GAMING GURUS: LATEST FROM OUR STRATEGY EXPERTS

Anatomy of a jackpot

Winning the “big one” is probably every slot player’s dream. Those reels spin or those characters hop up and down, the music plays, the money symbols land, land and land, and baskets of fruits or flowers or animated figures pile together. The big money, the huge money, is yours!“I won close to $1 million on a machine, a Wheel of Fortune, and I was like paralyzed for a minute...read more

Top 10 betting tidbits for the 2018 FIFA World Cup

World Cup 2018 (photo by Max Pixel)The 2018 World Cup begins Thursday when host Russia takes on Saudi Arabia.Being played for the first time in Eastern Europe, the World Cup pits 32 nations from all over the world against each other in a total of 64 matches across a dozen stadiums located in 11 different cities...read more

Stay or stop?

I never volunteer advice on strategy while playing in casinos, but the temptation was strong in early May when I found myself at a Mississippi Stud table where a new player — let's call him Bill — was being coached by a friend.Bill anted $5 and made an equal bet after seeing his two cards...read more

The best craps bets

The game of craps can be very exciting. It can also be very frustrating. One of the great draws of this game is the variety of bets available. One can bet with the shooter – betting that he will make the point number before the 7 shows, or one can bet that the 7 will rear its ugly head before the shooter repeats the point number.Of course, there are dozens of other bets also available: place bets, hard way bets, field bets, horn bets, whirl bets, hop bets, big 6, big 8 and big red...read more

Casino City’s Friday Five: Sports edition

With sports betting coming to America, the FIFA World Cup beginning next week and the World Series of Poker humming along, the world of sports dominates this week's Friday Five. But let's start with the most timely (and for Vegas hockey fans, the most depressing) story of the week:5...read more

Win goals and loss limits

QUESTION: I'm interested in the idea of win goals and loss limits to decide when to leave a game. You set a win goal, and if you reach it, you leave. You also set a limit on losses, and if you lose that much, you leave.Is that how you manage your money? Does it change if you have an edge, like a blackjack card counter?ANSWER: For games in which the casino has an edge — nearly all of them, against the vast majority of players, I've suggested a modified system of floating win goals and loss limits.I don't think a hard win goal is realistic...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Why are my slot club offers different from my friends' offers?

Question: For the last year, I lost every time I went to the casino with a friend. No one can understand why. I usually can win most of the times when I am alone. Although I spend more than my friends, they get invited to use the perks given by the host...read more

The five-tool casino player

In baseball, there is an elite category called the “five-tool” player. Such a player is excellent in the following areas:1. Batting average (usually near, on, or over 300)2. Power hitting (home runs, triples, doubles)3. Fast runner (base running, base stealing ability)4. Good arm in the field (can throw the ball with power from his position)5. Good fielderSuch players are rare indeed...read more

Top 10 tidbits about the Vegas Golden Knights run to the Stanley Cup Finals

The Vegas Golden Knights are in the Stanley Cup Finals in the first year of their existence. It began on 22 November 2016, when the expansion team received a name, team colors and logo. The Knights were overlooked from that point until they started making some noise in the regular season...read more

Players' stories

Whenever I relay readers' tales of their experiences in casinos, it seems to inspire other readers to share their own stories.That seemed to go double for craps players several weeks back, after three players told of their first-time experiences and overcoming the game's learning curve...read more