I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't watch the games. But that's not to say you can't watch them with a smile. There's a big difference between watching and steaming a game. Just last month, in a supposedly premium Strip property, I observed a clot of pit bosses stand by a game and literally write down every wager a player made, whisper when he won, sneer when he lost, and generally make fools of themselves in front of a total shnook betting thousands a hand.

This sort of behavior comes from the same guys who, when asked about the state of blackjack, simply throw up their hands and moan, "Blackjack is dying." If it's dying -- and it's certainly slipping; Vegas Strip 21 revenues fell again last year, while dice profits were actually growing -- it's because pit bleeders who act like cops instead of good-will ambassadors are killing it, one customer at a time.

Professional players never go on tilt when they lose. Professional operators shouldn't either. Many casino bosses build their businesses on fear, hyperbole, tradition, rumor, and apocryphal and ill-informed stories. One thing's for sure: They don't understand the math of luck. Check the chart for an explanation.