Casinos
There’s a reason they are big and extravagant!
Games
• Roulette
• Black Jack
• Red Dog
Roulette History
• Roulette is the oldest casino game still in
existence.
• Roue is the French word meaning “wheel”
• The present form of the game comes from 1765
when a Parisian police official wanted a gambling
game that would stop the cheating rampant
throughout the city.
Coming to America
• Roulette first came to the U.S. through New
Orleans in the early 1800s.
• Though many in Europe favor this game for its
simplicity and elegance, it hasn’t really caught on
in the States.
Rules
• The U.S. wheel consists of 38 numbered slots:
numbers 1 to 36, a zero, and a double zero.
• The table consists of every possible number as
well as “outside” or combinations of numbers.
• Players make their bets, the dealer spins the
wheel and a ball in a track. The ball eventually
lands on a number and payoff are made
accordingly.
Bets and Payoffs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Red
Black
Odd
Even
1 to 18
19 to 36
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
1
1
1
1
1
1
to
to
to
to
to
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
47.37%
47.37%
47.37%
47.37%
47.37%
47.37%
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 to 12
13 to 24
25 to 36
Sixline (6#s)
First five (5#s)
Corner (4#s)
Street (3#s)
Split (2#s)
Single number
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
pays
2 to 1
2 to 1
2 to 1
5 to 1
6 to 1
8 to 1
11 to 1
17 to 1
35 to 1
31.58%
31.58%
31.58%
15.79%
13.16%
10.53%
7.89%
5.26%
5.26%
Black Jack History
• Gambling with playing cards spread steadily
throughout Europe after Johann Gutenberg
printed the first deck of cards in Germany in
1440.
• The game of “one and thirty” was first played
sometime before 1570 in Spain.
• The game of 21 was first listed in America in
1875.
21 to Blackjack
• Acceptance of the game was slow, so to stimulate
interest, operators offered to pay 3 to 2 for any
count of 21 in the first two cards.
• The payout was 10 to 1 if the 21 consisted of the
ace of spades and a black jack. Hence the name.
Overview
• A blackjack table consists of seven betting spots
on the table, however, it is not a group game.
• Each bettor is playing against the dealer and
betting against the house; the number of players
or where they sit has no outcome on the game.
• The decision to draw or not draw by any one
player has no long-run effect on other players.
The Goal
• Many people mistake the goal of blackjack as
trying to make a hand of 21 with designated card
values.
• The actual goal is to be closer to 21, without
going over, than the dealer.
• If you keep this goal in mind it is a much more
relaxing and enjoyable game.
Basic Game Play
• The game begins with a player placing their bet.
• The dealer will deal the player and themselves
two cards. The dealer will have one “up” card and
one face down. Depending on the casino, the
players cards may be face up or face down.
• Cards 2 – 10 are scored at face value. Face cards
are valued at 10 points. Aces are the wild card
and can have a value of 1 or 11.
Basic Terms
• Soft hand – any hand involving an ace. You get to
decide if you want to use it as a 1 or 11.
• Hard hand – any hand not involving an ace. The
count is a hard count.
• Hit – draw another card from the dealer.
• Stand – you do not want anymore cards.
• Bust – Having a hand over 21. Automatic loss.
• Push – player and dealer have the same total.
Player’s bet is usually returned.
• Double Down – you double your bet on your first
two cards and draw only one more card after.
Good double down hands is hard 9 through hard
11.
• Splitting Pairs – if you are dealt a pair, you may
split them and make two new hands.
Card Counting
• Seriously? You think you’re going to beat the
casino? Don’t count on it.
• Only bet money you are able to lose.
Red Dog History
• Created in the 1800s in America.
• Originally known as In-Between. However,
original rules made it easy to cheat.
• Re-introduced when gambling was legalized in Las
Vegas in 1931 under the name Red Dog.
How to Play
• This is a game of you versus the cards.
• A wager is placed, then two cards are dealt.
• You may then place another wager or stay with
your original (you may not remove money from
the table).
• Your favorable outcome is that a third card has a
value between the two original cards.
• Payoffs differ based on the spread.
Payouts for Red Dog
Poker
Spread
Payout
1 – card
5 to 1
2 – card
4 to 1
3 – card
2 to 1
4 – 11 – card
1 to 1 (even money)
Strategy
• There isn’t really a strategy for Red Dog.
• Your best time to raise is if the spread is 7 or
more.
• This is a complete game of luck; you cannot
control the game in anyway or hope to skill your
way to a win.