Philosophy of Play

QUESTION: I don’t know if you ever got a question such as this before but here goes. I counted the number of books you have published, about 33 on gambling alone. I want to know in a nutshell what is your philosophy of play? I am guessing that it is in all your books but can you put your finger on it in answer to my question: What is your philosophy of playing casino games? Make it simple so I understand it.

ANSWER: Actually, first and foremost you must know the game that you are playing. Know how the casino gets its edge or edges at that game. With slot machines it is hard to tell what the edges are but you can make some guesses. The progressive machines hold more back from the players to generate that big jackpot. These would then be machines with higher house edges.

You want to play at a slow or medium pace. The faster a player plays the tougher it is on his or her bankroll.

On video poker you can buy cards that give you all the information you need and the strategies to play whatever machines you wish to play. Again, keep the pace reasonable.

Pick a game or a bet that has a low house edge. At craps only make bets with an edge at 1.52 percent or lower. Or stick with the pass line with odds and (here is where I am radical as all get out!) only make one such bet per shooter. You can last a long time playing this way and the hit on your bankroll will be relatively light. However, the patterns of wins and losses will be somewhat different than had you made more bets per decision.

At a game such as roulette I recommend you only play the even-money bets and look for casinos where they allow “surrender” or “en prison” on these. That way the house edge is reduced in half. Roulette is a game that players can get carried away at because it has many possible wagers.

I love to play the old-style baccarat game of the big table and the wonderfully dressed dealers. That game is now almost impossible to find except in some of the mega-casinos. I would recommend only making the “bank” bet. Never bet tie. Mini-baccarat? Sit out two-thirds of the decisions. The game is way too fast.

Blackjack I would recommend that players play at crowded tables so they face fewer decisions. They must play basic strategy for the game too, otherwise they are basically throwing their money away. Do not listen to those blackjack “experts” that you occasionally find regaling other players about the correct way to play their hands – these players are usually not experts.

Your bets should be based on your total bankroll and you should have a separate gambling bank account that I call the 401G (the “G” stands for gambling). Give yourself session stakes and never let yourself play too long that you wake up the next day and ask yourself: “I did what last night?”

I think that tells you enough about my philosophy of play. Always take care of your money – all money is hard earned!

QUESTION: Do you follow your own advice?

ANSWER: Yes.

Frank Scoblete’s web site is www.frankscoblete.com. His books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-book, libraries and bookstores.

This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net.