While it all might appear fair and square on the surface, there are some things casinos would rather keep concealed from their clients.
We all know that casinos are experts at taking your money. Sure, you tend to win some and lose some. But, in the end, casinos employ ingenious ways to lure you in, keep you playing, and, often, take a fair deal of money from you. One thing that casinos excel at is their knowledge of human psychology and the actions that they employ with this in mind.
The games are always in favour of the house, and security can catch even the most seasoned cheats. Here are a few ways casinos try to get over on players that could help you leave with more cash in your pocket next time.
Games with Best Odds
Although there are hard to win games, there are also those that give players a better chance–a fact that most casinos would rather you not know. Traditional blackjack gives players an above-average odds of winning.
It is a game that requires some skill, so more experienced players are rewarded. Similarly, video poker is another excellent option. The best part about poker is that it can be finetuned before your trip to a casino, so you can walk in confidently and ensure you would have a better chance of winning.
Casinos also use underhanded strategies to keep players inside. Have you ever noticed the absence of clocks or windows inside a casino? This is so that players intentionally lose track of time and spend longer at the tables.
In an average casino, 2 am looks the same as 2 pm. You would see restaurants and bars open any time of day or night and the casino floor abuzz with activity. It is all meant to bait you in and make you stay there so that casinos can dig deeper into your pockets.
Made in the Shade
Most gamblers realise that games are generally set up to favour the house. Of course, some games are shadier than others. According to Sal Piacente, a former dealer and trainer, many games are designed to rarely produce a win for the player.
Experienced players keep away from such games, which Piacente says include carnival games. Carnival games are anything but the usual casino games, such as blackjack, baccarat, and craps. Games like Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, and Caribbean Stud Poker give a casino the upper hand and entice inexperienced gamblers with higher payouts. A winner could cash out nine-to-one, but they are bound to lose a lot more.
Some games are so skewed that Piacente says the dealer should wear a robber’s mask! Kidding aside, one such game, he says, is Double Exposure Blackjack. This game has rules on when a player can double down. Also, when a tie with a dealer occurs without a blackjack, the dealer wins, equating to about a nine per cent advantage for the house. Ultimately, not the greatest of odds for the player.
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
Everyone raves about free buffets. But are the complimentary food and drinks really free? Surprisingly for some, the answer is a resounding no. Imagine you lost CA$200 on a blackjack game, and then you got a CA$20 buffet that is nominally free. Well, the truth is that it’s not free at all, and you could technically argue that you paid CA$180 for it!
And, all the while, the eye in the sky keeps watching. Again, it is common knowledge that closed-circuit TV cameras are omnipresent in casinos. But what you might not realise is that they are watching you all the time during your stay, logging a full report of your every move if they need it. This protects the casino and players from cons and thieves.
However, even if you are blameless, you are being watched. Operators have even admitted that they can zoom in on your hand of cards should they wish to. The only truly safe place away from the prying eye is a private room or the bathroom!
