Page 6 - March 2011 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
SIearching for Patterns
recently read a research article that discussed how our brain is programmed to search for patterns in any information that it receives. Of course, this is hardly news to anyone who has taken an ink blot test or stared at the sky and saw sailing ships or other objects in cloud formations. e study,
however, dealt more with how the brain will try to look for patterns in random information. A good example of this would be doing a word search puzzle where you identify and circle words found in rows and columns of letters. e words are the identi able “patterns.”
pairs come up on the screen. Whatever the pattern you perceive, your mind makes note of it and you start consciously looking for those cards on each draw. For example, you may notice that you are dealt a pair of threes. Your mind makes note of it and with each draw you are looking for that pair of threes. As much as it seems like there is a pattern to the way video poker hands are dealt, it is not really uncommon to see reoccurring cards. Most games are played with a 52-card deck (53 or 54 for Joker Poker) and you are dealt 5 cards per hand. e odds of being dealt a pair are 1 in 2.37, so it is not uncommon to receive a reoccurring pair when you are playing a few hundred hands per hour.
One casino game that promotes the belief in patterns more than any other is Keno. If you ask either live Keno or Video Keno players if they believe that the winning numbers drawn form patterns, most of them will tell you that they do. Keno players often talk about reoccurring patterns. ere are even several books that promote pattern play as the main strategy. ese reoccurring patterns are really not remarkable when you look at how the game is played. A Keno board consists of 80 numbers spread out in eight rows of ten numbers. During each game, twenty numbers are drawn. at means one quarter of all the numbers will be picked. It is quite likely that you will see an L, T, U, X, or some other recognizable pattern that repeats as you play. is is especially true when playing Video Keno because each game only last a matter of seconds. Statistically, patterns are more likely to occur than having numbers spread out evenly across theboard.
Pattern Strategy
Now that you know your brain searches for patterns while you are playing your favorite casino game, what should you do if you see a pattern? Bet on it. However, never bet more than you would on any other hand you play. Unless you are playing video poker or blackjack that uses a set mathematical playing strategy, it will not matter. You will be just as likely to win if you make your wagering selection on your perceived pattern as you would if you made your decision randomly. If you get more fun by placing your bets based on your pattern recognition, then by all means go for it. Having fun is the reason you play.
Until next time, remember: “Luck comes and goes.. Knowledge Stays Forever.”
Bill Burton 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. Burton is also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps: www.thecrapsclub.com.
e article cited a study that was done in 2002, by a group of researchers at Duke University Medical Center. ey discovered that a region of our brain automatically
watches for patterns in sequences of events, even when the pattern emerges by
random happenstance.
pattern, and most believe that they will nd something. If they do get lucky and make the right choice after discerning a perceived pattern, it will be positive reinforcement that patterns do exist and can be used to help a player win.
e mind tends to “Videopokerplayersoften
Limited Possibilities
One of the reasons that make casino games seem to have recognizable patterns is that they have a de ned number of outcomes available for each game. e smaller the number of possible results that can be achieved will result in the perceived formation of patterns. ree examples of casino table games that are popular with players who look for patterns are Baccarat, Roulette and Craps.
In Baccarat, there are only three possible outcomes: e winner will be the Banker, the Player or a Tie. In Roulette, there are only 38 outcomes if you are betting on the inside numbers (36 plus 0 and 00) and less if you are betting on red/black or odd/even wagers. In
organize the information that it receives, and tries to reduce it into simple patterns.
According to scientists, such compulsive pattern- perception evolved to enable humans in the natural world to escape danger, for example, by recognizing that a nearby twig snap and a growl signaled a looming preda- tor. However, they said,
“In today’s arti cial world such pattern perception also gives rise to maladap- tive superstitions such as the gambler’s belief that a pair of dice is ‘due’ to roll a seven.”
mention seeing certain
cards dealt in patterns as they play, or they may see reoccurring pairs come up
on the screen. Whatever the pattern you perceive, your mind makes note of it and you start consciously looking for thosecardsoneachdraw.For example, you may notice that you are dealt a pair of threes.
Your mind makes note of it
and with each draw you are looking for that pair of threes.”
While many people’s
brains may search for
patterns on a subconscious
level, most gamblers are
consciously searching for
patterns that they believe will give them an edge. ey will look at random past events and try to form them into a pattern that will reveal a possible winning play.
Craps, there are only 36 combinations that can be made with a pair of dice, but there are only eleven numbers that can be rolled with a pair of dice: the numbers 2 through 12.
With so few numbers to track, it is only natural that you can make your mind see a pattern in the results. But table games are not the only place where gamblers may see patterns. Many players report seeing patterns in slot machine games as well.
Video poker players often mention seeing certain cards dealt in patterns as they play, or they may see reoccurring
Some casinos even promote this notion by helping the player track previous hands during a gambling session. If you play Baccarat, for instance, you can ask for a score card to write down whether the last hand was won by the player or the banker. In casinos that o er roulette, most of the tables have an electronic scoreboard that will show the outcome of the last 20 spins. is makes it easier for players who want to “search” the results for a winning
PAGE 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
March 2011