Ask The Wizard #100

In a previous article, you mentioned that dealers should have the right to keep their tips. I have to disagree with your stance on this issue. Typically, when dealers get to keep their tips—especially in the Seattle-Tacoma region in Washington—it leads to inequality. For example, female dealers tend to fare much better, and Asian males have a decent chance as well. Asian females, particularly those who are exceptionally attractive, tend to earn significantly more. Conversely, as a white male, I can tell you that it is not nearly as promising. Therefore, I disagree with your perspective that 'allowing dealers to keep their tips incentivizes quality service, which ultimately benefits everyone.'

At my workplace, one female Asian dealer consistently earns $200 or more in tips each night, and this isn't a one-time occurrence—she's done this countless times. I've only achieved that a couple of times myself. Is her approach vastly different from mine? I doubt it, because we previously worked together at another casino where I supervised the floors and she dealt. It stands to reason that she wasn't doing anything particularly distinct; she often barely interacted with the players!

Dear wizard, imagine you have a deck of 52 playing cards that has been thoroughly shuffled. If you randomly select 18 cards from this deck and group them into 6 piles of 3 cards each, what is the likelihood that one of these piles contains precisely 3 aces out of the 4 in the deck?

This website is fantastic! As a gambler with an interest in probability and statistics, I often refer to it. Interestingly, this particular inquiry relates to my professional life. My HR department mandates that I evaluate my small team of five employees on a bell curve—one must fall in the top 5%, one in the next 20%, one in the next 50%, one in the following 20%, and one in the bottom 5%. Considering there are around 5,000 employees at the company, what are the odds of such a small sample adhering to this kind of distribution?

While the various house ways are quite similar, any differences arise mostly in unusual or borderline plays. I've often heard dealers claim that their casino employs a conservative house way that leans towards balancing the hands, leading to more pushes. However, I doubt that anyone has actually conducted a comparative study on this topic.

Unfortunately, the limit is zero; you cannot deduct net losses at all. However, if you have W2G forms (usually provided for wins of $1,200 or more in slots, video poker, and keno), you may deduct other losses against these winnings. It's important to keep thorough records of any losses you intend to claim. Perhaps you're confusing this with stock losses, where you can deduct up to $3,000 per year, and any excess can be carried over to subsequent years. I'm still offsetting losses from the tech downturn back in 2000.

While I highly doubt any casino actually pumps pure oxygen (after all, oxygen is just one component of the air we breathe), I am absolutely certain that some establishments use ozone generators. Ozone is, in fact, a form of oxygen. My two-year experience at a casino in Washington State, which utilized ozone generators, affirms this. I never confronted them about it since they would likely deny the practice. However, I am quite familiar with the unique smell of ozone. For years I have engaged in marine aquarium hobbies, where serious enthusiasts use ozone generators. Moreover, I’ve frequently visited a well-known card room in Renton, Washington, operational since 1976, which undeniably has a strong ozone odor. My experience is limited to Washington State, as I have visited Las Vegas and Reno multiple times since 1973, and I cannot recall detecting ozone at any casino there. Thus, I must respectfully disagree with your assertion that this is an 'urban legend'—at least regarding ozone, although you may be accurate in your comments about pure oxygen.

"He could be correct. Ozone (O3) does have a distinctive scent, and it is indeed a 'form' of oxygen. If he has insider knowledge that ozone generators were used in the Renton, WA casino, that could be valid. Generating small amounts of ozone to 'freshen' the air is neither illegal nor hazardous; it often leaves a smell reminiscent of the air after a thunderstorm, which some may find invigorating, particularly in a smoky setting. Its primary effect could be to mask other odors. As a potent oxidizer, it might also react with smelly hydrocarbons to help eliminate them more quickly. Manufacturers may claim various health benefits of ozone, but I don't think any substantial effects on well-being or 'happiness' have been proven. Feel free to quote me. Additionally, consider checking out: "pumping oxygen\" into the casino IAQ Publications - Ozone Generator Fact Sheet

Consider it done! Yes, this marks the 100th installment of my column. I initiated this four years and two months ago to refresh the site and demonstrate that the content remains dynamic. Given its longevity, I believe launching this column was among my better ideas.

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