Pumping Oxygen into a casino is NOT a trick of the trade
Dear Mark,
My friend believes that many of the Vegas casinos pump oxygen
through the air conditioning system to enrich the air. The purpose
is to keep you from sleeping as long and therefore gambling more.
I didn't notice any difference in my sleeping habits, but still,
my friend insists he's right. Is he? Colin I.
Colin, your friend is full of, of, of, OK, I'll be nice, baloney.
What comes to mind every time I hear this rumor are the three
Apollo astronauts who died when a small spark combined with oxygen
ignited their space capsule creating one of NASA's worst disasters.
According to my neighbor Dick (Captain, South San Francisco Fire
Department), "pumping oxygen into a casino would be a tremendous
fire hazard that would greatly increase the flammability of all
other objects. Any small fire, anywhere in the hotel, would be
fanned and magnify itself by pumped oxygen." As for the risk/reward
opportunity, no casino would ever entertain the thought.
Of course that doesn't mean the casino doesn't have its share
of tricks to part bettors from their cash. Casinos spend tens
of thousands of dollars each year studying whether scents, interior
design (yes, even that gaudy carpeting) or trying to keep light
off the foreheads of customers-which is draining on them from
an energy standpoint-will make players stay and play more. If
somehow a casino could figure out how to keep each and every patron
playing just five more minutes a night, it would add millions
to a casino's gross each year.
Now back to this ridiculous rumor of pumping oxygen, Colin. It
does have a starting point. I believe ground zero comes from Mario
Puzo's book, Fools Die, where the practice of pumping
oxygen was written by Puzo regarding the mythical Las Vegas casino
Xanadu. I guess your friend translated this fictional work into
reality, but hey, Colin, maybe casinos one day will try decreasing
the oxygen to disorient the players even more than they already
are.
Dear Mark,
What is the most popular slot machine in the casino? Tara C.
The bulk of the lucrative slot business has been the exclusive
territory of one manufacturer, International Game Technology (IGT).
Their bread-and-butter comes from the most popular machine in
America: the Red, White and Blue reel slot. And what makes the
Red, White and Blue so popular? Player appeal. People flock to
the colors that represent America. Players also love the paytable
that offers plenty of low and midrange hits with enough high-end
hits to keep them coming back for more.
Note here, Tara, that the above description of "hit rewards"
comes from IGT company literature, not me. Because most slots
typically have a casino advantage well above my recommended two
percent, avoid putting those Red, White and Blue machines in your
playing arsenal.
Dear Mark,
In my favorite casino, the Caribbean Stud progressive tote is
at $55,200 for a royal flush. How good a wager, and when is it
mathematically in my favor? Jimbo M.
Sorry, Jimbo, I can't recommend this wager to anyone. First,
note there are 2,598,960 possible poker hands using a standard
52-card deck. Now divide that figure by four (the different suits)
and you'll come up with 649,740. Because you don't get to draw
any cards in Caribbean Stud, this mathematically is the odds of
hitting a royal. Jimbo, one in 649,740 is too big a differential
from the $55,200 they plan on paying you for me to endorse this
play.