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North Valley Today
September Edition 2003
 A division of the

Daily News

The Business of Gambling 

Story by Ryon Harms, staff writer 

Casinos across the globe don’t grow to Vegas-esque proportions by losing. 
The house always has the odds in their favor, as they have an unquenchable cash flow, 
a luxury most of us can dream about. Actually, it is that dream that casinos sell 
to the millions of gamblers who visit places like “Lost Wages” annually.  

If you have ever gambled, you have undoubtedly come across “professional gamblers,”
otherwise known as drunken-quacks, who bumptiously share their “fool proof” plan 
on how to beat the house, digging into their pockets for “one last” $20. 
On the other hand, some stick to their guns when describing their system 
of evening the odds with the house, and even manage to provide 
the only true evidence, turning a profit.  

Woodland Hills resident and self-proclaimed “Craps Coach” Meyer Bendavid 
has been rolling the dice for over 30 years and claims to have surmounted 
a winning record of about 83 percent, while most pros only come out even. 
The difference, Bendavid claims, is that he looks at craps not as entertainment, 
but as a business. After all, there is cash involved 
as well as percentages and trends to consider.  

Bendavid pointed out that the casinos use the obstreperous slot machines 
as distractions, along with the scanty, colorful outfits worn by the 
pleasing cocktail waitresses to lower your edge (a welcome distraction for most!).
It is important, according to Bendavid, to clear your mind of these duplicities
and concentrate on the business at hand, 
keeping your eyes peeled to the dice and your own rack.  

For $18, Bendavid provides graphs, charts and precise calculations 
to up your potential for increased flow. His work room is in Van Nuys. 
The basic odds to keep in mind are the probability of a certain number being rolled: 
There is only one way that a 12 or a two can be rolled; 
two ways for a three or an 11 to be rolled; three ways for a four or 10 to come up;
four ways for a five or nine; five ways for a six or eight.
Finally, “Big Red,” as it is known to craps enthusiast,
a seven can be rolled six ways, giving it the highest chance
to come up over all other combinations.  

“The thing you want to do is to keep greed down, when you keep greed down 
your chances of winning dramatically increase,” said Bendavid. 
Bendavid’s system, the “Hit ‘N Git,” relies on conservatively place bets,
strictly based on the odds.  

The first rule of “Hit ‘N Git” is to chart the table conditions to 
“determine the action of the dice hitting the table. 
It is important to determine the throwing method used by different players,”
wrote Bendavid in an e-published article.  

Once the dice have been charted, using one of his home-made charts,
the player should use place betting only after the point is established. 
If the dominant number is say six, then one should bet on six and eight,
as the numbers are diametrically opposed 
and share the same probability of being thrown.  

Other rules of “Hit ‘N Git” include: “if you get a hit within three rolls, 
remove all bets and wait for the seven out. If the shooter goes beyond six rolls,
cautiously start placing bets again, but only on the dominant number.
Bendavid points out that the seven should come out about every six throws, 
but typically comes up every 3.6 rolls.  

“The question is, ‘How much down can you take before you walk away 
because it has been a losing proposition?’
What’s different about teaching the game verses following 
what everyone else does, is following some common sense rules. 
No. 1 is teaching people how to use place betting, 
where they can place cash and remove money.  

“All the bets against the casino are negative, in every game,” says Bendavid. 
It seems as if the house has a hopeless advantage over players,
but if you understand the nature of the dice and their probabilities, 
you may just even up the odds and stack your rack.