|
|
 |
|
The First Craps Online
Probably the most widely played casino game in the United States, Craps has appeal for both the novice and the veteran player. To the veteran player, it provides the fastest opportunity to make money. Decisions on many bets are
made in seconds with every toss of the dice in casino. No other game offers as much variety of plays and decisions, many of which have to be bet on almost instantaneously. With the exception of Baccarat, it is the only game where the player can take the same position as the house as far as the wagering is concerned. A player can bet against the shooter, make long shot bets, or even lay odds that the shooter won't win! With thirty-six different possibilities of falling, the dice provide lots of entertainment and excitement.
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
International Casino Blackjack Opportunities
Eye On The Lowlifes And Money Launderers
When I flew into New York, I had to clear customs before switching to a different plane for the rest of the trip. Everyone is required to declare whether they have over $10,000 in cash in their possession when entering the country. There's nothing illegal with carrying that much, but the government just wants to keep an eye on the lowlifes and money launderers.
Being an upright and honest citizen, I dutifully filled out the form and declared all of my cash, which weighed in at just under $40,000. The amount must have surprised them because everybody started going ballistic. Before I could board my next flight, a pair of special customs agents arrived and wanted to count the money again. That day the term "breezeway" took on a whole new meaning, because I had to drop my pants while they searched for additional stashes. For a while, I thought they planned to do a full cavity search. And I don't mean the kind that requires a dentist.
Fortunately, the matter got resolved without anyone having to climb up my butt with a flashlight. Still, it put a damper on the whole trip. It's extremely frustrating to be treated like a criminal by your own country simply because you are in a line of work that requires large amounts of cash.
Risk Versus Return
Now let's analyze these three trips (the Dominican Republic, Korea, and Belgium) and see if they were worth all the additional hassle and effort. I gained about an extra .3 percent on average from those foreign over typical games in the United States. Although the table limits did vary, a rough comparison showed my yield to be about $225 an hour in average shoe games stateside (based on my $100,000 bankroll) and about $300 per hour in the stronger games overseas.
On longer trips like these, I hoped to get in at least fifty hours of play. Otherwise, the time and cost of the journey is hardly worthwhile. So I expected to win about an extra three grand (after deducting the travel expenses) over a comparable play in Vegas.
However, the example above is a very loose approximation and doesn't consider all factors, one of which is the additional time (often a few days) needed to fly to Europe or Asia. The other component to consider is the potentially higher risk. Most trips I took abroad were much more mundane than the ones I cited in this chapter. Rarely did I feel like the hammer was about to fall; in fact, all of the previous stories were shared precisely because of their unusual nature. Yet traveling abroad with large amounts of cash can easily become a lethal mix. There is always going to be an added element of jeopardy for serious who embark for foreign lands.
Though most trips will go smoothly and without mishap, there are very real concerns to mull over before you hop on the next plane to Beirut just because you heard that the there have single-deck blackjack.
Puerto Rico
Let me end with the flip side of the coin. I imagine all of you can understand the logic of traveling overseas to increase your odds. But what if instead of heading off to faraway spots in search of better games, you left the country to play inferior games?
I'm sure you're wondering why anyone would do such a stupid thing. The reason is that some trips are intended primarily for vacation and to take in the sun rather than to search for riches. A good example of this would be several trips I took to the lush island of Puerto Rico. I played blackjack there for only one reason to get comps and reduce the overall cost of my tropical beach getaway.
|
