Not all the fun in the casino comes with a house edge. There are a number of private games you can play while gambling with friends at a casino. Below you will find three games that add a new dimension to the casino experience.
SLOT GOLF
ITEMS REQUIRED
A blank golf score card from a local course or one downloaded from the internet
A slot machine
THE STAKES
Each player puts a certain amount into the pot. The players should decide how much they want to risk.The ante could be $25 each for a total pool of $100, or perhaps $100 each for a pool of $400. It is up to each group to play at a comfortable level.
HOW IT IS PLAYED
As with real golf, the goal is to get the lowest score. The game can be played with any amount of players, but I recommend staying with a foursome, to keep it moving rather quickly. Before play begins, the group must determine whether they will play 9 or 18 “holes.”
To start, a slot machine is chosen. The denomination should be commensurate with the prize pool. The entire bankroll is deposited in the slot machine. The first player to “tee off,” hits the slot machine button. If he gets a win on the first spin the player has a “hole in one,” and a score of “1” for the hole. If the spin loses, the player spins again. Once a win is registered, the player’s turn is done and the number of spins is recorded as their score. To keep the game moving, the maximum amount of spins before passing off to the next player should be capped at 5.
Keep in mind, the dollar amount of the win is irrelevant. The thing that is important is the number of spins. The fewer spins before a win, the better. After each player in the foursome has had a turn at the machine, the payout ticket is printed and the entire group moves on to another machine for the next “hole.”
At the end of the 9 or 18 holes, the person with the lowest total score wins whatever money is remaining in the pot. It may be more or less than the original pot.
Note: The complete rules for this game can be found on the website for the Faces and Aces Podcast.
CREDIT CARD ROULETTE
Editor’s Note: Total coincidence, a few days after receiving this article (having not reviewed the draft) we recorded ZorkCast Episode 35 Credit Card Roulette. I can’t even imagine how this happened, but I was as shocked as TheInveterateGambler.
ITEMS REQUIRED
A valid credit card
Casino restaurant of choice
THE STAKES
Varies by restaurant chosen.
HOW IT IS PLAYED
In this game, getting the bill nice and high is part of the fun. Sit down to a great dinner at a place like Jean-Georges Steakhouse in Aria, with your foursome from slot golf. Order appetizers such as the Shellfish Platter or the Wagyu Carpaccio followed by a Caesar salad. Then enjoy an entrée of Chateaubriand of whatever cut is your particular favorite. Perhaps finish off with Crème Brulee for dessert.
At the end of the meal, each diner places a credit card face down in the center of the table. The cards are mixed up, so it is not apparent which card belongs to which person. Ask the server to pick one card at random. The holder of chosen card is the lucky winner and he has a free meal. His credit card is returned and the bill is split between the other diners
A stakes raising variation of this game is designating the card picked by the server as the LOSER and as a result, the CARDHOLDER must pay the ENTIRE bill.
This game can also be played for the casino bar bill.
ROTATION BASEBALL
ITEMS REQUIRED
Casino Sports Book
Chips in desired denomination
Cup
THE STAKES
Whatever the players are comfortable playing.
HOW IT IS PLAYED
Prior to heading to the sports book and settling into a comfortable chair to watch a MLB baseball game, change bills into casino chips. To start, each player antes one chip and places it into the cup. When the baseball game begins, player #1 holds the cup. If the first batter hits a HOME RUN, the player holding the cup wins the content of the cup, except for one chip, which will remain in the cup. If the batter does not hit a home run, the player holding the cup adds a chip to the cup and passes it to the next player. The goal is to be holding the cup when a batter hits a home run.
When the team at bat takes to the field, the direction of the cup changes. The cup remains in circulation, until the final out or until the end of a predetermined inning. If there is money left in the cup at the end of the game, it belongs to the person holding the cup when the last out is made.
A variation of the game requires the cup holder to deposit 2 chips if their batter goes down on a strike-out.
The Inveterate Gambler has had a keen interest in casino games and the casino industry for more decades that he likes to remember. Craps, Blackjack and some Pai Gow Poker are his games of choice. He also enjoys playing in the home poker game were wild cards and luck overcome skill. He has no interest in slots and if there were no table games he would never set foot inside a casino. He is an expert on the Atlantic City scene. Like Batman, Superman, The Green Hornet, and a host of his other comic book heroes, The Inveterate Gambler must keep his true identity secret.
