Playing With House Money

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
Know when to run
You never count your money
When you're sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
When the dealin's done- The great Kenny Rogers

Living in California and close proximity to Reno, I've spent a fair enough amount of time in a casino. Whether it was a Indian casino or a casino in Reno/Las Vegas.  I'm not a card player because I don't like poker and I can't play Blackjack because I can't count fast enough. I'm like an old lady and just play the slots.

Now I'm not a big money gambler. I'll usually put about $100 dollars in the machine and start playing. If I hit a jackpot it's usually for $80 dollars, not much, but considered a success for me because I don't gamble large amounts of money. That $80 dollars is the house money and I'm just trying to extend that dollar amount.

And that's where I get in trouble. Instead of just walking away satisfied with my earnings I keep gambling with the house money. The allure of a bigger pool of earnings is too tough to fight. And that's where the house wins. I keep gambling and losing money. Eventually that $180 dollars I eventually had all of a sudden becomes $80 dollars. And yet I still can't walk away. I lost $100 dollars and yet still playing and keep losing. Eventually I'm down to 50 cents and can't play any longer, the house won.

It's always dangerous playing with house money. The allure of a bigger pool of money keeps you playing and maybe you get lucky and actually beat the house, extend the pool, and get to take home a lot more money than you started gambling with. Most times than not though, the house always wins.

Sports in a lot of ways is like gambling. Teams play with house money. Some of them lose and some of them win. They obviously can't walk away because the end prize is too big to just walk away from.

I can't think of any other sport than baseball where you see teams playing with house money who usually will win. I don't know why baseball is the sport where you see teams beating the house but just look at the past 15 World Series champions and you'll see 7 teams broke the house: 97 Marlins, 01 Diamondbacks, 03 Marlins, 04 Red Sox, 06 Cardinals, 2010 Giants, and 2011 Cardinals.

The 97 Marlins won despite always playing on the edge. The 01 Diamondbacks won despite Byung-Hyun Kim betting more money than he had. The 03 Marlins beat the house twice before reaching the World Series because of Jose Cruz Jr and Bartman. The 04 Red Sox beat the house by coming back against the Yankees. The 06 Cardinals were given the house by the Tigers pitchers. The 2010 Giants beat the house with help from Brooks Conrad. And the 2011 Cardinals destroyed the house and sent pit bosses home crying.



In most cases in baseball you'll see teams beating the house before reaching the World Series. The 2010 Giants were always going to beat the Phillies and Rangers because they beat the house by somehow slipping past the Braves in the NLDS. Once the Giants beat the Braves the house wasn't stopping them. They kept hitting jackpots and weren't going home until they brought the casino to it's knees. Same can be said about the 2011 Cardinals after they beat the Phillies in the NLDS.

In football you'll see teams beating the house but it's less likely. Most of the teams that beat the house in the playoffs usually lose in the Super Bowl. I always believed the 07 Patriots were playing with house money. Eventually the house was going to break them and it eventually happened in the Super Bowl. The house also got to the 08 Cardinals and the 09 Colts. The house wins in Football more times than not.

The house wins every year in basketball. That's why I always scratch my head when football and baseball writers argue with each other saying their sport is more diverse than the other. Baseball and football look like a melting pot compared to basketball. You'll never see an underdog like the 2010 Giants win the NBA Championship. That's one of the appeals of basketball. The team that doesn't break the house is usually the team that wins the championship. It's also why people don't like watching the NBA. You want to see someone play with house money and eventually win.

I bring this all up because the San Francisco 49ers have been playing with house money all year long. From getting away with Alex Smith at quarterback, to not having any receivers, to being lucky with injuries, to getting a few good breaks coming their way (Like Jeremy Maclin fumbling), to having an offense that goes long stretches of stagnation only to have the defense bail it out, the 49ers played with house money all year long.

The house finally broke the 49ers last night. The 49ers could no longer play with a stagnant offense led by a Quarterback who can't throw 10-yard passes. And when the house decided to collect they collected where no one expected; the 49ers special teams.

The special teams were a bright spot all year long for the 49ers until last night. And that's the cruel fate of the house collecting in football. They collect where you least expect it. The house beat the Ravens and 49ers yesterday in special teams. The house collected by turning the 07 Patriots offensive juggernaut into mush. The house collected on the Packers last week exposing their weak defense. The house collected on the Falcons a couple of weeks ago exposing their timid coach and overrated quarterback. The house collects in the NFL more often than not.

This is why I believe the New York Giants are the next team to go broke taking on the house. They barely made the playoffs and have now made it to the Super Bowl despite a scoring differential at -1. The Giants are playing with house money right now. The house refuses to let teams beat them that have flaws or that have had an easy path to success.

The house is coming for the Giants in two weeks and they'll end up broke. The house will always win more times it losses, especially in football.