Is Kenny Rogers’ Most Famous Song Only about Poker?

We at Jackpot Capital online casino continue to get requests for advice on how to win on slot machines.  We always answer that there is no strategy that can guarantee winning at slot machines.  Slots are a pure game of chance.  The Random Number Generator determines every outcome of every spin.  The RNG doesn’t know what happened in the previous spin or in the previous 1000 spins.  It is all random!

So, when you’re gaming at Jackpot Capital casino and you play the slots, remember that there is only one way to “win” at slots and that is to play for the fun of it.  Not to win big, not to score a top jackpot, but to enjoy each game for what it is: a pure entertainment!

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Kenny Rogers Passes

One of the great gamblers’ songs became an international hit about 50 years ago when Kenny Rogers sang The Gambler.  We all mourn his passing at the age of 81 quietly from natural causes and thankfully not from the coronavirus that has hit people in his age bracket so savagely.

Let’s look back at the song The Gambler and see the message it holds for us in light of the common question so many gamers ask about how to win at slots.

The Gambler and the Young Man

Two men, strangers to each other, are on a train.  The ride is boring as they look out the window at night unable really to make out any forms or shapes.  Finally, the gambler begins to speak.

“Son, I’ve made a life out of readin’ people’s faces,

Knowin’ what the cards were by the way they held their eyes.”

The gambler was talking about poker here, of course, and he was telling the young man that all but the very best players have “tells” which reveal the hidden cards to an experienced eye.

In fact everyone has tells, not jut people playing casino games.  When someone goes into an office for a job interview, an experienced interviewer can tell quickly if the prospective employee has low self-confidence.

A Tell in Slots Gaming

Some slots players also have a tell of their own.  One such tell is asking how to win at slots!  The Random Number Generator takes care of any system by which a player might use some strategy to win.  Since most slots even at land based casinos are now terminals, there is no such thing as a cold slot or a slot machine that “is due”.

Another tell in slots play is when you say to yourself “just ten more spins” and those ten spins become 100!  This is a sinister tell that indicates it is time to reassess our gaming.  Responsible gaming is the best way to “win” in the long run at slots unless you get lucky!

Back to the Song

“For a taste of your whisky,

I’ll give you some advice.”

This is one way land based casinos get players to play on and on when the players should stop.  They offer free whisky!  We always tell our gamers that if you want to “win” at slots or at any other game, you need t have your mind completely unaffected by alcohol!

The most famous line from this song is:

“you’ve got to know when to hold’em,

know when to fold’em,

know when to walk away,

know when to run.”

This goes perfectly with the above discussion about responsible gaming and knowing when to stop playing.  The line of course refers to poker but it works in the context of casino gaming in general.

At land based casinos, players are encouraged to play much longer than they should.  These casinos don’t have windows or clocks so the players lose track of time. 

We often tell our gamers to set two budgets for themselves: a financial budget and a time budget.  By setting strict budgets, gamers can better control their gaming.  At land based casinos it is much more difficult to do so.  After all, why would anyone travel to land based casino just to play for an hour or so and for a modest amount of money?

Players at land based casinos don’t really know when it is time to walk away much less when it is time to run.  Online gamers, especially those that take our advice, never have to “run” because they have set time and money budgets for their gaming and follow those budgets diligently!

The Gaming Effect of Coronavirus

We are getting a large number of new players these days.  Many of them are people who have always travelled to a land based casino to play.  Many of these players still believe the many myths about slot machines.

We hope that every gamer at Jackpot Capital, both experienced gamers and new gamers, understands that the slots we offer are intended to be fun to play.  They should entertain you.  We encourage gamers to always look at slots as a fun way to pass the time rather than as a way to get rich quick.  And, if you get lucky, you just might get rich quick but that should never be the goal in gaming.

There are Sound Strategies for the Games of Skill

The two most popular games of skill at Jackpot Capital are video poker and blackjack.  In both of these games, the return to player rate is very close to 100%.  That means that in most sessions, you will either win a little or lose a little.  This excellent return to player rate depends on correct strategy.  Unlike slots, which are a pure game of chance, blackjack and video poker have very well researched statistically correct decisions.

Since all of our games are run by the Random Number Generator, one might think that even in the games of skill, there is no real strategy.  However both of these games are based on cards.  The RNG can only choose cards that are still in the deck.

In blackjack, the rules also favor the player in some cases and favor the house in other cases.  If the player has 12 or more points, many blackjack players stand at all times.  This is not sound strategy since statistical analysis has shown that the correct decision by the player is always based on their point total and the dealer’s up card!  The RNG will determine the dealer’s hand but statistics determine the proper play for the player!

The same is true in video poker.  Some players will always take the sure win in video poker but statistics have shown that it is often better to give up a sure win for a very small return in favor of going for a larger win for a much better return.

In our terms, that is the true meaning of the advice to know when to hold’em and to know when to fold’em.  We encourage everyone to play the games of skill with proper strategy and to play the games of chance as the pure entertainments they are intended to be!

Rest in peace, Kenny!

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