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Originally posted by: udub58
Ummm.....Im sorry but I thought that ACA was some new gambling strategy. My bad.....I thought this was a Las Vegas GAMBLING web site, not a conservative versus liberal baiter/rant site. Ill be going now.
DonDiego counsels udub58 not to feel too badly. Lots of folks make the same error.
When it comes to gambling "strategies" here's all there is to know:
The House has the edge in almost every game offered. Practically what this means is, . . . although one may experience one or several winning sessions or trips, . . . over the long run almost everyone will lose. A select strategy may minimize the house edge.
Or get lucky.
__This is especially true for slot-machines.
If one encounters a very, very, very high progressive jackpot, the odds may favor the players, . . . but, except for the eventual lone-winner, most other players will lose. It's just like when the State Lotteries exceed a certain jackpot. [TIP: If one were to win a $multi-million jackpot on a slot-machine, one should never play again.]
Or get lucky.
Since the Lion's Share jackpot has been hit, there is no sure-thing left in Las Vegas.
__With respect to video poker, it is possible to minimize the house edge by selection of a machine with less-house-favorable rules, . . . and application of a precise strategy of play geared to that machine.
Unlike regular-run-of-the-mill slot machines the video poker devices must simulate a random deal from a 52-card deck, and thus the odds are known. As with regular slots a large jackpot can temporarily shift the odds in the players' favor.
Or get lucky.
__The odds applicable to craps are well known and invariable. Except perhaps for "dice-control", i.e. skillful tossing of the dice to actually influence the roll, there is no long-term winning strategy; and the actual merits of dice control are in dispute. One can minimize the house edge by, f'rinstance, proper bet selection strategy and taking odds, but this places larger amounts of one's stake at risk.
Or get lucky.
__The house edge for Keno, Roulette, Bingo, etc. are likewise well known. Slight rules variations may affect it; e.g. single and double-zero at roulette.
Or get lucky.
__With respect to sports betting, although the house edge on straight bets is pretty much universally 11/10, if one is sufficiently knowledgeable and disciplined and selective [because the house edge on parlay & teaser bets can vary bookie-to-bookie], it is possible to overcome the house edge; after all one is merely pitting one's handicapping skill against that of the bookie handicappers. One must pretty much devote oneself to this endeavor as if it were a career to succeed over time.
Or get lucky.
__Although overall the House possesses an edge in blackjack, because the game usually involves several deals from a deck or several decks before shuffling, the house odds may shift during the play of the game. And the house odds are also influenced by other factors like number-of-decks, depth-of-deal, and significant variations in applicable rules.
Bottom line: By selecting a game with a lower house edge, and varying his bet size and adjusting the game-strategy to account for the remaining cards in the deck, the aware player can actually win, even over the long term.
n.b. The Houses are aware of the above, and consequently have changed and persist in further changing the rules of blackjack to reduce the likelihood of conditions favorable to the player.
Or get lucky.
__With respect to poker, the house acts solely as the host of the game and makes money by "raking" a percent of each pot. Beyond that it is, therefore, a game of skill among those seated at the table. Over the long-run, those more skilled and disciplined than their opponents will win. P.S.: Poker is more than a card game; folks in Las Vegas who play every day with other folks from Las Vegas have a distinct advantage over the occasional visitor.
Conclusion: Application of established gaming strategy can help one win only under specific well-identified conditions within a casino and only on specific games. DonDiego recommends the player get lucky. It's much easier.
