Jimmy the Greek's Crash Course on Vegas

The following test was created especially for Playboy at the Superwinners' Institute, a gaming-consultation firm. Answers (and explanations) are on page 156. And remember, as Louis Pasteur once said, "Chance favors only the mind that is prepared."

1. The game is blackjack, Las Vegas Strip rules (dealer must take a hit on 16, must stand on 17; blackjack pays 3 for 2). The dealer is showing a 5; you hold a 10 and a Q. What is the correct play?

A. Split the ten counts

B. Stand and insure

C. Stand

D. Double down

2. You are playing roulette and recall that the last five numbers were red. Your best play is to bet on:

A. Red

B. Black

C. Green (0 and 00)

D. Any of the above; if makes no difference

3. The so-called point spread or Las Vegas line is:

A. An indicator of the relative strength of the teams

B. A device to stimulate bettor interest

C. An indicator of the probable winner

D. All of the above

4. One way to beat the races is to always bet the favorite to show.

A. True

B. False

5. The usual percentage taken off the top of the pari-mutuel pool at the race track is:

A. 5 percent

B. 10 percent

C. Too small to matter

D. 15--20 percent

6. You are playing gin rummy with someone who usually shows you the bottom card when dealing. You know that this is:

A. Essentially meaningless

B. Often a decisive advantage

G. Sometimes a small advantage

D. A false indicator--don't look at it; it will confuse you

7. Poker is a game of:

A. High skill

B. All luck of the cards

C. Mostly luck, but some skill and knowledge are required

D. Skill if stud but luck if draw

8. The player who has the best position in a draw-poker game is:

A. The dealer

B. The player on the dealer's immediate left

C. The player on the dealer's immediate right

D. There is no appreciable difference

9. Baccarat is:

A. A card game that allows the players to bet among themselves; Skill determines the outcome

B. A recent fad, played on the back of a checkerboard

C. A card game that pits the players against the bank with an even-money bet

D. Another form of casino gambling--the house retains the percentage

10. Wagering with a neighbor on the outcome of a football game, using the line as printed in the newspaper, is an example of:

A. A bad bet--but the percentage is less than I the bookmakers'

B. A bad bet--the percentage is the same as the bookmakers'

C. A good bet--you have the percentage

D. An even bet--neither side has an advantage

11. You are playing poker with the guys from work; 52-card deck and the deuces are wild. (continued on page 154) How's Your Gambling I.Q.? (continued from page 109) You're dealing, the pot was opened and then called twice. You hold K, 8, 6, 2, 2. The correct play is:

A. Call (draw three, discard K, 8,6)

B. Call (draw two, discard 8,6)

C. Call (draw one, discard K)

D. Fold

12. A good way to beat a game such as roulette, wherein you get an almost even bet on red and black, is to wager on one color or the other and double the bet if you lose. Then continue to do so until the odds have a chance to catch up and you win the original amount bet.

A. True--except that you must occasionally cover the house numbers 0 and 00

B. True--simultaneously work the high/low to win more

C. False--switch back and forth each spin to make this work

D. False--one of many fallacious systems

13. When a middle is created because of betting trends, the football bettor:

A. Is restricted by the bookmaker as to the maximum bet that he can make on that game

B. Should avoid this game, as he must surely lose

C. Should bet less than normal; the odds are against him

D. Has a rare opportunity to make a combination of wagers that cannot lose but may not win

14. You are playing craps at home with several other people. Correct winning strategy would include:

A. Bet with the shooter as often as possible

B. Shoot the dice yourself as often as possible

C. Shoot the dice yourself as little as possible

D. If required to bet against the shooter, make the bets as small as allowed

15. Prior to the deal in blackjack, a single standard deck has a ratio of nontens to tens of:

A. 12--1

B. 8--5

C. 2-1/4--1

D. 1--2-1/4

16. After two hands of blackjack from a freshly shuffled deck, you recall that neither you nor either of the two other players, nor the dealer, has had a single ten-count card. Correct play is to:

A. Place a smaller bet than normal

B. Place a larger bet than normal

C. Stand pat regardless of your hand

D. Continue as before; nothing has changed

17. You are having a beer at your favorite tavern and someone offers you the following bet: You put a bill on the bar and he will match it with one of his own of the same denomination. Then you will roll a pair of dice 20 times. If you can roll just one 12, you win; if not, he wins. You:

A. Decline; you know a bad bet. Then offer the same bet to him. In fact, sweeten it up and let him roll 21 times

B. Accept and reach for one-dollar bills, so that a bad run doesn't wipe out your capital; you have the odds and will win in the long run

