Choosing
the Right Game for Your Personality
How your disposition can determine what you should
play
By Henry Tamburin
Which casino
game should you play? It really depends on what thrills you, how
much money you have, and how much effort you want to put into your
gambling.
However, a player’s personality also has a lot to do with choosing
the right game to play. For example, are you a relatively quiet,
reserved person? Then you might feel uncomfortable at the loud and
boisterous game of craps. Do you hate making quick decisions under
pressure? Well, then blackjack may not be your game. Do you have
an assertive personality? Then you’ll probably be bored playing
roulette. The point is, your personality type needs to be considered
when deciding which game is best for you.
Shy,
Quiet, Reserved, Introvert
Your
best game may be the slot and video poker machines. With these,
you don’t have to deal with a sometimes-intimidating dealer
or fellow players. Since there is no one rushing you, you can play
at your own pace.
If you want to try a table game, a good option is roulette. It’s
a slow-paced game with easy-to-learn rules. Also, where and how
you bet have no effect on the outcome of your fellow players’
bets. You will never feel self-conscious about making a “stupid
play” that may cause your fellow players to lose.
Another table game to consider is mini-baccarat. You just decide
on whether to bet on the bank hand or player hand. That’s all
there is to it, and like roulette, where and how you bet won’t
affect the other players.
Your overall best bet, however, is to play video poker. If you learn
the right playing strategies and are knowledgeable about which machine
to play, your odds of winning are better than if you’re playing
the slots, roulette or mini-baccarat.
Outgoing, Extrovert, Assertive, Bold
Your game
is definitely craps. Here you can shout, scream, and let it all
hang out. You can assertively toss chips to the dealer and tell
him or her where to place them. You can tell the dealer to “press”
your bets, or “take them down.” You also get to hold the
instruments that will control your destiny (the dice) and can boldly
toss them down the table. Yes, you have a lot of control at the
dice tables. The game is definitely not for the faint of heart.
Risk Taker, Speculator, Gambler
If you’re
the kind of person who likes to bet the longshot at the racetrack,
or the underdog in football, or buys lottery tickets hoping to win
several millions, then you’ve got several gaming options that
will match your personality.
Certainly, the possibility of winning a big progressive slot machine
jackpot for only a modest investment of a few dollars has to appeal
to the risk taker. Another option is the jackpot side bet in Caribbean
Stud Poker. Here, for only a buck, you’ve got a chance to win
up to several hundred thousand dollars if you get the right hand.
There’s also the hardways, “any craps,” and other
longshot proposition bets in craps that offer relatively high payouts.
And last but not least, is keno. For only a few bucks, you’ve
got the chance to win $50,000 or more by just picking the right
numbers.
Be forewarned: Just like the lottery, these longshot, high-risk
casino bets have relatively high casino edges.
Analytical, Conservative, Enjoys A Challenge, Wants To Win
Individuals
with this personality don’t dive into anything without first
analyzing it to death. They play to win and want to know what they
need to do to improve their chances. If you’re this type of
individual, then blackjack or video poker might be just your games.
The odds of winning in blackjack and video poker are very dependent
on the skill of the player. The more you know about their playing
strategies, the better your chances of winning. In fact, depending
upon how much effort you put in, you can actually swing the odds
in your favor. Skilled players who have the advantage playing video
poker or blackjack are also content to grind out small but steady
profits. Sure, they take their hits every once in a while, but they
know that their conservative, analytical playing style will, in
the long run, give them their best gamble in a casino.
Competitive,
Aggressive, Ambitious
You’ve
got two choices here, and they are both good ones. First, there’s
poker. Just you against other players. Best player wins; second
best loses. It doesn’t get much more competitive than that.
Except in gaming tournaments. This is another good option for the
player who likes competition. In tournaments, it’s not you
against the dealer that matters, but how you fair relative to your
fellow table players. Win more than they do and you advance to the
next round. Win less, and you’re out.
Extravagant,
Flamboyant, Ostentatious, Flashy
If
you have a lot of money and want everyone else to know it, then
baccarat, blackjack, or craps could be your game. Nothing turns
heads more in a casino than the well-dressed gentleman or lady sitting
at the baccarat table, betting hundreds or even thousands of dollars
on each round. Except maybe reserving a blackjack table in the middle
of the casino floor and playing all the spots with black or purple
chips. Bet big enough and the casino may even post a few guards
near the table to brush away the tourists as they gawk at your extravagant
playing style. Of course, you and your money are always welcome
at the crap table, where anything goes.
