TABLE GAMES By Al Moe
WHO’S WINNING IN ARIZONA CASINOS? Noise And Excitement Create Interest!
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andering your favorite casino, you might see blackjack players wagering thousands of dollars saying nothing as their blackjack hand of twenty gets whacked by a dealer five-card 21, and sports bettors with fivedollar tickets on a football game cheering wildly when their team’s quarterback throws a touchdown pass - in the first quarter! That’s quite a difference, but things change. Back when slot machines paid out in actual coins, some casinos had rounded bowls the coins fell into that offered acoustic advantages (noise) when the machines paid off. And some casinos paid “starters” to sit with a bucket of coins at the dollar slots and whoop and holler every time their machine paid anything. Noise and excitement create interest. The best thing about casinos is they are a great escape. And casino enthusiasts say they have more fun playing blackjack and roulette than playing lottery scratchers. You can’t win millions, but you’ll win more often, and you win when you have fun. Roulette and Craps in Arizona We are lucky enough now to have live roulette and craps in Arizona, and you don’t have to be quiet about it. Although roulette may have originated in Europe, where only the rich quietly played the wheel while dressed to the nines, you can have fun and cheer in Arizona. However, the most noise you’ll ever hear in a casino (except during the Super Bowl) is at the craps game! Craps players love to root for numbers. On the first roll, it’s seven come eleven! Afterward, you might be screaming for the Hardways or a second-roll eleven, but there’s no confusing a dice game with a poker game. The game of craps takes a crew to run, with a boxman watching and three dealers, so the limits may be a bit higher than you are used to in Arizona for a table game. But even if the Pass Line wager is $15 minimum or $25, the proposition wagers (like the hardways and horn bets) are available for less. And, a craps game is different than every other table game. At craps, when you bet the Pass line, Come, Buy, Place, and even the Hardways, your wager can last a long time. Your Pass line wager stays in action until a craps number (2, 3, 12) is rolled
16 Arizona Gaming Guide | May 2022 | azgamingguide.com
on a come-out roll, or the shooter rolls seven after establishing a point of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. It could be one roll, or it could be 50. It’s a fantastic game. And, it’s the only game where you are encouraged to shout out your numbers and cheer when you want. Does the cheering help? I’m not sure. But Harold Smith, Sr., thought so. Editor’s Note: According to Wikipedia.org, Harold's Club casino was established in 1935 by Harold S. Smith Sr. (1910-1985) and his brother, Raymond A. Smith. Soon afterwards, their father, Raymond I. ("Pappy") Smith (1887-1967), was appointed general manager and became the public face of the casino. The casino expanded by buying adjacent Virginia Street properties. Harold's Club constructed a seven-story building as part of the casino, but never had a hotel on the property. Pappy Smith developed a marketing campaign that made the casino famous, using more than two thousand billboards across the United States advertising "Harold's Club or Bust", often written on a Conestoga wagon. Harold Smith Sr. strongly believed in a carnival-style atmosphere in his casino. $
Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years. He has lived and worked in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. He also attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an avid writer and blogger. His book, “Vegas and the Mob," is available online at Amazon.com. He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls.
