BJ beats Poker noticed in the article that they won 8 times as much from Blackjack as they collected from Poker - guess that tells which game is the bigger casino game - also - that they really can afford to promote BJ tourneys like they do the poker ones - and if they were smart - they would -
Fruities What I'm suprised about (as an Englishman who has never been to a casino ) is how much the slots make. $11.3Bn out of $14Bn wagered! That's 81% of the casino's gambling revenue comes from fruit machines! Why? Cheers Reachy
and... Are there any "Pro" slot players? And if so how do they believe they can get an edge? Cheers Reachy
re Vegas I see revenue is down by 14% in downtown LV. Is this a shock to anyone? The place is a ghetto anymore. The GN was the best place in town not so long ago(IMHO),but ever since Landry's took it over it has gone to the dogs. I guess the downtown proprietors never make it south of Charleston...if they did,they would see why they are getting hammered. I'm not saying they all need to put Ferrari dealerships and Van Gogh's in their casinos,but a fresh coat of paint and some new carpeting(not 1975 new,either)might do some good. Or just raze the whole thing and start over.
I know it's a little scary, but there used to be a lot of them, and there still are some at times. How? Well, from around the late 90's to 2002 or so, one of the common themes in slot machines was a concept called "Bankable" slots. The first big example of this was a slot machine called "Piggy Bankin". The machine had a symbol on it's third wheel, labeled "Break the Bank". The bank began at 10 coins, and everytime the player spun 3 blanks, the bank increased by the number of coins. When a player spun "Break the Bank", they won the number of coins in the bank, and the bank reset at 10 coins. The way to have an advantage at the game was to watch other people play until the "bank" got above about 20-25 coins. Then, when the player left, take a seat at the machine and play 1 coin at a time until you break the bank. Then cash out and let someone else come along and play. While this seems silly, it was profitable, especially when few people knew about this. For example, spotting an empty $1 Piggy Bankin machine at 35 coins had an EV of about $15 for about 5 minutes of slot play. The problem was that eventually, the secret got out and each casino with these type of machines had a handful of drifters who walked from machine to machine looking for players who had built up a jackpot and stalked them, waiting for them to go broke. Often, multiple people would stalk the same machine, which would either cause a race to fill the eventual empty seat, or the first stalker would stare down the second stalker to mark his territory until they other guy left. Since these slot stalkers were undesirable, eventually slot managers stopped ordering these types of games, and they are mostly rare to find in casinos (and also more difficult to beat). The new multi-level linked progressive jackpots are more difficult to beat than the old bankable slots because they don't allow for the single-coin play that many of the bankable strategies counted on.
That's 81% of the casino's gambling revenue comes from fruit machines! Why? Cheers Reachy __________________ PT Barnum told us why almost a hundred years ago .... Because there is a sucker born every day.
One arm bandits Reachy: Most visitors to Las Vegas do not take the time to educate themselves about the ins and outs of gambling. They come, for the most part, to get away from real life for a few days. They budget X number of dollars for gambling and have no illusions about winning. They expect to lose (swog: Did I get it right this time?) their gambling money and guess what, they do. Not only that, but they go home happy and look forward to their next trip - probably in a year or so to lose some more money. Now I'm not talking about VP. Slots (reel, spinning, etc) are the easiest form of gambling. No intimidation from other players, no learning period, no skill required, and they are on duty 24/7. Some think they have the skill to beat the slots but that skill, when analyzed, is usually nothing more than keeping losses down by simply playing less. Some people feed those machines for hours hoping for that elusive million dollar jackpot that somehow never comes. The slots never complain about working conditions, call in sick, or strike. The casinos love them - what's not to love. Most of this also applies to local casinos as well. Las Vegas does not have a monopoly on attracting really stupid people.
Well said Toolman Gamblers in America and elsewhere are, as a group, uninformed, if not terminally stupid.
Arcade lure... Plus, it still has the feeling many Americans grew up with in the 80's of video game arcades, with the bonus of occasionally making a buck or two.
Anti-skill Could it be the fact that no skill is required that attracts people? It's a very democratic way of gambling because everybody is equal; nobody can get a real edge. Games of skill like BJ, poker and, well that's it isn't it (what's that noman? Craps you say... ) may be off putting because people aren't sure whether they are worse off because they don't have the "skills" required for that particular game and will therefore lose considerably more to the house or other players. Cheers Reachy
In praise of slots Actually Reachy, One Armed Bandits are a critical part of the casino environment. Without them casinos would be a rather dull place and, indeed, the casinos as we know them would not exist. We should all be grateful for all the fools feeding those machines and making other bad bets. Without them, the informed gambler would have no place to go.
Decribe a casino to me I have never been to a "Vegas-style" casino. What are they like? Cheers Reachy
Fantasy Land Reachy, When a newbe enters a casino they enter a fantasy world where time does not exist. Bright lights and neon signs abound advertising how much money you can win with just a single spin of the slots. People yell when they win at slots, BJ, carnival games or craps but quickly quiet down when they lose their bankroll and walk out the door with their heads down and tail between their legs. It's full of winning expectation among the patrons but few will win. It's full of old crippled people who can't go anywhere else for live entertainment. Those are the ones I feel for most. They are the least likely to win and least likely to afford to lose. Young people throw their money away as they feel good from all the "free" drinks. I can go on and on but Ken Smith's server would not have the capacity to handle it all. Also, and more important, my wife would bitch about spending too much time talking to you.
Your wife I want to go to fantasy land! Will all my dreams come true? I want a pony. I've got this image now of you on the PC with your wife looming over you, rolling pin in hand, ready to administer punishment. LOL. Buy her some flowers, that usually works. Further tips on keeping your woman sweet in later posts Cheers Reachy
