Dear Scobe and A.P.:
I want to share with you something that really annoys me. I like to
play the slots but my husband and his friends are all blackjack
players. On a given night I bring about $300 to play 25-cent machines
and I play one coin in the type of machines that Frank recommends. I
have no trouble spending four to six hours of play with that size
bankroll. I also play very slow. Rarely do I lose all of it in one
night.
Now, here's my problem. My husband and his friends think I am a idiot
for playing the slots! They say that I am foolish to be playing a game
that has such a high house edge and that they, the blackjack players,
are much brighter for playing their game. I try to explain to them
that I don't like blackjack. The few times I played it, I found some
of the other players to be rude and one fellow to be crude (he was
drunk). At the slots I play at my own pace and I don't have to contend
with the other gamblers. What is your opinion? By the way, my husband
is a loser at blackjack although he has had more winning nights than I
have but he has also lost much more money in his gambling "career"
than I have in my "gambling career." Am I stupid to enjoy playing the
machines?
R.M.
Dear R.M.:
Both you and your husband are playing negative-expectation games, albeit
yours definitely has a greater house edge. (We assume your husband is
not a card counter but is playing basic strategy.) However, the way you
play, slowly and for one coin, probably accounts for the fact that you
have lost less than he has in your respective "gambling careers." Since
neither one of you is attempting to make gambling your second income or
even your hobby, then your taste is what counts. If you like the slots
and feel comfortable playing them then go right ahead. The fact that you
are playing the machines that don't reward full coin with big bonuses
means that you can last a pretty long time and are probably getting a
better percentage return as well.
Many gamblers, especially those who play with an advantage, will
sometimes scoff at players who just enjoy the games for their own sake
with no pretense of trying to make money at them. But players who play
"just for fun" are similar to golfers who just enjoy hitting the ball,
walking, hitting the ball, walking -- and so what if they rarely shoot
under a hundred? Most slot players are not drooling idiots; they are
well aware that they have little chance to beat the machines. They just
enjoy playing them as you do.
Tell your husband and his friends that the old saying "to each his own"
applies in this gambling situation. However, here's some other advice:
Have you ever considered playing video poker? Some machines, with proper
strategies, are beatable or extremely close contests. You could have
your cake and eat it too if you play "machine" video poker! Consider it.
Frank's book Victory at Video Poker has all the strategies you'll
need to play the most popular machines. Good luck.
For more information about slots and video poker, we recommend:
The Slot Expert's Guide to Playing Slots by John Robison
Break the One-Armed Bandits! by Frank Scoblete
Victory at Video Poker and Video Craps, Keno and Blackjack! by Frank
Scoblete
Slot Conquest Audio Cassette Tape (60 minutes) with Frank Scoblete
Winning Strategies at Slots & Video Poker! Video tape hosted by
Academy Award Winner James Coburn, Written by Frank Scoblete
The Slot Machine Answer Book by John Grochowski
The Video Poker Answer Book by John Grochowski