No guest this week as we answer questions from our mail bag.

We welcome your questions – send them to us at [email protected], or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

podcast – https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/mail02022023

Show Notes

[00:00]  Introduction

[00:34]  Higher level counts

[02:33]  Hole-carding internationally

[04:07]  Accidentally playing someone else’s slot machine mid-bonus

[08:25]  Counting cards on a cruise ship

[10:20]  Longevity research, doctors, diets, and intermittent fasting

[14:51]  Making donations to The Blackjack Hall of Fame’s charitable arm

[16:11]  When and why to withdraw money from a bankroll?

[23:46]  Bubble craps

[28:36]  Commercials

[30:34]  Playing as an AP in the UK, ID, slots, tables, counting cards, regulations

[37:48]  9/6 DDB with auto-hold

[39;58]  What happened to Wilma0’s money?

[42:09]  Selling the rights to Sex, Lies, and Video Poker

[43:12]  Tipping

[43:56]  Misplaced and stolen cash stories

[48:21]  Richard’s brother’s gambling

[49:28]  Recommended:  The Good Detective on Netflix, Innovative Remodeling LV, LLC

Sponsored Links:

http://BlackjackApprenticeship.com

http://VideoPoker.com/gwae

http://Unabated.com

Recommended:

http://Netflix.com/title/81323914

Innovative Remodeling LV, LLC

Bonnie and I were at Harrah’s in Cherokee, NC for a Caesars Seven Stars trip. Cherokee is in the Smoky Mountains and a world away from Las Vegas. Plus, they have $5 NSU Deuces Wild.

For a Seven Stars trip, you get up to $1,200 airfare, $500 in resort credit, and transportation to and from the airport. The airport means either Asheville (about 50 miles away, but not a direct flight) or Atlanta, which is 160 miles away (which is much easier to get to). We usually fly into Atlanta.

Because I don’t want to carry a lot of money through airports, I have a line of credit set up at Cherokee. My usual pattern is to take out a $20,000 marker when I get there, denominated in $2,500 TITO (ticket in ticket out) tickets. At the beginning of each session, I like to have three of those TITOs on me ($5 NSU definitely can turn sour periodically) and keep the rest locked up. If my first $20,000 gets lost in the machines, I take another marker and get more.

If (or rather when — although it doesn’t happen every trip) I hit a $20,000 royal flush, I collect another eight $2,500 TITOs. For $5,000 four deuce hands, I collect two such tickets. I do play other games as well and sometimes hit W-2Gs in other amounts, but these are infrequent and I usually just take cash. 

The machines only take up to $2,999.99 before they spit out tickets. Especially when I start with $2,500, I can easily go over that limit hitting multiple wild royals ($625), five of a kinds ($400), straight flushes ($250), or even $100 four of a kinds and full houses. It’s not uncommon having several of these tickets. When I run out of money in the machine, I’ll always use the smaller tickets first, keeping the ones in $2,500 increments. This makes counting money easier.

On this particular trip, we were scheduled to leave the hotel for the airport at 9:30 on a Wednesday morning. At 6:00 the previous evening, I went to the cage to cash out. This trip happened to be profitable (trust me they aren’t all that way), so I had a number of $2,500 tickets. My goal was to pay off the $20,000 marker and receive a check for the remainder. The casino has done this previously and it isn’t a problem.

This time, however, one of the $2,500 TITOs registered as “void” in the system. I was paid by check for the remaining TITOs and told that this voided ticket was still pending and I would not receive payment until this issue was resolved in my favor. If it was.

I demanded to speak to a supervisor.  The supervisor arrived and told me that some other supervisor, not her, marked this particular TITO as void and she didn’t know why. The office that audits these things was closed at the moment. When it opened up in the morning, I would either be paid or be told why I wasn’t going to be paid. If I already had left the property when it was resolved in my favor, if it was, I would be mailed a check. There was nothing she could do about it now. She was polite enough, but it quickly became clear that she wasn’t going to budge from her position, so arguing with her would just create a scene without getting any quicker resolution. So I shut up and left.

