Dear Mark,

A small Nevada casino where I typically play no longer offers roulette.Doesn’t the game of roulette make any money for the casino? Dan H.

Depends, Dan. If the real estate the table occupies does not bringhome the bacon, no matter whether it’s a blackjack or craps, or as in yourquestion, a roulette table, off to dumpster heaven it goes. Moreover, Dan,as to its popularity rank among table games; roulette is a distant thirdbehind blackjack and craps. As for money wagered, it’s fourth, behind thataging tradition — baccarat.
Expert conjecture here is that your closer inspection will probably disclosethat a bank of slots machines has replaced the roulette table, and mostlikely brings in more booty than the roulette table ever did.

Dear Mark,

Explain please what a “total” bet is in sports wagering? Jake K.

By betting $11 to win $10, you can wager on the combined total of pointsscored by both teams. Winning an “over” bet requires that more points bescored than the bookmaker’s total, and winning the “under” bet requires thatfewer points be scored. Using football as an example, let us say totalposted for the Green Bay versus San Francisco game is 42. You can wager thatthe total score of both teams added together will be either over or underthat posted total. In the event that the final score falls right on thattotal (e.g. Green Bay 28 + San Francisco 14 = 42), a tie is declared and allbets are returned.
By the way, Jake, here is a little gambling patois for you. Betting the overis known as “betting on the ball,” betting under is known as “betting on theclock.”
For those wanting to know a bookmaker is not usually a guy answering the phone. A bookmakertends to be a casino or an online casino.