Innovative,
Imaginative, Original
If
you always like to try something new, you’ve got several choices
in the casino. For starters, there are the relatively new table
games, Let it Ride, Caribbean Stud Poker and Three-Card Poker. There
are also the new five- and ten-time video poker machines. If slots
are your thing, you’ve got a slew of choices, as new slot machines
keep hitting the casino floor almost weekly.
Tightwad, Frugal, Hate To Part With A Nickel
Hey,
you might think that being a frugal gambler is an oxymoron, but
it isn’t. In fact, Jean Scott has written a best-selling book
about just that (The Frugal Gambler). Her tips include learning
how to play smart video poker (quarter and dollar machines) and
taking advantage of the comps and slot club promotions.
Emotional,
Quiet, Readily Gets Upset, Hates Controversy
Forget
craps or blackjack. Your best bet is to play the slot machines or
video poker, where you can play in solitude and not have to worry
about anyone or anything.
Always Looking For An Angle Or Way To Beat The System
Your
cup of tea might be playing the comp game in a casino. That’s
where you try to get as many freebies from the casino as you can
to offset the mathematical advantage they have when you play. If
you play the comp game correctly, you can actually enjoy a monetary
edge over the casino. Check out Jean Scott’s Frugal Gambler
and Max Rubin’s Comp City for tips on how to do this.
If you are analytical besides, you’ve got another option: Learn
blackjack card counting. It’s another way to beat the casinos
at their own game.
Are You Right Brain
or Left Brain?
There is
a questionnaire used in the business world to profile individuals’
thinking styles. It’s called the “Hermann Brain Dominance
Profile.” Based on how you answer the multiple choice questions
in the survey, you are classified as either being conservative,
controlled, emotional (called a “right brainer”) or more
analytical, technical, logical, and detailed (“left brainer”).
When it
comes to casino gambling, “left brainers” do well with
games like blackjack, video poker, and table poker—games that
require analytical, sometimes quantitative thinking. For example,
I’m an educated chemist with a strong mathematical background,
and I scored high as a left brainer. Not surprisingly, my casino
game of choice has always been blackjack. A friend of mine scored
as a right brainer, and not too surprisingly, he likes to play the
slot machines.
Check
your personality type using the chart on page 66. It may help you
select which casino game might be best for you.
| Are
You: |
Personality
Type |
Your
Best Game |
|
•Outgoing,
sometimes highly expressive, talk more than you listen, and
somewhat dominating in a conversation
|
Extrovert |
Craps
|
| •Reserved,
private, self aware, listen more than you talk |
Introvert |
Slots
Video Poker
Roulette
Mini-baccarat |
| •One
that has a vivid imagination, a fascination with the unknown,
and the inability to feel motivated unless something new can
be anticipated |
Intuitive |
Let
It Ride
Three Card Poker
Caribbean Stud Poker
Five and Ten Times Pay Video Poker
New Slot Machines |
| •Cool
headed, logical, interested in how people think, depend upon
knowledge and tactical skills during negotiation and able to
stay cool, calm and collective in situations where everyone
else is upset |
Thinking |
Blackjack
Video Poker
Poker
Gaming Tournaments |
| •You
don’t consider risks when drawn to something exciting |
Risk
Taker |
Progressive
Slots
Prop Bets in Craps
Jackpot Bet in Caribbean Stud Poker
Keno |
| •Trying
to impress other people with your wealth |
Flamboyant |
Baccarat
Blackjack
Craps |
| •Never
content with the status quo, want to be the best in everything
you do, and hate to lose at anything |
Competitive |
Poker
Gaming Tournaments |
| •Someone
who hates to spend money and wants to get as much value as possible |
Frugal |
Video
Poker
Slot Club Promotions |
| •Always
looking for a way to beat the system |
Insightful |
Blackjack
Card Counting |
| •Warm,
understanding, sensitive, prefer harmony over controversy and
find that some people take advantage of you |
Feeling |
Slots
Video Poker |
Henry Tamburin
is the author of six best-selling books, including Henry Tamburin
on Casino Gambling—The Best of The Best. For a free copy of
his gaming catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit his website at
www.smartgaming.com.