While this casino is managed by Harrah’s, it is owned by a band of Cherokee Indians. If there becomes a dispute about the $2,500, it gets resolved in tribal court. United States courts have little or no jurisdiction on this kind of matter. I could hire a lawyer, but he’d have to sue in the tribal court and the elders of the tribe itself would decide what the resolution would be. Plus, a dispute of $2,500 is too small to interest an attorney. There is no small claims tribal court.

Although my host had gone home for the day, he’s been employed there for almost 20 years. If anybody knew how to get things done, he was the guy. I hoped. I sent him an email explaining what had happened. I explained that the only way I ever got one of these $2,500 TITOs was from the original marker or because of a jackpot. When I signed for them, I signed that I received the correct number of tickets and they all were for $2,500. Whether or not one of them had been voided prior to me receiving it, I had no way of knowing that.

At this point, I’m thinking (hoping, really) there’s an innocent explanation. This was my sixth trip to the resort and I had not run into any significant problem previously. Yes, every tribal casino has some policies that are different from those of non-tribal casinos, but working within those policies hadn’t been that difficult for me. At least not yet.

The “most likely” explanation, to my mind, was that one of the times when I was scheduled to receive eight TITOs, nine were accidentally printed. Before the TITOs ever got to me, one of them was voided — both physically (however they do that there) and in the computer system. Somehow, the one they physically voided was not the one they voided in the computer system.

I explained to my host that I was not taking any TITOs with me when I left. Every one I received was either inserted into a slot or video poker machine, or turned back into the cage to be redeemed. If I was given a voided one, there must be another ticket for $2,500 that was created but not cashed so far. If so, that money belonged to me.

Losing $2,500 in this way wouldn’t have been a disaster for me, but it was annoying. Having this money “stolen” from me would definitely affect whether we returned there. If I told you I didn’t lose any sleep over this that night I’d be lying.

At 8:30 the next morning, while Bonnie and I were eating breakfast, my host called me up and told me it had been resolved and I could go to the cage and pick up my money. My host had called up the cage manager and together they decided to honor the ticket. It was a legitimate Harrah’s Cherokee TITO and I had indeed signed for receiving that particular ticket. So, it should be honored by the casino. And it was.

I was relieved, and picked up my money. I was optimistic that this would be resolved in this manner, but nothing was certain until I had the cash. And now I did. Thank you very much.

The fact that this happened at a tribal casino is essentially irrelevant. The same kind of situation could have happened at any casino. They are financial institutions, of a sort, and have procedures that must be followed. When something “unusual” happens, they have to figure out how to make it right. The only reason that being a tribal casino changed things would be if we couldn’t reach agreement on how to make things right. But that didn’t happen here, and for that I’m relieved.

Harrah’s Cherokee handled this well, in my opinion. Although I would have preferred to be paid immediately when I first presented the TITO, I understand that all the i’s have to be dotted and the t’s crossed. This took some time, but not an inordinate amount of time.

Bonnie and I are looking forward to our next trip to that casino.

Between entertaining gimmicks and all-star endorsements, it’s easy to see how online gambling promotions could catch the attention of those under the legal betting age. While online gambling is illegal in Florida, promotions are still reaching minors and introducing them to gambling before they’re of age to make informed decisions. It’s important to learn more about how these promotions are inadvertently reaching kids, how they lead to problematic behavior, and the normalization of gambling ads during popular sporting events. 

Reaching the Wrong Audience

Most online platforms have some regulations regarding gambling ads and minors, but what happens when these platforms aren’t enforcing their own policies? In 2021, the Tech Transparency Company ran an experiment where they submitted ads to Facebook that targeted teens with age-inappropriate content, such as gambling and alcohol, and found all their ads approved within hours.^[1] Intentional or not, there are commonly jokes, memes, celebrity and athlete endorsements, and imagery that appeal to younger audiences.  

Not only are children more exposed to ads of this nature, they’re also more able to act on these ads than before. This generation is quick to adopt the newest technologies and  can access online gambling sites due to poor or no age verification or through a parent’s account. And, in some cases, children are not monitored by adults when on their devices.

