You won't buck the casino with mail order tactics

Dear Mark,
What are your thoughts on some of the different systems on beating the casino that I see being sold on the internet? Clay R. aol.com

Legions of people are forever devising systems to beat the house, but if those systems you see on the internet were any good, casino owners would do what it takes in a New York minute so no lamb could ever slaughter the butcher. It's a gimme that owners of gambling joints don't spend bazillions of dollars to build mega-resorts so that some system player can come in, beat the hell out of the place, and ask for the keys to the front door.

You were not system-specific, Clay, but I have seen those ads you are talking about. "How to win every time at the roulette table. Send $10. P. O. Box---." Now, if their POBOX scheme were that good, would Mr. POBOX be waiting around for your measly $10 to show when all he could do is walk into a casino and pulverize the place? Sound a bit silly, Clay?

I do not know a casino owner alive who wouldn't send the limousine for a system player with a certified bankroll, and load them up with all the comps he could manage, and still make a fortune off him. The casino owner might even consider sending POBOX a thank-you note.

Dear Mark,
Could you please explain the difference between two "to" one and two "for" one? Is it the same or is the payout different? The two bewilder me. Jane B. Milwaukee, WI

Fret not, Jane, players confuse them all the time. Two "for" one is when you bet $1 you get $2 back- your original dollar wager plus a dollar profit. When the payoff is two "to" one, you will get your dollar back plus an additional two dollars.

Dear Mark,
You won't believe this, but red came up 15 times in a row in a Las Vegas casino last month, and no one made any money, that is except me. I bought in for $20 and walked away $635 richer. Thanks for the advice on never quitting on a winning streak, plus playing on a single zero roulette wheel. Dale G. Los Angeles, CA

Cheers, Dale, for identifying both the importance of playing on a single zero roulette table and your run at roulette splendor and renown. Your letter shows why I constantly preach: never, ever quit a winning streak. Let the streak quit you. Press your wagers and bet increasingly more, even if you have to stay all night. It may never happen again in your lifetime. Once the wheel of fortune creaks- one loss, two loses, three loses max- head for the cashier's cage. Walking away a winner is so much fun. You can take the your profits and run, and no matter how hot the roulette dealer gets after your streak, she can't touch your winnings once you're out the front door.

By the way, Dale, the odds of red appearing 15 times in a row on a single zero roulette table are 50,000 to one.

Gambling thought of the week: "Nobody is always a winner, and anybody who says he is, is either a liar or doesn't play poker." - Amarillo Slim