A Winning System Part 2 - The Frugal Gambler

Last time, in A Winning System Part1, I gave you an overall view of three products to help make you a winnerat the casino. The Foundation of this system is“” by Jean Scott. When you addthe value of comps with the positive expectation of Video Poker, you cancome out ahead. Jean shows you how to do this.

I first read about Jean years ago in the Las Vegas Advisor, in which thepublisher, Anthony Curtis, had dubbed her the “Queen of Ku Pon”.About two years later on CBS’ news magazine“48 Hours” DanRather called her “The Queen of Comps” as they highlighted thestory about the woman who stays many weeks a year in Las Vegas, eats in finerestaurants, and does it all for Free.

In “The Frugal Gambles” Jean gives us a look at how she and herhusband Brad went from playing $100 a hand Blackjack to playing 25 cent VideoPoker and receiving more comps from their “Low Roller” action.Jean explains how the casino comp system works, shattering many of the mythsthat players have heard about the casinos. You will find out about many ofthe comps available to you as a player. She then shows you how you can utilizea positive expectation game like Video Poker to get your fair share of thesecomps.

This book is not for video poker players only. Jean has advice and tips foranyone visiting a casino regardless of which game you choose. In the chapterentitled “Great Expectations” Jean gives us a view of the differenttypes of Casino players which she calls the “Pyramid of Gamblers.”At the base is the confused player with no casino knowledge what -so -everup to the Pro player at the top. The chapter has excellent charts showingthe house edge for all the games and gives you an idea of the price you payto play the various games.

Besides explaining how to go about obtaining comps from the casino, she explainsthe value of taking advantage of the many promotions offered by the casinos.You will learn about Funbooks and Free tournaments and a chapter is devotedto the most important tool for earning your share of comps, “The SlotClub.

Another chapter is devoted to The Airline Bump. Until I read Jean's bookI did not realize how to go about getting a bump on an airline flight. Thispast summer I was on my way to Las Vegas to meet with some friends, Jeanbeing among them. The night before leaving, I re-read the chapter on theAirline bump, followed her advice and was successful in getting bumped. BeforeI even got to Vegas I had “Won” a Free ticket from the airlines.As soon as I saw Jean, I told her the advice in that chapter alone had paidfor my copy of the “Frugal Gambler” many times over.

I asked Jean if she would share some of her wisdom for this column. Hereare a few tips she had to offer about stretching your money in the casinos:
1. Go down in denomination. If you are losing too much playing dollar slots,switch to quarters. Switch from green chips to red chips at the table games.
2. Slow down your play. Feed machine coins rather than using bill acceptors.Choose a crowded table at BJ, craps, or roulette; you will play fewer hands.
3. Change your game to one with a lower house edge. Video keno has arounda 8% house edge; video poker usually has only around 2-3%.
4. Play the same game but choose a better bet. In roulette a wheel with adouble zero will have you losing about 5% over the long haul; a single-zerogame will lower that to 3%. At the crap table, skip the hardway bets whichhave a house edge of over 9% and put your money on the pass line and takethe odds - you will reduce that edge to under 1%.
5. Play the same game but play it better. Most people who play BJ with aseat-of-the-pants strategy will give the casino at least a 3% edge. A basicstrategy player can cut that to well under 1%. A video poker student canavoid the low-paying machines that abound and find those few that will paythem over 100% in the long run.
6 Don’t be afraid to ask for a comp. Many comps are easy to obtain butyou have to ASK!!
*****

If you want to have a fair shot at coming out ahead of the casinos, you musttake advantage of all the comps and freebies that the casinos offer. TheFrugal Gambler will show you how.

The next step is to learn how to play Video Poker. Next time I will reviewDan Paymar’s“”.

Until next time, remember:
Luck comes and goes...Knowledge stays forever.

A Winning System Part 1
A Winning System Part 3
A Winning System Part 4

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