The James Bond movies gave the world a glitzy view of casinos, as part of a long Hollywood tradition of glamorizing the world of gambling. Most often, the part of the casino portrayed was the area for “table games” and the Hollywood game of choice was Roulette. The actors almost always appeared in tuxedos, and the actresses with diamonds and furs.

Real table games are not quite that fancy, at least not any more, but there is still a mystique about them. They are still considered the heart of the casino experience. Why this might be is a little puzzling, since only one of these games offers to players a chance of a positive edge. That game is blackjack. In all the others, the house will eventually break even the richest of men, if he plays long enough.

This chapter describes how to go to a casino and play the table games. It offers advice on how to derive the most enjoyment from these games, and at the end there is a brief description of each one. Subsequent chapters in this Part on Table Games deal mainly with Blackjack, as it is the only table game played by Type II gamblers (no bets are placed when the edges is negative). The last chapter in this part covers the games other than blackjack in a little more detail, to complete the picture.

The Physical Layout

Upon entering a casino, the location of table games is quite obvious, as they are usually “out there” in the middle of the casino floor. The poker room, if there is one, is probably off to one side or in the back. The race and sports book is also tucked away somewhere. But the table games are hard to miss. The only possible obstructions to one’s line of sight are the slot machines. The only thing that gives the house a bigger financial advantage than table games is a bank of slots; hence this hierarchy of convenience and availability makes sense.

Blackjack tables are usually grouped in a formation, which is commonly referred to as a “pit.” In large casinos there may be more than one such constellation of tables. The other table games will usually be spread out around the floor.

“Table Games” are called such because each one is played at a table, attended by a casino employee. In blackjack and baccarat, this person is called a “dealer” and by extension, the attendants at other games are often called dealers, even if there is no dealing going on. Each table will have a felt cover, with betting circles or squares printed on it, together with the game structure (if any) and some of the rules. A card or placard usually is set next to the dealer’s left hand, stating the particular characteristics of the table, mainly the betting minimums and limits. With blackjack, this sign will also state the number of decks in use.

Around each table are a number of chairs. In blackjack and baccarat, the number of players in a game is limited to the number of chairs at the table. With roulette and craps it is possible, but not common, to have players also standing.

Understanding the System

The first thing a gamer needs is a “feel” for a casino. All experts recommend that any gamer who is new to a given casino stroll around for a while, watching various games in progress, and sizing up the skill and personalities of the various dealers (and the pit bosses, too, in the case of blackjack).

For someone new to the whole subject of casino gambling, this familiarization browsing should probably be the second trip to a casino. The first trip should be dedicated to pure reconnaissance. Choose a reasonably large casino and a fairly busy hour (but not a peak hour), and watch all the games in progress. Do not even entertain a thought about sitting down at a table. Watch particularly how the casino employees interact with the guests. Study how chips are sold. Study how dealers chat with customers. Notice where tipping goes on. Watch, if possible, the veterans for a while, and then see if it is possible to spot newbies (other than yourself). Compare the conduct, and try to determine how it was possible to cull out the newbies. Casino staff can do it without thinking, as if an “N” were tattooed on their foreheads.

Please note that it is not bad to be a newbie. In fact, casinos train their staff to be especially solicitous to them, to make the casino experience the best possible. They want newbies to come back often. One of the compensations a customer receives in a casino for suffering through games with zero or negative expectations is that the customer service is excellent, and the friendly, welcoming feeling conveyed by the staff is genuine at some human level. At least, it should be. The success of Las Vegas was not built on making people feel uncomfortable.

The real point is that when you are actually playing in a casino, there are many different things to concentrate on in order to do as well as possible with the bankroll. The more “how to” questions you can resolve before gaming, the better. This is why it makes sense to decide in advance what you are going to do and how.

One of the principal objectives of the reconnaissance trip is to learn the rules and the etiquette of the various games by watching. This is much cheaper than learning by playing, which is the tempting alternative. Las Vegas casinos generally play “standard” versions of these games; indeed, Las Vegas is often the source for the standard. But each game has variable aspects, and the rhythm and structure of each game is potentially much different from what one might expect from playing the game on-line or from reading about it on a web page. For example, a standard speed for blackjack is 100 hands per hour. That is about one hand every 36 seconds. If more than just a couple of people are seated at the table, the speed of play will be very brisk. A player will be under pressure to decide whether to stand or hit or split or double in just a second or two – much more quickly perhaps than one is used to playing blackjack in the home.

