foureyedbuzzard

The best "statistic" I can offer people without resorting to mathematics that long term they cannot win is the strip in Vegas. All those hotel casinos were built with the money of people who thought they could win - and lots of people with "systems" too. The odds are ALWAYS in the house's favor. Likewise, cruise ships don't put some of the most precious mid-ship space and labor into their casinos for nothing (and note that you usually CAN'T walk around them). They are big revenue sources.

The key to successful gambling is not luck or even gaming knowledge - it's money management. You can't beat the game(s) themselves long term (the only exceptions being blackjack with very skilled card counters and with favorable blackjack and surrender rules, and poker against lesser players). But you can manage to leave when you are up - not down. 90%+ of people who are up at some point in a casino lose it back plus more. Your bankroll will always tend to go down over time. But it does so with ups and downs, like a constantly decreasing sine wave. The key is to not expect to break the bank or hit the jackpot, but to take winnings when you're on the plus side.

For example, you are playing a $5 blackjack table with a $200 bankroll. You are down $40. You are keeping track to some degree and the count is in your favor. You get back to even and you get several good hands in a row, a few BJ's and a big double down win. You are all of a sudden up $100.

Tip the dealer and LEAVE the freakin' table NOW! You are WAY on the top of (or above) the sine wave that represents your expected payout with $5 bets. $100 is 20 betting units - and a 50% return on your bankroll. The familiar stock market saying applies to gambling as well it might, "Bulls make money, bears make money, pigs get slaughtered".

Go have a drink at the piano bar and revel in your discipline of having left the casino a winner.

I got a blue LED nightlight in the shape of a sailboat for $1 at one of the dollar stores. They also had a lighthouse. Worked out well on our last cruise.