Gambling Ads Affect Minors

The earlier children are exposed to gambling advertisements and opportunities the more likely they are to develop compulsive gambling behaviors in the future. Research shows that regular exposure to gambling ads can change a minor’s perception of the activity and make it normalized at a younger age.^[2]   In fact, children introduced to gambling by age 12 are four times more likely to compulsively gamble. Because a minor’s brain isn’t fully developed, they lack a refined sensitivity to risky behaviors when presented. Currently, 4-5% of minors ages 12-17 meet the criteria for a gambling problem, with an additional 10-14% at risk of developing one.^[3] 

How Major Sporting Events Could Cause Problems

It’s that time of year when many exciting sporting events are anticipated, from the  big football game final to March Madness. While sports betting isn’t legal in the Sunshine State for anyone, children, teens, and others are still being bombarded with commercials promoting betting while watching their favorite teams compete. It’s become the norm for minors to see athletes endorse gambling, which can be harmful for impressionable young fans who view these players as idols. 

Working Together for Education and Prevention

Whether your child or someone you know has been asking questions about sports betting commercials or displaying concerning behaviors, the  FCCG has the resources you need to protect those at-risk or experiencing the impacts of problem gambling. Your One Sure Thing can help you, a minor and others to understand the risks of gambling addiction by contacting the Problem Gambling HelpLine at 888-ADMIT-IT (888-236-4848), texting (321-978-0555), emailing ([email protected]), chatting (gamblinghelp.org), or visiting us on social media.  

REFERENCES:

1. Mayer, Beth Ann. “Kids as Young as 11 Are Becoming Addicted to Online Gambling.” Parents, 23 Dec. 2021, https://www.parents.com/kids/safety/kids-as-young-as-11-are-becoming-addicted-to-online-gambling/. 
2. Davies, Rob. “Children More Likely to Become Gamblers Due to High Volume of Betting Ads.” The Guardian, 27 Mar. 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/mar/27/children-more-likely-to-become-gamblers-due-to-high-volume-of-betting-ads.
3. High School Gambling Fact Sheet. National Council on Problem Gambling, https://www.ncpgambling.org/files/HS_Fact_Sheet.pdf.

Posted on January 30, 2023 by Florida Council on Compulsive Gambling under March Madness, Online Gambling, Problem Gambling Awareness, Sports Betting, Youth

This is a throwback episode originally recorded in 2017. Our guest this week is Kelly Sun. The media dubbed her the “Queen of Sorts,” and her team mates called her a “baccarat machine.” You know her as the mysterious Chinese woman behind the Phil Ivey edge sorting cases in London, and Atlantic City. Also on this show is Michael Kaplan, who has written about Kelly for the NY Times, and Cigar Aficionado, and Lori Chang.  Lori is a former member of the MIT blackjack team, and friend of Kelly. Kelly sometimes has trouble with English, and Lori came along to help translate, and share a few stories of her own. 

We welcome your questions – send them to us at [email protected], or you can find me at @RWM21 on Twitter or https://www.facebook.com/GamblingWithAnEdge.

Podcast – https://www.spreaker.com/user/7418966/ksuntb

Show Notes

[00:00]  Introduction[02:35]  Edge sorting at baccarat

[03:44]  Kelly’s backstory[06:15]  Gemaco and other brands of cards

[08:22]  “The Macau way”

[09:20]  Automatic shufflers, reusing cards, mini baccarat, cards, and dealers

[14:33]  Edge sorting in blackjack

[16:14]  Developing the baccarat strategy[19:39]  Playing in Las Vegas, playing with Phil Ivey

[25:30]  Playing in Macau[27:28]  Foxwoods[30:43]  Casinos taking freerolls[32:00]  Don Johnson sees Kelly and Phil at The Borgata

[33:43]  Different rules in baccarat[34:44]  Eddie stories

[38:51]  Funny stories about frugality[43:04]  Commercials

[44:36]  Kelly’s nicknames[48:24]  Court cases in New Jersey and London

[50:35]  Playing video poker in Lake Tahoe[52:26]  Edge sorting in baccarat versus blackjack

[53:43]  Exploiting stereotypes[58:27]  Can Kelly still play?