Notice how experienced players handle the chips and the cards (if any). For example, bets are placed in a single “put,” not in dribs and drabs. This really comes from poker, but is a casino-wide convention. Do not play with the chips you have, and never touch chips that have already been bet. If you have to play with something while you think (and don’t take much time, either), grow a mustache. If you have cards and they are face up, don’t touch the cards. The dealer does all the touching. If the cards are face down, don’t pick up the cards. And especially, don’t take the cards from the table area. Just bend up the corners slightly and peek. Try to develop the habit or remembering what the cards were, so you don’t have to keep looking at them. No one has ever improved a hand by looking at it a lot.

When winners win, they will give a chip of an appropriate amount (more than symbolic, less than the house vig) to the dealer. This is called a toke. It is not only courteous; it is smart, to encourage helpful service. Like wait staff, most of the dealer’s living comes from tokes.

Other decisions to ponder on this first trip into the casino include the betting minimums and betting limits. A newcomer will probably want to start out at the lower end of the spectrum, but it is important to know how much money that really implies. Even though the math is self-evident, it may not be emotionally obvious that a $100 bankroll can run out quickly at $10 per bet and a bet every 36 seconds or so. This is true, regardless of the game being played. Therefore, the reconnaissance trip should also involve some decision-making about the size of bets and the size of the bankroll.

Making a Plan of Attack

Once this familiarization tour has accomplished as much as it’s going to, the wise gambler goes back to the room and takes stock. These are the questions that need to be thought through before the first “real” trip to the tables.

1. How much do I want to spend (maximum) on this experience? This is the bankroll. The amount is very subjective, as it has a lot to do with personal attitudes towards money, how much there is, and what other things the money might be spent on. Obviously, don’t spend the money for the mortgage. In table games, even with blackjack, the “safe” expectation is that the casino will wind up with your bankroll sooner or later. The question is really how long you can make it last. Of course, it is better to come away with winnings, and many people do that. But the opulence of the casino is itself testimony that more people leave money behind than take it away. Now “safe expectations” may go out the window when the bankroll enters the casino, but for planning purposes, decide in advance how much you are prepared to pay for the experience.

2. How much is my minimum bet and my maximum bet? This decision is linked to the bankroll and to the choice of game. Betting limits also make it clear which of several different tables are the ones worth considering visiting for a session of play.

3. How serious a gambler do I want to be? Alcohol reduces inhibitions, not just in teenage dating, but also in gambling. This explains why casinos let gamblers drink for free. It’s not really free. (Surprise, surprise!) Professionals postpone using their comps until after the gaming session is over. Whether you do so or not is a personal decision. If the idea is to have a party, well, it can be quite a party. The cost is that the bankroll might shrink faster in the hands of a person with a couple of cocktails on the inside. Some casinos just serve the drinks, without using a system of credits for comps. This is the traditional Las Vegas approach, and even today it is sometimes used to encourage gamblers to drink now. It is a good idea to decide how to handle this situation in advance. Another aspect of being serious about gambling is to decide also how important it is to win. For professionals, it is the difference between making a living and not. For recreational vacationers, the stakes are much lower. If dropping a few bucks is going to spoil your day, then avoid games that virtually promise that you will lose. If making a tactical mistake at blackjack is going to wipe out your concentration, then practice more intensely before sitting down in the pit. Perhaps the most important consideration is how much gaming will affect your mood, especially if you lose. This has enormous implications for relationships if the significant other is with you. If gaming is not a light and pleasurable recreation, it may be better for the relationship (assuming that’s more important) if you went to see the sights of Las Vegas instead.

4. What games will I play? Professional gamblers all specialize. This would lead one to think that playing all the games is probably not a maximizing strategy. The more successful option is to dedicate to just one game the majority of your emotional energy, intellectual attention and financial investment. Certainly one might place a few bets at the other tables, just to be able to say so later, but if part of the fun is being on top of all the nuances, then specialization is a right strategy. Most “serious” gamblers (i.e., “Type II Gamblers” in the lexicon of Part One) chose blackjack as their table game, since all the others have negative expectations. No law forces a choice for blackjack, however. Just look around in the casino. There are dozens, maybe hundreds of people playing all the other games as well.

