Page 12 - December 2006 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
IDeal or No Deal: Go Home a Winner
have always loved playing games, and that is why I also enjoy watching certain game shows on television. ere are also a few games that I nd interesting because of the way participants are put to the test in making life-changing situations. One game show is the
jackpot and then lost it all back. ey justify their decision to keep playing with the excuse that they were having fun.
Many viewers watch Deal or No Deal and fantasize about what they would do if they were in the place of the contestant. However, anyone who plays casino games has actually played a version of this game.
Your Call
When you win money at the casino, it is similar to receiving an o er from “ e Banker.” If you decide to take the deal, you cash out your winnings and go home with your money. If you decide not to take the deal, you keep playing with the hope of winning more money.
Sometimes casino players get caught up in the excitement of playing and they become like the contestant and forget that there is real money at risk.
e best way to handle this is to take a break for a few minutes if you win a jackpot and try to take the emotion out of your decision to keep playing or not. Sometimes it is better to “take the deal” and go home a winner.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes... Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton is the Casino Gambling Guide and columnist for the Internet portal About.com, located at http://casinogambling.about.com He is the author of 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets and Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em available online at www.billburton.com. He is an instructor for Golden Touch Craps, http://www.thecrapsclub.com.
highly popular Deal or No Deal.
e allure of this game for me is that it is based on
odds and probability even though I’m sure that fact is lost on many of the contestants.
For those unfamiliar with the show, it works like this. ere are 26 cases containing dollar amounts from one cent to one million dollars. e player chooses one case to keep or sell back to “ e Banker.” e player then selects cases to open, eliminating amounts displayed on the board. After the player opens the rst six cases he receives an“o er” from e Banker with an amount to sell his case. If the player does not take the deal, she must open up ve more cases before the next o er—then four, three, two and then eventually one case at a time. As each case is opened, the likelihood that the player has a valuable cash amount in his or
her case decreases or increases.
In the beginning, the amount o ered to buy the
case is low. is is done to entice the contestant to keep playing. But after the rst few rounds, the o er is based on the amount of money left in the unopened cases divided by the number of cases remaining. If the
amount o ered is high, it tests the player’s emotional fortitude to take the o er or quit. ere are two emotions that are linked to the player’s decision.
Emotional Decisions
Years ago when I started trading stock options, my mentor told me that for most people nancial decisions were based on the emotions of fear and greed. People are either afraid to lose their money or are greedy and want more. He told me that to be successful, you have to take emotion out of the decision and base it on the facts, weighing the risk factor versus the reward.
During a recent episode of Deal or No Deal, I saw a contestant make his decision on another emotion that was neither fear nor greed. It was a special edition of the show with a top prize of $2 million. He was o ered $467,000 for his case, and when he turned down the o er he said,“I don’t care about the money, I’m having fun!”
I have heard this comment before. It is usually made by someone who has gone to the casino, won a small
December 2006 Bingo Calendar
AGUA CALIENTE CASINO
Sun. Matinee 7 p.m., Main Session 2 p.m. Mon. – ur. Matinees 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., Main session 7 p.m. Sat. at 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m and 9 p.m. Info: 760-321-2000.
BARONA VALLEY RANCH RESORT AND CASINO
Bingo ursday–Sunday, 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., and 7:30 p.m. (2-hour session) ten games per session. $8 buy-in (6-on pack) up to $200/game at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. $10 buy-in (6-on pack), 7:30 p.m. buy-in $20 paper/$40 electronic, $8 cover-all cost, $1,199 consolation. Players who reach coverall in 50 number or less can win $100,000! Bingo will be closed December
1–6, 11–13, 18–20 and 26–27. December Specials: ursday, December 7th and 21st, $5 buy-in per session, 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday, December 24th and 31st, 10@$10 Bingo Comp, all sessions. December 25th, 2 bu et for 2+ $10 Bingo Comp, 10@$10 Bingo Comp, $20 buy-in pays $1,199 at 7p.m. and 9p.m., regular
session 5 p.m. Phone: 888-7-barona.
FANTASY SPRINGS RESORT CASINO BINGO PALACE
Open daily. Matinees Mon.–Sat. 2:30 p.m., Sunday 7 p.m. Main Session Mon.–Sat. 6:30 p.m. and Sun. 2 p.m. Main session buy-ins are $15 pays $600 or $25 pays $1,199 unless otherwise noted. Bingo Information Line, 800- 827-2946. December Specials: Sunday, December 3rd, 10th and 17th : Super “C” Electronic Pack/90 Main
Game Cards; Monday, December 4th, 11th & 18th: $10 pays $500 and $3 Side Packs pay $1,000; Tuesday, December 5th, 12th, 19th & 26th: $15 Axe the Tax pays $1,199; Wednesday, December 6th, 13th & 20th: $15/$25 Deluxe Packs includes early birds; Wednesday, December27th:$3,000UltimateCashGame;Thursday, December 7th, 14th, 21st & 28th: Electronic Max Pack Double Cards pay $600/$1,199, $10 paper pays $500, $3 Side Packs pay $1,000; Friday, December 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th: 5-4-5 Friday, $5 buy-in pays $500 (electronic minimum $30); Saturday, December 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd & 29th: Super “C” Electronic Pack/90 main game cards; Christmas Eve Day December 24th: Main session only at 1 p.m., no 7 p.m. matinee, $5 buy-in pays $500. Christmas Day December 25th: 2 p.m. session only, $15/$25 buy-ins + 1,000 Club Fantasy Points. New Year’s Eve December 31st: Special New Year’s Eve Bingo Program with surprises—call for details andtomakereservationsat800-827-2946.
MORONGO CASINO RESORT SPA
Wed.– Fri., games at 6 p.m., Sat., 4 p.m., Sun., 2 p.m. Phone: 1-800-252-4499 ext. 3954.’
SAN MANUEL INDIAN BINGO & CASINO
High Stakes Bingo Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: Mid-day Matinee 2:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.; Evening Matinee5 p.m.–6 p.m.;PracticeGames:6 p.m.;Warm-Ups:
6:30 p.m.; Regular Games: 7 p.m.; Late Birds: 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Matinee Madness: 2 p.m.; Regular Games: 4 p.m.; Late Birds: 7:30 p.m.; Night Owls: 8 p.m.
SOBOBA CASINO
Tues.–Fri. 9a.m., Sat at 10a.m. Early Birds, Regular Sessions and Intermission Games: $10 buy-in, $15 games paying up to $250, three specials pay $500 each. Phone:1-888-772-7626.
SYCUAN RESORT & CASINO BINGO PALACE
Daily 9:30 a.m., 11:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 7 p.m. Phone 1-800-2-sycuan.
VIEJAS CASINO
Mon.– urs. 11a.m., 2p.m., 6:30p.m. and 7:30p.m. Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m., 2 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m, Sun. 12 noon, 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m. Phone: 619-445-5400
Page 12
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
December 2006
Southern California Bingo Calendar About Gambling with Bill Burton