A short discussion on casino games.

1. CASINO

2. What is a “Casino”?
In modern English, a casino is a facility which
houses and accommodates certain types of
gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly
built near or combined with hotels, restaurants,
retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist
attractions. There is much debate over whether or
not the social and economic consequences of
casino gambling outweigh the initial revenue that
may be generated. In the United States, many
states are grappling with high unemployment and
budget deficits and are now turning to legalizing
casinos, often in places that are not tourist
destinations. Some casinos are also known for
hosting live entertainment events, such as stand-
up comedy, concerts, and sporting events. Use of
the word in the past, and modern use in some
countries, does not necessarily involve gambling.

3. Opening Discussion
• Do you like gambling?
• Have you ever played any casino games?
When and where?
• Have you ever won or lost a lot of money
through gambling?
• Which part of our character makes so many of
us interested in gambling?

4. Craps
Craps is a dice game in which the players
make wagers on the outcome of the roll, or
a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players
may wager money against each other
(street craps, also known as shooting dice
or rolling dice) or a bank (casino craps, also
known as table craps). Because it requires
little equipment, street craps can be played
in informal settings.

5. Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named
after a French diminutive for little
wheel. In the game, players may
choose to place bets on either a
single number or a range of
numbers, the colors red or black, or
whether the number is odd or even.
To determine the winning number
and color, a croupier spins a wheel in
one direction, then spins a ball in the
opposite direction around a tilted
circular track running around the
circumference of the wheel. The ball
eventually loses momentum and falls
on to the wheel and into one of 37
(in French/European roulette) or 38
(in American roulette) colored and
numbered pockets on the wheel.

6. Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or
Vingt-et-un (French: "twenty-one"), is the
most widely played casino banking game in
the world. Blackjack is a comparing card
game between a player and dealer and
played with one or more French decks of
52 cards.
The player is dealt an initial two card hand
with the option of drawing cards to bring
the total value to 21 or less without
exceeding it, so that the dealer will lose by
having a lesser hand than the player or by
exceeding 21. Many rule variations of
blackjack exist. Since the 1960s, blackjack
has been a high profile target of advantage
players, particularly card counters, who
track the profile of cards yet to be dealt,
and adapt their wager and playing strategy
accordingly.

7. Baccarat
Baccarat is a card game, played
at casinos and by gamblers. It is
believed to have been
introduced into France from Italy
during the reign of King Charles
VIII (ruled 1483–98).
Baccarat is a comparing card
game played between two
hands, the "player" and the
"banker". Each baccarat coup has In Baccarat, cards 2–9 are worth face value, 10s
three possible outcomes: and J, Q K are worth zero, and Aces are worth 1
"player" (player has the higher point. Hands are valued according to the
score), "banker", and "tie". rightmost digit of the sum of their constituent
cards: for example, a hand consisting of 2 and 3 is
worth 5, but a hand consisting of 6 and 7 is worth
3 (the rightmost digit of the total, 13). The
highest possible hand value is 9.

8. What do you think?
• What forms of gambling are legal and illegal in
your country?
• Do you prefer card games or other types of
games?
• What kinds of games are played in casinos in
Macau?
• What are some other casino games you have
heard of?

9. The Dealer
A croupier or dealer is someone
appointed at a gambling table to assist
in the conduct of the game, especially in
the distribution of bets and payouts.
Croupiers are typically employed by
casinos.
Training methods to become a casino
croupier are different from country to
country. In America, blackjack is almost
always the game that dealers learn first,
as it is simple and popular, and when
the dealer makes errors, they tend not
to cost the casino much money.
Complex, busy games such as craps,
with complicated payout systems, etc.,
are usually reserved for the most
competent, and/or ambitious dealers.

10. Card Counting
Card counting is a casino card game
strategy used primarily in blackjack to
determine whether the next hand is
likely to be good for the player or not.
Card counters attempt to decrease
the inherent casino house edge by
keeping track of all the high and low
valued cards seen by the player. Card
counting allows players to bet more
with less risk when the count gives an
advantage as well as minimize losses
during an unfavorable count. Card
counters are not welcome in many
casinos, so they often keep this
strategy a secret.

11. Betting Systems
A betting system is a way of gambling
designed help the gambler win more
money and lose less.
The simplest strategy is the Martingale
system. This strategy has the gambler
double his bet after every loss, so that the
first win would recover all previous losses
plus win a profit equal to the original
stake. Since a gambler with infinite wealth
will, almost surely, eventually flip heads,
the Martingale betting strategy was seen
as a sure thing by those who advocated it.
Unfortunately, since most gamblers do no
have an infinite amount of money, this
strategy can lead to disaster.

12. What do you think?
• Do you think the life of a professional gambler
is a glamorous one?
• Do you have a betting strategy?
• Do you think it is wise to go into a casino
expecting to make money?
• Do you think you would like to be a dealer in a
Las Vegas casino?