5. Where and when will I start? This choice involves how much of a crowd you want to include in the experience, how many others you are will to have at a table, and whether a specific players reward program (i.e., comps) is of value to you. Newcomers to blackjack will probably want to go to a casino during off-peak hours and take advantage of the complete attention of the dealer. Dealers are supposed to be friendly and discuss the game and the rules, time permitting. Other table games, like roulette and craps, are probably more fun when there are more people involved. Because the player reward programs are the only way to improve the player’s advantage over the house’s edge in most of these games, making maximum use of the program is a necessary aspect of getting the most for the gambling dollar. This consideration may influence which casinos are the best choices.

6. How long will I stay? Even though the house edge in table games is relatively small (normally in the -5% range down to zero), the casinos keep more than two-thirds of every dollar gambled. This is a paradox. The solution is that some dollars are gambled only once and go right into the casino’s pockets. Slot machines are a fairly common example of this direct method. But what about the dollars paid out to patrons? Such winnings are usually “reinvested” in more gambling. Thus most of the dollars paid by the casino are then re-gambled several times over until finally they move immutably into the casino’s plus column. Most visitors to casinos, then, play until their bankroll is gone. The key decision about when to quit is based neither on winnings, nor on time in the casino, but rather on how fast the bust comes. Once you are in the casino, the casino management does not want you to leave unless there’s no more of your money to take. That is why there are no windows and no clocks in the casino. Professionals know that there is a limit to how long a person can be effective and attentive to a game of chance. Periodic breaks are required “Shifts” of longer than a few hours are risky. Sometimes circumstances force a player into a marathon, but that is not the plan of choice. The best approach is to set a budget, not only for the bankroll, but for the time of play. It is best to decide in advance that if you haven’t busted in four hours (or whatever), you’ll cash in. For one thing, this helps to define “how you did.” When you go home and someone asks that question, they do not expect to hear, “Great! It took me 6½ hours to go broke.”

Getting Started

After reconnaissance and planning, it is exciting to arrive in your casino of choice, at the time of your choosing, with a bankroll and an idea of what you’re about to do. The first order of business might be to buy chips, but the dealer will sell chips, as will circulating chip vendors, usually pretty girls in the Las Vegas tradition. Your reconnaissance will have told you what seems to be the most sense about when and where to buy chips. Note that certain games require that you have a certain value of chips with you in order to start.

Unless you have already identified the dealer and table you want, a second round of reconnaissance – a short one – is the next item of business. This should become a casino habit.

Look for games in progress at the tables you might want to sit at. Sometimes there will not be that many tables or that much going on. First watch the play. Is it competent? Capable? Fun? Decide if the staff person (or dealer) is friendly and helpful, or serious and distant. Decide if this is in reaction to a particular player, or just the way he or she is. It is also important to size up the personalities of the people already playing at the table. Even though everyone plays against the house in table games (there are no competitions between or among players, as in the case of poker), no one wants to have a bad experience because he or she chose to sit next to someone who is loud, obnoxious or drunk. Non-smokers will have an additional consideration to take into account.

If a decision has been made to sit down at a table (as opposed to leaving and looking for a better spot), there are only a couple more considerations before play can begin. Some of these will depend upon the game selected, but if the reconnaissance was thorough, you will already know the next moves.

First, nothing should be done until the appropriate pause in the action. In blackjack, it is at the end of the current hand, for example. At the moment for an opening, place your hand on a chair and ask the person to your right if it is available. (Sometimes in blackjack a person will be playing more than one hand). If it is, just sit down and nod to the dealer. Smile. This is supposed to be fun. You are on a rest trip, and the dealer is working. You are stimulated by the surroundings, and the dealer is fighting boredom. Besides, the dealer can be a big help to you or not, as he or she may decide. If you need chips, hand over the cash right away. The others at the table understand that interruptions are inevitable as people come and go, but the idea is to minimize the disruption. Immediately place your first bet. As soon as all bets are placed, the round of the game will commence.

There is no requirement, indeed no expectation, that you will introduce yourself to the others at the table, at least not while play is going on.

Recall the rules about not touching the cards or the chips bet, and avoid playing with the chips in front of you. Remember also that chat about a game in progress is not only bad manners, but may affect the way other people play. Often there is no talking at all, except in between rounds or hands. This is a good starting policy for the casino novice. Talking uses up valuable read-only-memory in the cerebral computer that should be directed at the reason you are there in the first place.

