Lucky7

Most gamblers, casino dealers know, don’t know when to quit.

We’re not talking about gambling addiction here, which is its own extreme disease.

This is true of your garden variety, casual casino customer. The guy who drops in once every blue moon with a group of friends or the woman whose girls night group has had a few margaritas and feels naughty.

The flashing lights, the cacophony of pings and dings and chatter are overwhelming, and before you’ve even settled in you’ve lost 50 bucks. Or a hundred.

The people who are closest to the action? The dealers. We found a veteran Baton Rouge casino dealer. We’ll call him Charlie Green, not his real name—no need to go and get the guy fired.

We asked Charlie for some insight about us poor slugs who stumble into his beguiling web. He shared some open secrets, insights and observations to ponder that just might make your next trip to the casino more fun and less painful.

Leave when you’re ahead

It is perhaps the most mind-boggling reality of gambling, and Charlie says almost no one is above it. “Ninety-six percent of gamblers are up by 10% of their bet at some point, but only 2% walk out with the casino’s money.”

But as he points out, “If everyone left when they were ahead, casinos would close. You need to leave when you’re up. If you’re not going to leave when you’re up, then when are you going to leave?”

Your system will not succeed

We all know some guy with a sure-fire system that defies luck. Charlie says no one is stronger than luck.

“Casinos love people who play by a system because you’re guaranteed to lose,” Charlie says. “I can’t tell you how many cousins and friends I have who say, ‘We’ve got a system to play roulette.’ All I can say is, ‘You’re dumb.’”

Behave! You’re being watched

Casinos are shrines to decadence. So with booze, gambling and cocktail waitresses in abundance, patrons are under constant surveillance. Even the parking lot is on tape to protect employees and customers. “If something happens, all the video is on file for [about] a month,” Charlie says. “If you go in there within a couple of days and say this happened at this time, then [security] can pull up the cameras from it.”

Texas hold ‘em is bait

Think you’ve learned a trick or two in your weekly Texas hold ’em game and want to try your chances at the casino? Not a good idea. The game that’s fun with friends and keeps you watching reruns on TV is bait at the casino.

“The thing about Texas hold ’em, people complain that it’s always too small and they can never get in,” Charlie said. “It’s meant to be that way because the casino doesn’t make that much money on it. It’s more of a promotion to get people to go [to the casino]. They keep it small. They keep it full. That way, while you’re waiting to get in the room, you’ll play something else.”

Slots are a tease

Slot machines are impossible to ignore. They’re loud, bright, and can be played for nickels. Charlie says the low price to play masks a cruel reality.

“Slots are evil. You can win, but it’s always somebody else’s money. Slot machines are programmed to never lose money. They can’t make a big payout unless they’ve taken in the money to cover it. Per amount of space, slots make the most money for the casino.

The only reason table games are still there is because people expect them.”

Don’t count cards

Charlie says all casino supervisors are trained to count cards. If a dealer suspects a patron of doing it, the

supervisor will be brought over to your table to watch the game to see if you’re counting.

Getting caught will get you kicked out of the casino. And even getting away with counting cards may not fatten your wallet. “You could count cards and never get an advantage.

[Card counting] allows you to know when [it’s best] to increase your bet. It still doesn’t mean you’re going to win.”

Listen to your dealer and leave a tip

If your dealer tells you it’s time to go, you should head for the door. “Yesterday, I had a guy come to my table with $300,” Charlie says. “He got up to $900. I said, ‘Hey man, it’s probably time to go. You tripled your money.’ No, he’s going to play. He gets back down to $400. He’s still $100 up. I said, ‘Man, I told you. You should have left.’ Later on he gets back up to $1,000. I said, ‘Hey man, it’s about time to go. I could almost promise you that if you don’t leave now, you’re not going to leave with this much money.”

He lost it all.

Whether winning or losing, Charlie says put your money to good by sending some to the his end of the table. “Dealers make less than minimum wage. Tip your dealers. It’s especially good to tip them while you’re winning because I can’t tell you how many players leave broke, and the only money that stays is the money they give the house.”