C. Accept and get out the biggest bills you have; this is an opportunity not to be missed

D. Accept only if he lets you roll 21 times each try

18. You are considering a numbers bet with your local bookie's runner. He offers you your choice of any three-digit number for any amount you want and agrees to pay off, if it hits, at 600--1. He also reminds you that it is customary to give him ten percent of your bundle if you win. You determine that:

A. The odds are against you, but the edge is small

B. The odds are even

C. You can get the odds in your favor by betting the same number every day for three years (more than 1000 days)

D. The odds are greatly against you

19. You are playing five-card stud poker and hold the Ah in the hole, plus the following up cards: 6s, Ac, Kh, 9d. Your four opponents are showing:

(1) Ks, Ad, 9s, Kc

(2) 9c, 5c, 7d, As

(3) 5h, 10d, Qc, 9h

(4) Jd, Kd, 10s, Qd

Accordingly, you know that you have a "lock" (unbeatable hand) against:

A. 2 and 3

B. 1 and 4

C. All four

D. None

20. The game is casino craps. You have $10 on the pass line, you rolled the dice once and now have a point of 4. You want to maximize your mathematical expectations by taking the odds. Accordingly, you would:

A. Do nothing--you can't do this now

B. Make a back-line bet of $5

C. Make a back-line bet of $10

D. Make a back-line bet of $20

21. In the same game as above, eight becomes your point.This time you have only $3 on the pass line. Your correct play is to:

A. Do nothing--you can't make a back-line bet now

B. Make a back-line bet of $1.50

C. Make a back-line bet of $3

D. Make a back-line bet of $5

22. At the craps table, taking the odds is:

A. A good bet with a point of 6 or 8, an even bet with a 5 or a 9 and a bad bet with a 4 or a 10

B. Always a good bet and smart-money players always place the maximum bet allowed

C. Always a bad bet; that's why there isn't even a spot marked on the table layout to make the bet

D. Not much worse and certainly no better than any other casino bet

23. The game is poker as played in Gardena, California; five-card high draw, a pair of jacks or better required to open, 53-card deck (addition of a single joker called the bug, which may be a fifth ace or complete any straight or flush). You are the dealer, each player anted $1, the pot was opened for $5 (pot is now $13) and called once (now $18). You hold the following: 9c, 10d, Jd, Qh, X. Your correct play is to:

A. Call (draw one)

B. Fold

C. Raise (draw one)

24. You are the same dealer again, except that this time the opener is raised (pot is now $8 + $5 + $10 = $23). You hold: 9h, 10h, Jh, Bug, X. Your correct play is to:

A. Call for $10 (draw one)

B. Fold

C. Reraise for $15 (draw one)

25. You are at the same poker table, but this time you are on the dealer's immediate left (first to act). You hold: 6c, 6d, 4s, 4h, 9d. The correct play is to:

A. Open--maybe no one else will

B. Pass--you can back in later if someone opens

26. Assuming that you did open the pot in question number 25 and had one call followed by a raise (pot is now $8 + $5 + $5 + $10 = $28), your correct play is to:

A. Fold

B. Call for $5 (draw one)

C. Reraise for $10 (draw one)

27. Assuming that you did not open the pot in question number 25 but that it was opened by the player on the dealer's immediate right and called by the dealer (pot is now $8 + $5 + $10 = $18), your correct play is to:

A. Fold

B. Call (draw one)

C. Raise (draw one)

28. You're still in Gardena, except now you're playing five-card lowball draw poker, 53-card deck (the bug is used in this game also--it becomes wild and is the lowest card possible without creating a pair). The best hand is A, 2, 3, 4, 5; straights and flushes are ignored without penalty. Because there are no opening requirements, if you pass before the draw, you pass out of the hand. You are on the dealer's immediate left (first to act) and are dealt the following cards: A, 2, 3, J, Q. Your correct play is:

A. Fold--pass out

B. Pass--you can back in if someone opens

C. Open (draw two)

D. Open (draw three)

29. Same game, except that this time you are on the dealer's immediate right and are dealt the following cards: A, 2, 7, 8, K. Each player anted 50 cents; the pot was opened and called twice (pot is now $4 + $5 + $5 + $5 = $19). Your correct play is to:

A. Fold--pass out

B. Call for $5 (draw one)

C. Call for $5 (draw two)

D. Raise for $10 (draw two)

30. Same game; this time you're the dealer and hold the following: 2, 3, 4, 7, 8. The pot was opened by a known loose player and raised by the next player (probably the best player at the table), whereupon all the others folded. Your correct play is to:

A. Fold--pass out

B. Call--stand pat, but fold if either player bets at you

C. Call--stand pat and call if either player bets at you

Answers

Start with a base score of 30. Add three points for each correct answer. Wrong answers are not penalized.

120 Genius! Perfect score.

114--119 Near genius. You are a winner.

101--113 Gifted. You probably win.