Finishing Up

When the time comes to move on – either to another game or table, or to cash in for the day (or night) – simply tell the dealer that you done playing, give him or her a toke, and go on. Depending on the casino, the dealer may then count out your chips and pay you for them if you do not plan to use them at another table. This routine also may vary somewhat from table game to table game.

Just as the entrance to the game was quick and not disruptive, so also is the exit. Take as little time as possible. Nod to the other players, but there is no need for social interaction. They are not there just to trade niceties with you.

Casino Table Games

This is a short summary of the various table games offered in casinos. Greater detail is found in the ensuing chapters (2-4 for blackjack and 5 for the others).

Blackjack is a card game played with up to eight players and a dealer. Each person is playing against the house (i.e., the dealer), and the dealer has no discretion in how to play. That is, set rules determine what the dealer must do in every situation. The objective is to have as close to 21 points in the hand as possible without going over. Aces can be either one or eleven points. All face cards are worth ten points. Each player receives two cards. In turn, each either “stands” (meaning the cards already dealt are sufficient) or asks for a “hit” (another card). If the total exceeds 21, it is a “bust” and the house wins the bet. The dealer plays last. The dealer must hit his or her hand until at least 17 is achieved. Once 17 is achieved, the dealer must stand. If the dealer “busts” the players who did not bust will win. If the dealer does not bust, then the house wins if the points in the dealer’s hand exceed those in the player’s hand. Ties are considered a “push” and no money changes hands. A “natural” is an ace and a ten-value card. Sometimes this is called “blackjack:” In the hand of a player it is paid 3 to 2. All other winning bets are paid 1 to 1. Casino blackjack also includes “double down,” permitting a player to double the bet and take just one card, and splitting pairs, playing two hands in a round instead of just one.

Roulette is immediately recognizable, as it is played with the wheel. Bets are placed on the table and the dealer, also called a “croupier,” spins the wheel, releasing the ball. As the wheel and the ball slow down, the ball drops from the outer edge of the wheel and eventually comes to rest in one of the 38 possible slots. The dealer pays off the winning bets and collects the losing chips. The table is divided into sections according to the sorts of bets gamblers can make. “0” and “00” are for the house. Every other number between 1 and 36 can be bet upon, and will be wither red or black. Winning on a single number pays 35 to 1. Combinations are possible as well, such as two adjacent numbers, a row of three numbers, or the reds or the blacks.

Craps can be a noisy game. As many as 15 or 20 people can play at once. The craps table has a matrix of betting options on it, and players will then place bets on the table in accordance with what they think the thrower or “shooter” of the dice will do. The casino staff include two “dealers,” a “stickman” and a “boxman.” Each player has a turn at the dice, if he or she wants it. Everyone else can bet on what the shooter will do. A craps game involves a sequence of dice throws. The shooter may lose “control” of the dice at the end of the game, or keep it, according to how this sequence unfolds. A game begins when the shooter “throws” the dice against the walls at the end of the craps table. The dice are read, and the results will indicate if anyone has won or lost their bets. The basics are that the shooter’s first roll is the “come out” roll. If it is either 7 or 11, the game ends, and certain of the bets (e.g., Pass Line) win and others (e.g., Don’t Pass Line) lose. If the roll is craps (2, 3 or 12), the game also ends, and the winners and loser are in essence reversed. If the roll is anything else, it is the “point.” The shooter keeps shooting in that situation. If the point is repeated before a 7 is rolled, the shooter has “made his or her point,” and the game ends. Some of the bets will win, and some will lose, according to where the chips were placed. If a 7 is rolled before the point, the game is over, and other bets will win, others will lose.

Baccarat is a card game. The dealer deals two hands, one for the “player” and one for the “banker.” Anyone at the table can bet on which hand will win or if there will be a tie. Cards are dealt from a multi-deck “shoe.” The rules for play are set so that there is no discretion, no decision-making. Each hand has two cards. The value of the cards is 0 for tens and face cards, otherwise it is the value of the card (1 through 9). Totals are truncated, using only the right-most digit (that is, subtract 10 if the total is over 9). If the player hand is valued at 5 or less, another card is issued. The “banker” hand is evaluated the same way, but the rule for the third card is different. If the value is 0-3, a third card is issued. If the value is 7 or more, no card is issued. In between, it is issued or not according to whether the player hand received a card, and if so, what the value of the card was. (There is a table in the Baccarat discussion later on).

