The legacy of The Gambler
Dear Mark,
Were you surprised when the Navajo Indians recently voted against
casino gambling on their reservation? I thought that every tribe
wants casino gaming. Why didn't the Navajos jump on the wagon
train (pardon the pun). Brady M.
If you believe in the Navajo legend, of The Gambler, you would
know that gambling has a deep cultural resonance for the Navajo.
Their oral tradition has many stories warning against the dangers
of overindulging in gambling. Also, tribal president Albert Hales
opposed the measure because federal law requires the Navajos to
negotiate a casino agreement with the states. Hale believes that
such an agreement erodes the tribe's status as a sovereign nation.
Plus, the tribe voted against casino gambling on their reservation
just three years ago. So, Brady, for the above reasons, particularly
the traditional myth of an out-of-control gambler who goes out
and wins-and then loses-everything, I was not surprised by the
Navajo's rejection of casino gambling.
As legend has it, the tale begins when the Spirit of the Sun,
a gambler himself, wants a large piece of turquoise held by a
Pueblo tribe. The sun sends his son, The Gambler, to Earth to
wager for the invaluable sea-green stone. The Gambler is unbeatable.
He wins the rain, snow, plants and flowers, and everything else
in sight, leaving the tribe impoverished. Eventually The Gambler
wins the turquoise but wants to gamble against his father for
it. So the Spirit of the Sun teaches his other offspring how to
gamble and win the turquoise back from his brother. The second
son is victorious and ultimately he shoots The Gambler into the
sky with his large bow.
So, Brady, you decide. Was it being at the states' mercy, a rebuff
three years earlier, or folklore that tells its people to be very
cautious when it comes to gambling? Myself, I believe in ni'hwiilbiihi,
"the one that wins the people."
Dear Mark,
I got into a beef with a pit boss over picking up my pass line
bet after the point was made. Can a pass line bet be taken off
the table once a point has been established? Don D.
A pass line bet is a contract wager committing your participation until an eventual outcome. Sorry, Don; it lays, it plays.
Dear Mark,
In past columns, you've stated the benefits of playing slots
that advertise returns of 98.5% versus machines that pay back
93%. Come on, Mark, we're talking just a few dollars difference.
What's the big deal? Noreen D.
The "big deal" is that the casino knows the average
Joe and Josephine don't play through their money just once but
keeps playing their tray (credit) return over and over again during
the course of their stay. That's why finding higher payback machines
is so important. Example: On a 93% return machine if you were
to play your entire $100, you can expect back, "in theory,"
$93. Of course, the casino anticipates your playing the $93, so
expect a return of $86. Put in the $86, and your return will be
$80. Play through the $80, get back, $74. Can you see, Noreen,
how the casino is grinding away at your crispy Ben Franklin?
Now, using the same example on a machine returning 98.5%, put
in $100 and get back $98.50. Play that, and you'll get $97 back.
Put in the $97, expect a return of $95. Of course this is all
based on a pre-programmed computer chip in the slot, but see how
much better it is to play the higher payback machines? It keeps
you in action much longer, long enough possibly to hit a decent
jackpot.