index...343