PaiGow Poker is usually played against the dealer (that is, the house), though is some casinos a player can act the part of “banker” and take on all comers. The player(s) (up to six) and the banker (usually the dealer) are dealt seven cards. The object is to make up a five-card hand (which is high) and a two-card hand (which is low) so as to beat the banker's hands, using conventional poker rankings with one exception. Losing both hands is a loss. Winning both hands is a win, and splitting with the banker is a push. The hands do not tie, however. In the case of a tied hand, the banker wins. The deck is 52 cards plus a joker or “bug,” which is an ace, or a card to fill a flush or a straight. The game starts unusually. After bets are placed, the dealer deals seven hands in front of him or her. Who gets which hands is determined by a throw of three dice. There is no draw. Players put their two card hand face down in a spot in front of them, and the five card hand face down behind. Then the bank’s hand is revealed and arranged (or “set”). The dealer then reads each player’s hands in order and collects, pays or returns the bets on behalf of the banker. The house collects a 5% commission on winning bets.

Pai Gow Tiles is played with 32 tiles that look a little like dominoes. Twenty-two come in pairs (11 of them) and eleven are mixed denominations. The tiles have rankings as pairs and as individual tiles. The dealer closes the betting and mixes the tiles. Each player receives four tiles face down. Then the dealer shakes four dice. Three of them define which playing area on the table receive the first tile stack. The other specifies which of six “tile cuts” will be used when the house “banks.” Players can now handle their tiles and set them for play. Each player and the house makes up two hands from the four tiles. One is “low” and the other is “high.” The house hand is set by a set of pre-determined rules. Ties in hand comparisons go to the house. Beating both house hands yields a win for a player. Losing both is a loss. Splitting with the bank is a push. A commission is collected on winning hands. Winning bets are paid off 1:1. Big Wheel is sometimes offered in casinos, especially for people unaccustomed to thinking hard (or at all) when gambling. If the game is being operated, it is usually pretty obvious, as it can be seen from far away. It looks like a small version of a Ferris wheel and is a smaller, vertical version of the wheel on the Wheel of Fortune TV game. Each position on the wheel contains a symbol, and sometimes a prize or a message that there is no prize (i.e., a loss). Bets are placed on squares corresponding to the symbols or squares around the periphery of the wheel. The wheel is spun, and the winning square or symbol is paid off at the payoff odds appropriate to that item. Usually there are about 50 possibilities, but the most generous payoff is 48:1. If five symbols are on the wheel, with true odds of 10%, the payoff will be something like 8:1. Thus, Big Wheel is a kind of roulette for people who aren’t sure of all their numbers, and the house, of course, enjoys quite an edge.

Caribbean Stud is usually five card poker against a dealer’s hand. There is an ante, often less than a dollar. Five cards are issued face down to each player and to the dealer, but the last dealer card is face up. It is possible to fold at this point; otherwise an additional bet equal to twice the ante is required to continue playing. Ace, king or a pair is the minimum hand to “open.” If the dealer can not open, antes are paid even money and the additional bet is returned. When both the player and the dealer can “open” the better hand wins. Payoffs are 1:1 for a pair, 2:1 and higher for better hands. There are extra bonuses for particularly high hands, and it is usually possible to participate in a progressive jackpot to pay off for a Royal or other straight flush.

Three-Card Poker and Four-Card Poker are similar to Caribbean Stud in some respects in that poker hand rankings control, and the players each take on the dealer or house. In both three-card and four-card poker, the player antes, and then either folds or doubles the ante after looking at the cards. The dealer needs a queen or better to “open.” If the dealer doesn’t open or if the player’s hand beats the dealer’s, the player wins even money. There are bonuses for high hands, usually a straight or better. In three-card poker, there is also “Pair Play,” which is a parallel bet on whether the player will receive a pair or better, regardless of the dealer’s hand. Payoffs start at even money and go up according to the strength of the hand. Four-card poker is similar, except that the parallel bet (called often called “Aces Up” on the game layout) is that the player will receive a pair of aces or better in the four-card hand.