TRADE SECRETS

Gambling has been around for so long that a whole mythology has grown up around it. You know, so-called ways to "beat the house," betting systems, and many more. Unfortunately, most of these "strategies" are just that: myths.

This true or false quiz challenges your gambling savvy:

True or false: You can make a lot of money by finding "loose" slot machines that pay out more.

FALSE: While it's true that different slot machines pay out differently, they're all programmed so that you'll come out behind in the long run. Some machines (called "cherry dribblers" in the industry) give lots of small payouts to keep you feeding in the coins, while others rarely pay out except for extremely large (and rare) jackpots. Odds of hitting those big jackpots are often tens of millions to one. Remember, EVERY slot machine is designed to do one thing: keep your money.

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You can beat the casino if you have the right betting system.

FALSE: While it is true that betting systems can change the pattern of wins and losses in the short term, there's no way any betting system can change the odds of the game. If someone had a foolproof system, wouldn't they be using it to get rich instead of telling you about it

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If you know what games to play and how to play them, you can stack the odds in your favor.

FALSE: Some games have better odds than others, that's true. It's also true that knowing the rules can increase your chances and make the game more fun. But the odds in any game are stacked against you.

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If a certain number or combination hasn't come up recently, there's a good chance that it will come up soon.

FALSE: Every roll of the dice, deal of the cards, and spin of the wheel is completely independent. So whether a certain combination has come up 1 time or 1,000, it has no bearing on future play.

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One bad blackjack player can ruin the whole table's chances.

FALSE: One of the many myths about blackjack is that a bad player can disrupt the cards and cause everyone at the table to lose. The truth is, the cards are in random order. Which means that bad player at the end of the table is just as likely to help you as to hurt you.

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Slot machines are constantly monitored by casino managers, who then determine when the machines pay out.

FALSE: Every slot machine is programmed to keep a certain percentage of the money deposited in it. It's true that casino managers can change that percentage within a certain range. But the time and amount of any one payout is completely random.