Read the fine print

On a recent trip I had a stop in Las Vegas for a plane change. I don’t know why, but when you have to make a plane change you always seem to land at one concourse and are required to go to another one on the other side of the airport. That’s what happened to me on this trip. As I was traveling through the terminals I noticed eight video poker machines along a sparse wall and there were four people playing at the machines. A closer look told me they all were Jacks or Better games and 2 were 6/5, 4 were 7/5 and 2 were 9/6 machines. What was interesting was that none of the players were playing the 9/6 machines. A 9/6 has a return of 99.5%, the 7/5 returns 96% and the 6/5 only returns 95%. Here were identical games but the house was making more because players didn’t know the difference. The same is true for blackjack, craps, and even roulette. They might all “look” the same, but blackjack games will have different rules and craps different odds in different casinos, which can be a big factor when it comes to winning or losing. It pays to read the fine print. Read the placard at the table; look over the felt for information, and look to see if it might be a single zero roulette wheel or one with a double zero. If you don’t like what you “read,” move on.