(Casino) Knowledge Is Power
The shrewdly packaged allure of the casino starts the minute you set eyes on the neon-washed facade. From flashing lighted signs to valets to the smooth hum of the sliding glass doors, the modern casino entrance is designed to attract you. Every possible consideration is given to design, color, and lighting.
The scheme doesn’t end at the front steps, however. As you proceed through the casino’s front door, every square inch of floor space entices you into moving forward. Like a siren call, the sounds of winning jackpots beckon you onward, as do the color schemes, floral arrangements, glittering lights, slot machines, and table games. If you aren’t prepared, you can become disoriented inside a casino. The master plan behind the traffic flow is to bring you (and your wallet) into close proximity with the slot machines or table games at every opportunity. The pulsating pace of the gambling world is seductive and makes it hard for you to leave a winner.
Feeling overwhelmed — and not a little manipulated? It can be deflating to discover that the sounds, sights, and even smells are devised to lull you into handing over your cash. But a casino visit doesn’t have to go like that. Read on.
Your mission — if you choose to accept it — is to educate yourself before you enter these temples of chance. If you build your understanding of the components of a casino and the people who make it run, you’re more likely to make rational decisions when it comes to the games you choose to play — and less likely to part with the contents of your pocketbook because of some subliminal pull.
Navigating the Casino Maze
Whether you’re in Macao, Nassau, or Oklahoma, most casinos of the world are laid out in a similar floor plan. Even at the smaller clubs, you will recognize many of the same aesthetic and functional characteristics found at the megaresorts. This common design is no accident. Casino owners have an intimate knowledge of the gambler’s mind, and they design the interiors to make their guests comfortable with parting with their cash.
This section takes a stroll through a typical casino to prepare you for the sights and sounds you encounter when you walk through those neon-bathed doorways. Preparation is the key to maintaining control. You’ll understand what I’m saying when you find yourself subconsciously reaching for your wallet before you finish the chapter.
Getting in is the easy part
It may surprise you how fast you can find yourself in the middle of the sensory hurricane on the casino floor. In less-restrictive states, such as Nevada and New Jersey, you can walk in off the street or get dropped off by a taxi and find yourself a few feet away from the gaming areas. You’re practically holding the door for your significant other with one hand and rolling the dice with the other. After all, casinos want as little as possible to stand between you and your favorite game.
But most casinos give you a chance to catch your breath and do some mental stretching prior to plunging into the action. When you walk in, you often find yourself in a lobby or foyer. Remember that most casinos are also hotels, so you may see familiar sights, such as the concierge, bell desk, and check-in counter. People bustle about and crowd together before they find the destinations suited for them. While some gamblers are anticipating the excitement just steps away, others are exiting with delirious grins on their faces — or expressions of shock and awe.
This bottleneck is no accident; it’s part of the calculated marketing strategy to lure you ever closer to the games. At the threshold of the gaming floor, the sounds, colorful lights, and crowd energy all go to work on your senses — even from a distance. Just like an infant reaching for bright, colorful objects, casino visitors gravitate to the sights and sounds of the casino floor.
Interior design is to a casino floor plan what aerodynamics is to automobile manufacturers; forward movement results from an ever-expanding array of enticements, including colors that dazzle, lights that entice, and a temperature scientifically controlled for maximum comfort. You quickly find that every destination in a casino — the guest elevators, the bathrooms, or the buffet — requires that you walk through (or dangerously near) the gaming areas.
Slot machines are positioned just inside the casino entrance. The boys in marketing put them here so you can test the waters and feel the rush a quarter at a time — getting your feet wet right at the casino entrance. Up ahead, you see the casino proper, a virtual indoor carnival buzzing with excitement. You can almost feel the energy pulsing.
Slot machines: Place them, and they will come
As you enter the casino proper, you see hopeful gamblers, often two-deep, standing in line, patiently waiting their turn to reap payoffs from the slot machines. You operate the slot machines by tapping the screen, pushing the buttons, or (increasingly rare) yanking down on the lever to the side. Larger casinos hold aisle after aisle of slots, like rows of corn.
If you venture farther onto the casino floor, you can see this philosophy in action. Clusters of people sit at the corner slots. As you venture down the aisles of slots, you may find a few open machines, but not many. As one row ends, another begins. Check out Chapter 12 for the scoop on the slots.
Table games: Penetrating the inner circle
Just as the sun is the center of the solar system, the table games rest in the middle of the casino system, attracting visitors ever inward and at the same time providing the main source of energy and vitality to the floor. Table games are grouped into areas known in casino lingo as pits. The pits are separated from slot machines, restaurants, and other casino functions by a wide aisle, allowing nonplayers to watch the action and vicariously enjoy the thrill of turning over the winning card or nailing the winning roll.
Table games you can play include:
Baccarat: The classic card game is sometimes played in a separate room to create a more secluded atmosphere; see Chapter 10.
Blackjack: Determine