77--100 Above average. You probably lose.

57--76 Average. You are losing.

33--56 Below average. You should never wager on anything.

• • •

1. C. Never split ten counts; insurance is available only if the dealer has an ace or a ten count up.

2. D. A beginner's trap; a single spin is not influenced by previous action.

3. D.

4. B. A common misconception; prove it to yourself with the charts from yesterday's races.

5. D. And it does matter.

6. B.

7. A. Skill is the ability to use one's knowledge effectively. Poker, played expertly (winningly), is largely a demonstration of skill.

8. A. He is last to act, has more information and is less susceptible to raises.

9. D. The dealer is the bank, and although the players may bet with or against the bank, the bets are covered by the house. The bank has the percentage (the house compensates with a five-percent commission if a player bets the bank and wins), and thus, betting against it loses.

10. D. The only reason this isn't true with a bookmaker is that losses are paid at least 5-1/2--5.

11. A. Three kings won't win often enough to justify not drawing a third card. The desired draw is, of course, a pair, or perhaps another deuce. Similarly, drawing one significantly reduces the probabilities of four of a kind, and the small straight is hardly better than triplets.

12. D.

13. D.

14. C. The mathematics of craps is such that the shooter is at a disadvantage; i.e., the odds are that he won't pass (Las Vegas compensates for this by disallowing the bettor a win when the shooter "craps out" with a 12). Therefore, at home, if possible, never hold the dice and always bet against the shooter.

15. C. There are 36 nontens and 16 tens (10, J, Q, K).

16. B. A ten-rich deck favors the player. The standard ratio is 36--16 and our example has at least 28--16, perhaps as little as 20--16, since we aren't told how many cards were played, only the number of players. This ratio also means we are more likely to stand pat--though not regardless of our hand.

17. A. Proposition bets are fraught with danger; the percentage is against the player. In this case, it is an even bet with 24 rolls; anything less represents a percentage against the player.

18. D. Actual odds are 999--1; the payoff of 600--1 is not sufficient, especially since you also lose ten percent to the runner. This is probably the worst bet anyone can make; even without the extra ten percent and at 700--1 payoff odds, it would be a fool's bet.

19. C. Look more closely; all of the As, Ks and 9s are accounted for.

20. C. Give yourself one point for D and another two points if you've ever gotten away with this; then tell us where. The odds are the only even bet allowed; not really quite even, because you paid a percentage to be allowed to make the bet; i.e., the initial roll produces craps and loses once every nine rolls. The back line is an imaginary area between the pass line and the edge of the table. This is where the knowledgeable player places a bet equal to his pass-line bet and gets true odds (2--1 for the 4 in this example).

21. D. To get the true odds in this case, you must bet $5.

22. B.

23. B. The chances of filling a nine-way straight are too small to warrant a call against two players.

24. A. Give yourself one point for C, which is more weak than wrong. Folding would be folly. There are 48 cards remaining to consider (53 -- 5 = 48); ten complete a flush, 16 complete the straight, subtract four that do both and you find that you have a 22-way hand to which to draw. If you divide 22 by 48, you get 46 percent as your probability of completing the hand, and therefore need only 1--1 pot odds. The pot offers 2.3--1 now and the prospect of 2.8--1 if the opener calls. This situation demands a call. A reraise reduces the pot odds to 1.5--1 now, 1.9--1 if only the raiser calls and 2.5--1 if they both call.

25. B. Two small pair are insufficient for opening early.

26. A. You are too weak to stand a raise, which is why you shouldn't have opened. Now you can only fold five dollars poorer. You can't afford to throw good money after bad, stay to the end and get beaten (probably by all); the eight and a half percent of the time that you fill up and win won't compensate for the losses the rest of the time.

27. B. Give yourself one point for A, which is too conservative but, again, more weak than wrong. You can fold this hand, but it was opened late, called late and no one showed great strength. It is worth a call, the probability of a raise is slim and the one-card draw almost guarantees they'll check and your two pair might hold up. If either player bets at you, fold.

28. A. Drawing two cards is the downfall of many lowball players. It is bad enough to draw two cards; the magnitude of error is increased by opening early when needing a two-card draw.

29. A. Against three other players, a onecard draw to an 8-7 is insufficient and a two-card draw is folly.

30. C. Give yourself one point for A; again, too conservative. This one is more complex; although you can fold this hand, it is better to play it here. An 8-7 pat is a calling hand, especially since the strong player may be a little weak against the loose player. He'd probably play a pat 9 (maybe even a 10) or would draw one to an 8. The betting after the draw is less significant; the loose player often bets on anything and the timing is just right for the strong player to bet if the loose one doesn't. You would be squeezed against the opener. If you call here, stand pat and fold if someone bets, you show great weakness. Why did you call in the first place?