Swain Scheps - Casino Gambling For Dummies

It may surprise you how fast you can find yourself in the middle of the sensory hurricane on the casino floor. In less-restrictive states, such as Nevada and New Jersey, you can walk in off the street or get dropped off by a taxi and find yourself a few feet away from the gaming areas. You’re practically holding the door for your significant other with one hand and rolling the dice with the other. After all, casinos want as little as possible to stand between you and your favorite game.

But most casinos give you a chance to catch your breath and do some mental stretching prior to plunging into the action. When you walk in, you often find yourself in a lobby or foyer. Remember that most casinos are also hotels, so you may see familiar sights, such as the concierge, bell desk, and check-in counter. People bustle about and crowd together before they find the destinations suited for them. While some gamblers are anticipating the excitement just steps away, others are exiting with delirious grins on their faces — or expressions of shock and awe.

This bottleneck is no accident; it’s part of the calculated marketing strategy to lure you ever closer to the games. At the threshold of the gaming floor, the sounds, colorful lights, and crowd energy all go to work on your senses — even from a distance. Just like an infant reaching for bright, colorful objects, casino visitors gravitate to the sights and sounds of the casino floor.

Interior design is to a casino floor plan what aerodynamics is to automobile manufacturers; forward movement results from an ever-expanding array of enticements, including colors that dazzle, lights that entice, and a temperature scientifically controlled for maximum comfort. You quickly find that every destination in a casino — the guest elevators, the bathrooms, or the buffet — requires that you walk through (or dangerously near) the gaming areas.

Slot machines are positioned just inside the casino entrance. The boys in marketing put them here so you can test the waters and feel the rush a quarter at a time — getting your feet wet right at the casino entrance. Up ahead, you see the casino proper, a virtual indoor carnival buzzing with excitement. You can almost feel the energy pulsing.

As you enter the casino proper, you see hopeful gamblers, often two-deep, standing in line, patiently waiting their turn to reap payoffs from the slot machines. You operate the slot machines by tapping the screen, pushing the buttons, or (increasingly rare) yanking down on the lever to the side. Larger casinos hold aisle after aisle of slots, like rows of corn.

Casinos typically place the most profitable slot machines within easy access to the main traffic aisles, such as the foyer, restaurants, and bars. Casinos are extremely careful to place high-hit frequency slots within earshot of the thronging masses. Oh, and “profitable” in the above sense refers to the casino making more money, not you.

If you venture farther onto the casino floor, you can see this philosophy in action. Clusters of people sit at the corner slots. As you venture down the aisles of slots, you may find a few open machines, but not many. As one row ends, another begins. Check out Chapter 12for the scoop on the slots.

Just as the sun is the center of the solar system, the table games rest in the middle of the casino system, attracting visitors ever inward and at the same time providing the main source of energy and vitality to the floor. Table games are grouped into areas known in casino lingo as pits . The pits are separated from slot machines, restaurants, and other casino functions by a wide aisle, allowing nonplayers to watch the action and vicariously enjoy the thrill of turning over the winning card or nailing the winning roll.

Table games you can play include:

Baccarat: The classic card game is sometimes played in a separate room to create a more secluded atmosphere; see Chapter 10.

Blackjack: Determine your own fate with smart decisions and timely double downs; see Chapter 7.

Craps: Roll the dice and hear the crowd roar in the most boisterous game on the floor; see Chapter 8.

Poker: It’s just like your neighborhood game, except you never have to shuffle; see Chapter 6.

Roulette: Pick a number, place your bet, and then watch the spinning wheel go round and round; see Chapter 9.

If you’re betting big money, the most exclusive gaming tables with the highest betting limits are often in very visible but roped-off “high-roller” rooms, separated from the other tables. They feature fancy amenities, such as private cocktail servers or a bar.

But most table games are designed for moderate bettors. The loud, boisterous call of a lively crowd gathered around the craps table calls out to players tempted to leave the boredom and repetition of the slots, and that’s no accident. The intimate nature of the poker table beckons would-be strategists, while the smoky haze surrounding a blackjack game cries out to the novice with its lack of intimidation.

Most casinos have a bar that’s central to the main action. A large casino may offer numerous bars or lounges interspersed throughout the floor, each with a unique theme and aesthetic. Some feature live music, and others are simply service bars where you can take a quick pit stop away from the flow of traffic. But it’s hard to escape the games. Even the quieter watering holes come complete with video poker machines built into the bar and are placed in the midst of the lively pits.

Casinos profit from the fact that alcohol lubricates the ATM card. But no casino wants drunk patrons, so they walk a delicate line; the policy on pushing alcohol consumption can vary from place to place. In addition, every state has different laws governing alcohol consumption inside its casinos, so there is no single unifying rule about how alcohol is handled inside betting areas. Some tribal casinos don’t serve it at all, so if sipping on a stiff one as you play is important, make sure you do your homework before you leave home. The bottom line: The drinking environment varies widely, so the smartest play is to find a scene that suits your tastes and always strive to stay in complete control.

If you don’t feel like leaving your table to head to the bar, most casinos have servers who take drink orders. You can pay and tip them with chips from the casino or cash. However, if you want to eat, most casinos don’t allow eating at gaming tables. You need to visit one of the many restaurants to chow down.

Twenty states have legalized sports gambling, and by the time you read this, there will be more. Visit a casino in one of these states, and you’re likely to find an attached sports book. In smaller casinos, the sports book may be nothing more than a counter with a tote board hung behind it. But the larger casinos have super-sized rooms full of amenities designed for anyone willing to put their money where their mouth is. Every inch of wall space is used inside a sports book. Dozens of megasized, high-definition monitors show games as they’re played, and digital displays listing the current odds, scores, and available bets for the day cover the walls.