BEATING NEGATIVE EXPECTATION GAMES:

Can you “beat” a negative expectation* casino game, such as baccarat, blackjack or craps? I would like your feedback on this. I”m Leonard Benson and my viewpoint is a definite “yes.” In fact, it’s not only my viewpoint . . . it’s a fact according to my personal experience.

The reason I want to put this up for discussion is that some people believe it cannot be done. One of the answers may lie in the definition of the word “beat.” To me, it means being able to make a living — and a good one at that — at one or more of these games.

How? By not playing continuously and by taking advantage of the natural player-based fluctuations in all games. I like to use as an example the tossing of a coin. We know that over a period of hundreds of flips it will come out 50/50. But in the short run of let’s say 50 flips, you could get eight heads in a row or more. Even though we never know when these eight heads in a row will reoccur, there is a way to take advantage of streaks when they are happening.

This is basically true of almost all casino games. To oversimplify: Take full advantage of streaks and keep losses low when streaks don’t occur.

With the exception of breaking even, there are only four outcomes in terms of money that can take place when you’re gambling: Win a lot, lose a lot, win a little, lose a little. Eliminate “lose a lot” from this equation and you are a winner!

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* “Negative expectation” represents the casino’s mathematical advantage over the player of a specific game.