Sponsored Links:

http://Unabated.com

http://VideoPoker.com/gwae

http://BlackjackApprenticeship.com

Books Referenced:

Tales from the Felt

Tales from the Felt: An Illustrated Anthology

I received an email:  Sam’s Town in Las Vegas has three different banks of 8/5 Bonus. Two of those banks have progressives on the royal flush only. The third has that progressive, plus three additional ones for the quads: aces, 2s-4s, and 5s-Ks. Since the game starts out at 99.17%, sometimes these games must be pretty good. How do I figure out how to calculate the return of these games quickly if I don’t bring computer software into the casino?

I’ve received similar emails about Double Double Bonus Poker. Eventually I’ll have strategy cards published so that you can just look up these things, but today I want to describe the process of “How do you figure it out?” using Bonus Poker.

To do this you need access to computer software. I’m using WinPoker today.

The base game with a 4,000-coin royal flush returns 99.1660%. I now set the royal flush to 8,000 coins and discover the game returns 101.4376%. Subtracting the first from the second, I get 101.4376% – 99.1660% = 2.2716%.

From here I make the assumption that the change in return happens evenly. That is, for each 100 coins of progressive, the royal changes 2.2716% / 40 = 0.05544%, which I’ll round to 0.055%.

That is, at 4,100 coins, the game is worth 99.166% plus 0.055% = 99.221%. It doesn’t take much effort to create the following chart:

The value of the royal progressive is seldom exactly at one of these numbers, but you can extrapolate. That is, a royal amount of 4,234 coins is worth 99.276% + 0.34 * 0.055% = 99.294%. 

Next we look at four aces. As the progressive of four aces rises, the change in value for that progressive is largely independent of the value of the royal. So, we can just add these increments together.

With the royal at 4,000 coins and four aces at 400 coins, the game returns the same 99.166% we used before. We’ll now set the value of four aces to 500 coins and we get 99.558%. So for the 100-coin increment of aces, we get 99.558% – 99.166% = 0.392%. This means for every 10 coins of increment, the progressive rises by 0.039%. For practical purposes, I use 0.04%. It’s close enough and is much easier to work with. But using the correct amount, we get:

Obviously if there is only a progressive on the royal, we don’t make any adjustment for the aces. 

For four 2s-4s, the process is similar. The return on the game with the royal and aces at reset, but four 2s-4s at 300 (instead of 200) is 100.2205%. So for every 10-coin increment of the value of these quads we get 0.10 * (100.2205% – 99.1660%) = 0.1055%. Creating a similar chart as before we get:

Finally, for the value of four 5s-Ks, we start at 125 coins and now check 225 coins, where the return is 102.4459%. Because this progressive hits so frequently, I’m going to display the chart in increments of five coins rather than 10. That is, for every five coins in increment we add 0.20 * (102.446% – 99.166%) = 0.112%. Creating the same sort of chart as before, we get:

When you come across the progressives, you simply add up the value of each of the progressives. I would also add in the amount of the slot club, which is normally 0.05%, unless you’re playing on a “Young at Heart” day (for seniors at least 50 who are Sapphire level or higher) the return is 0.5%.

It’s conceivable that there is a game somewhere where there is also a progressive on the straight flush. You figure it out the same way as described above.

I do not carry around the above charts with me. I do have a note on my iPhone that says for Bonus Poker, add 0.055% for 100 coins of royal, 0.04% for 10 coins of aces, 0.10% for every 10 coins of 2s-4s, and 0.10% for every five coins of 5s-Ks. When I come across such a game, I figure it out at the time.

I have similar notes for several other games. They are not difficult to create once you know how. Knowing the return on the game doesn’t tell me when to make adjustments. That is, from Q♠ J♥ T♥ 5♣ 2♦, how high does the royal have to be to change the correct play from QJ to JT? That is an extremely important question, but one we’re going to have to leave for another day.