How Casino Tricks Help You Lose Money
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Introduction: How Casino Tricks Help You Lose Money
In all casinos’ there’s a game behind the game. The idea to keep your chances of winning anything down to an absolute minimum. At the same time, as part of this mind game, they need you to think that the idea of winning in maximized. The tricksters who will do their est to ensure your chances are as slim as possible are not really to be blamed here. After all they are hired and trained by the casinos themselves. Dealers just want to keep their heads down, get good tips, and not get fired.
Today, we’re going to be talking to Sophie. She’s an ex-casino employee and a professional card counter. Sophie worked as a dealer at a top casino on the Las Vegas strip for over eight years. But she grew tired of being on that side of the table and left to be on the other side. She was happy to share her experiences with us. And they’re quite an eye-opener.
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Casino Tricks: Giving Bad Playing Advice
With blackjack, there’s an optimum way of playing, a way that’ll keep the house edge down to the very minimum. it’s called “Basic Strategy” and is, to all intents and purposes, a book of mathematics. There’s no secret to it. In fact, there are some casinos that’ll have cards made up to be placed on the gaming tables, which outline how to play with basic strategy. But, it’s also the dealer’s job to ensure that you don’t follow it.
“Maybe five percent of dealers know basic strategy… maybe,” says Sophie. “Even if dealers know it, very few believe in it. They still give really bad advice.” Of course, the casino wants you to believe that it has your best interest at heart. It’s playing a game where it pretends to be on your side and the real opponent is Lady Luck. Obviously giving out sound advice would decrease the casino’s bottom line. In the same way, dealers are encouraged to keep the game moving at a fast pace. The more rounds per hour, the greater the income. And as an added bonus of keeping everything running at full speed, if means that many players are forced to make quick on the foot decisions. And this can only lead to bad ones.
Fake Optimism
A casino needs customers to believe that this is an institution where winning is possible. A happy place where, in the blink of an eye, all your fortunes can change. Even at the games table, there’s the fantasy that the next turn of the card will secure you the pot. And dealers have a role to play in this scenario. It’s his job to welcome you into this theater, to make small talk, and generally put you at ease. When you’re losing, their job is to offer more encouragement and tell you that it’s just a minor blip, a small bad streak that’ll straighten itself out if you just keep playing.
“We want a happy player at their game for two reasons,” said Sophie. “That’s the only way we make money off of tips; and it makes for a really long night if people are pissed off and losing. we want to keep spirits up so players keep playing and keep tipping.”
Casino Tricks: Tip Whoring
So we all know that the casino is taking money from your pocket. But they also expect you to help pay their employees in the form of tips. So “when you make money, I make money”. As if you are in this “project” together, as some sort of partner with the dealer. So when you do land a big win, the dealer can always say, in a roundabout way, that they are somehow partly responsible. Conversely, if you’re losing, it can be construed that the reason behind your misfortune lies in not tipping enough. But either way, these scenarios just decrease your chances of winning. Also, we’ve never seen a dealer tip a player when they, the dealer, win big!
Keeping the Drinks Coming
Imagine you’re about to sign an important contract for a business or mortgage. And there was someone at your elbow constantly plying you with alcoholic drinks. This is what casinos are doing 24/7. Slightly tipsy you’re not going to be thinking straight. You’ll be easily swayed and will end up making bad decisions. It’s funny that if you get up and go to the bar and order a drink, then it’s full price. Yet the drinks whilst you’re playing are absolutely free. Starting to get the picture now? It means they value you more when you’re sat at the games table or in front of a slot machine.
“Dealers say, ‘Have a drink! Have a drink!’” says Sophie. “Their declared intention might be for you have a good time, but I’ve seen people lose not just their money, but their entire lives. The way management sees things perpetuates the sickness. That’s what made me want to get out.”
Casino Tricks: Pretending to be your Friend
Dealers always greet you warmly as you approach their table. “Take a seat”, they say, and start chatting with you about this and that. You’ll see it’s all a fake front the moment you forget to tip. And it’s certainly over between you once you get up to leave the table. If you meet the same dealer later in the evening when you’re walking around looking for a game or a slot, they’ll not recognize or acknowledge you. You don’t see dealers and customers wandering the casino floor or eating together in the food court. Their job is to be your friend for as long as you have cash on the table.
“When I was in management,” recounts Sophie, “we would always say to dealers, ‘You are actors and actresses. Put on a show.’ But the minute the players walked out, none of us thought twice about them.”
We can’t pretend to be surprised that dealers are just trying to make a living the best they can. Casinos need to make money as well. So it’s no surprise that they both are working so hard to get yours using any casino tricks they can think of. “All this panic goes on when someone’s winning,” says Sophie, “but when players are losing, there’s no thought or remorse for the fact that [casinos] still want more from the player—more, more, as much as they can take.”
Now you know what to watch for, don’t let it stop you from having a good time. Or, you can stick to the online jackpot sites where these casino tricks won’t try to fool you. Anyhow, gamble responsively every time.
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