Page 6 - September 2013 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Bill Burton: About Gambling
RCemembering Bill Burton
asino expert and contributing writer of the monthly About Gambling column in the Southern California Gaming Guide, Bill Burton, specialized in writing about gambling education. Author
of Get the Edge at Low Limit Texas Hold’em and 1000 Best Casino Gambling Secrets, his About Gambling column rst appeared on our pages in 2002, and then almost every month to June of this year. He was the former Casino Gambling columnist for About.com, and he wrote for several national gaming magazines including Casino Player and Strictly Slots. Bill was also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps.
He wrote this on his website some time ago:“My rst visit to a casino was in 1980. After mediocre winnings and a lot of excitement, I decided
to learn everything I could about casino games. It is this knowledge that I want to pass along to the readers of About Gambling. e greatest asset a player can have is being casino literate.”
Over 11 years of working with Bill, his legacy of gambling writing is clear. His articles emphasized practical casino tips: managing a bankroll, making the most of a casino visit, and learning about casino games. His signature catchphrase sums up his gambling credo: “Luck comes and goes ... Knowledge stays forever.”
Bill passed in July, and in his memory we reprint here the rst article that he wrote for the Southern California Gaming Guide that appeared in our September 2002 issue.
WMhat’s Luck Got to Do With It?
y friend Al is a serious blackjack player. His world revolves around the mathematics of the game. He thinks that luck is a four-letter word that should not be used in polite company. When he has a bad day at the table, he refers to it as a negative uctuation, and
a good day is a positive one. My friend Jack is a poker player who believes that even a bad player can get “lucky” from time to time. I believe that luck determines the way the cards are dealt, and knowledge determines how you play them for the best results. e ebb and ow of positive and negative uctuation is luck. e right end of the spectrum is good luck, and the negative is bad luck.
lemons, learn how to make lemonade.” e person who turns an adverse situation into an advantageous one is sometimes looked upon as being lucky, when it was actually their attitude that brought about the luck.
Here is a little exercise you can do to help change your attitude and your luck. When you get up in the morning, think about the luckiest thing that has happened to you in your life. Maybe it was meeting that special person
In the short term, luck will be a big factor in determining whether you win or lose. is is true of games that have positive expectations as well as games with a high house edge. If you are playing games with a high house edge, such as slots or roulette, luck will be the only way to win. In the long run, you will lose at these games. e casino will see the long term because they are open 24/7, and the math will equal out for them. But if you are only an occasional visitor to the casino, it is possible to have some short term wins. is is the reason that people go back to the casinos. If the outcome of each visit were based strictly on math, you would never win because there would be no deviation from the long-term results. If this happened, no one would play. If you knew you would lose ve cents on the dollar every time you bet a number in roulette or pulled the handle on the slot machine, it would be pretty silly to just hand over your money.
For games of skill like poker, blackjack or video poker, the“luck”factorwillevenoutasyoureachthetheoretical result referred to as the long run. Many wonder what constitutes the long run. Is it a million hands or two?
ere really is no speci c answer. Some casual players may never play enough hands in a lifetime to achieve long-term results.
e knowledge to play proper strategy to the best of your ability will help you move toward the positive end of the spectrum. Just believing in luck is not enough
in your life, or nding a hot stock that tripled overnight. Perhaps it was that one time you were in
“the right place at the right time.” Keep the thought of that event in the back of your mind. During the day, if things don’t go exactly right, think back on your past good fortune and don’t get discouraged.
ere is no guarantee that this will immediately change your luck, but as Sheryl Crow sang in her song, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” Being happy is one of the traits of a lucky person.
Good Luck!
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 billburton.com. Burton was also an instructor for Golden Touch Craps: thecrapsclub.com.
to improve your chances. A “Luck determines the wise man once said, “Faith
will move mountains, but you
better bring along your shovel,
and be prepared to help with the work.” In the casino, your shovel will be your knowledge of proper play.
Luck determines the cards you are dealt. Knowledge and skill determine how you play them. A lucky person nds a way to use his abilities to come out ahead. is is true in casino games and is also a factor in the game of life.
We all know someone who is extremely lucky. ink of the luckiest person you know. You will nd that person is usually happy, outgoing and upbeat.
ey know how to make the best of any situation. On the other hand, think about someone you know who always seems to have bad luck. Do they complain and gripe all the time? e lucky person is usually the one with the positive attitude.
It’s just possible that your attitude can change your luck. We’ve all heard the saying, “When life deals you
cards you are dealt. Knowledge and skill determine how you play them. A lucky person finds a way to use his abilities to come out ahead. This is true in casino games and is also a factor in the game of life.”
PAGE 6
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
SEPTEMBER 2013