Your ticket to three squares a day

Dear Mark,
I know the following question I'm about to ask is illegal, but I'm still interested. A small factory close to my home discards a circular coin-like metal that is exactly the same size and weight as the silver dollar coins used in a casino. If I were caught inserting the coins into a machine, what would happen? Anonymous

This ditty written by Ian Lewis best illustrates what will befall the ignorant found inserting slugs into a casino slot machine. "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?" The TV show "COPS" is filmed on location in the city of Las Vegas.

Dear Mark,
A dealer once told me that the only way to "soar like an eagle" when playing baccarat is to bet ties after they appear. He claimed they always repeat in streaks. Was he correct? Bobby K.

Eagles may soar, but in this case it's better to gamble like a chicken because they don't get sucked into jet engines. By betting only on the bank or player hands, Bobby, you will avoid being recycled at Foster Farms. That dealer-induced tie bets hold a house advantage of 14.1%. As for streaks, Bobby, the remaining cards in the shoe have no memory, hence, previous results have no bearing on what happens in the future.

Dear Mark,
Over the years I have been an avid keno player. Now after reading your comments many times about keno, I have refrained from playing and limit my play to the many other games and bets you recommend. Coincidentally, I seem to be winning more. Though I have never hit a keno ticket solid, my favorite tickets in the past were a 5-spot, 7-spot, 8-spot and a 9-spot. What were the odds of me hitting one of those tickets? Alice C.

In past articles, Alice, I have listed the astronomical odds of some keno tickets that need calculators using exponential notations to figure. Below I'll list the probability of hitting the smaller tickets solid.
1/1 One in 4
2/2 One in 16
3/3 One in 72
4/4 One in 326
5/5 One in 1,550
6/6 One in 7,752
7/7 One in 40,979
8/8 One in 230,114
9/9 One in 1,380,687
10/10 One in 8,911,711
And what will the average casino pay you for hitting a solid 10? A $2 wager returns a measly $45,000 in Atlantic City and $100,000 in Nevada. Chump change considering your chances are almost nine million to one. Doesn't the lottery start to sound good about now?

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