Player's Math - Part 2
Now that you have read all the probabilities, statistics and percentages of the casino’s math, let’s see if we can put this into perspective. After all, if we can’t overcome this mathematical juggernaut in our daily play, why play at all?
In order to understand how the Benson Strategies beat the odds, we first have to take a different look at the game as a whole. Leonard stresses in his seminars that if you want to play craps, blackjack, baccarat and roulette like everyone else, then you don’t need our systems. It is the fact that the Benson player does play differently from the pack that allows him or her to beat the casino’s math. Let us show you.
Crucial to the success of the casino is the simple premise that all the stats we quoted in Part One are based on probabilities derived from an INFINITE NUMBER OF PLAYS. For the 1-5% edge to surface in all the table games, the casino must have tremendous action for the true odds to prevail. Anything significantly less and the casino’s math won’t hold up.
Translated, this means that without this large volume of play, the casino isn’t guaranteed the mathematical edge to secure their win. That’s why the casino does everything it can to prolong your play. The more rolls of the dice, the more hands of blackjack and baccarat and the more spins of the roulette wheel, the more the casino is guaranteed this edge.
Your play is very important to the casino. That’s why the are willing to give comps, that’s why they entice you with drinks, that’s why they promote junkets, that’s why they have no windows or clocks and keep the tables as crowded as possible. Everything the casino does is geared to keeping their mathematical edge alive. Truth is, the casino needs you to play and play, otherwise there simply is no mathematical edge.
Moreover, the casino’s math does not compensate for variations in a player’s bet size. The math is based on unit bets which are more or less equivalent. The casino math has a very difficult time with a player who bets $5 and $10 then jumps to $100 bets. If you don’t believe me, go play blackjack and jump from $10 to $100 bets. The pit boss will be all over you. Hey, why do you think there are minimum and maximum bet sizes on each table? Add to this the fact the casino must accept any legal size bet a player makes and cannot stop a player from leaving when he or she is ahead.
Bottom line, the casino must have sufficient action to overcome these drawbacks. The action needed to secure this mathematical edge is only possible and significant to the casino., It is quite frankly impossible and does not have to be significant to the player. We mentioned this point in the introduction. In fact, not only can the player minimize the casino’s math but if he’s smart can actually create his own math, a “player’s math,” which will consistently beat the casino at its own game.
Just above I stated that the casino’s math does not have to be significant to the player. You see, a player must follow certain guidelines if he wants to avoid the casino’s math. Thus Leonard’s statement the Benson players do not play like everyone else. That is, they avoid the bad playing habits that put them in the casino’s math and embrace the good habits that put them in the player’s math. Theses significant factors for avoiding the casino’s math are:
- Regulated Play: Avoids time for the casino math to kick in.
- Departure Rules: Locks in winds and stops big losses.
- Betting Progressions: Allows players to capitalize on trends.
- Money Management: More opportunity to find the trends. Don’t confuse money management with increased opportunity to just continue playing.
- Capitalizing on Trends: The most important of the significant factors. Since we are limiting our session time with our departure rules, we must make our playing time count. Following the rends does just that.
The Benson playing rules for all our games use these significant factors as the basis for their systems. True, they might deviate slightly from craps to blackjack to baccarat, but at the heart of each of our systems you will find these factors — factors that keep you in the player’s math and avoid the casino’s math. Below you will find a summary outlining the significant factors for both the casino and the player. Study them. The factors in the “Player’s Math” are a central part to each and every Benson System. Systems that make you play differently than everyone else and keep you well out of reach of the casino’s math each and every session.
Casino’s Math
- Needs lots of playing action to achieve true odds.
- All statistics are based on an infinite number of rolls.
- Hates deviations in bet sizes.
- Does not like structured play, especially in departure rules and money management.
- Once the volume of play is achieved the mathematical edge is guaranteed.
- The casino will offer any enticement to achieve this guaranteed mathematical edge.
Player’s Math
- Less playing time the more chance of beating the odds.
- Doesn’t have the bankroll or time for infinite plays.
- Loves deviations or trends.
- Loves to increase bets to lock in winds.
- Survival depends on money management and departure rules.
- The player doesn’t have unlimited bankroll like the casino.
- If player breaks departure rules, usually kicks in casino’s math.
- The player should never play exclusively for the comps or the drinks but play to win and find trends. After that, leave.
