My first time in a casino was a novice gambler's dream. I hauled in $105 at a two-dollar minimum blackjack table at Bally's Las Vegas by recklessly doubling my bet after each losing hand and unconventionally doubling down on 12. It's not a system I recommend as I've been unable to duplicate that success in any casino or controlled experiment.
There are a myriad of ways you can lose in a casino, but for my money none are as creative as the sportsbook. I have to admit to some fascination by how the odds are determined. On any day, why, for example, are the Lakers favored by 9 points over the Suns, and the Chargers's chances of winning it all next year are an astronomical longshot of 500:1? It helps to understand the odds are not a prediction by oddsmakers. Their expertise is in crunching the player and team stats and setting the odds to induce the gambling public to put down roughly the same amount on either side of the bet. The casino profits regardless of the payout, except when the underdog triumphs in a big upset. That's why odds can change as the bets roll in. In essence, gamblers try to predict the winners with their dollars.
On line, you can bet on almost anything. Which team will win the next Super Bowl. Who will be your next president, mayor, congressman or prime minister. What Wills and Kate will name their baby. The Oscars winners. The choice to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. You can enter a "ghoul pool" and bet which celebrity will be the next to die. The only limits are your imagination and someone's willingness to take your money. Got stocks? The stock market, says one investor I know, is the world's biggest casino.
Hesitant to bet? You already gamble every day. Drive or walk through an intersection and you're betting a driver in cross traffic won't run a red light at the same time. If you take out life insurance or a reverse mortgage, you're laying down a bet on your life span. When you drink and drive, you're calculating the odds and betting you'll arrive home safely.
Here's a sample web site where you can place your bets. Good luck. I'll be over at the slots.
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