GAMING GURUS: LATEST FROM OUR STRATEGY EXPERTS

The music of the machines

Before the slot machines became “paper machines” — that is, when real coins went in and came out, and the noise of those thousands upon thousands of coins going in and coming out filled the casinos, sometimes backed up by the occasional screams of joy from slot players who had hit jackpots — I could hear a kind of music, a kind of celestial symphony as I walked through a casino, except this symphony was not in the stars but indoors.I sometimes called it the “sound of the slots,” but I realized it contained far more than just machine sounds...read more

Top 10 facts and figures for the 2018 World Series of Poker Europe

The World Series of Poker Europe came into existence in 2007, when Caesars Entertainment wanted to bring its brand to locations throughout the world. Over the first nine years, the WSOPE has attracted 23,292 entrants and has awarded over $108 million in prize money...read more

Stay clear craps

Way back in the 1990s, I met Brett at a seminar. He was a slot player — strictly three reels in those days — and he wanted to learn something about table games.It took him a couple of decades, but he's finally giving craps a try. He contacted to ask about hop bets."You probably don't remember this," he said, "but when you taught us the pass line, I was the only one who couldn't get it at all."I had to admit I didn't remember...read more

Casino chips

Casino chips (also known as casino or gaming tokens, checks or cheques) are small discs used in lieu of legal currency in casinos. Injection-molded plastic or compression-molded clay tokens of various denominations are used primarily in table games today, as opposed to metal coins, used primarily in slot machines.The manufacture of casino chips today includes some percentage of earthen material such as sand, chalk and clay, similar to that found in cat litter.Money can be exchanged for chips in a casino at the casino cage, the gaming tables, or at a cashier station...read more

Casino City’s Friday Five: Groundbreaking jackpot edition

We've turned the page on the calendar and have entered October, and there's a lot of news to cover. There are more U.S. sportsbook developments with the expansion of an existing partnership. We also have a milestone jackpot payout, another big jackpot at an online casino, Las Vegas breaking ground on an entertainment venue and an acquisition by Eldorado Resorts.Let’s begin in Las Vegas.5...read more

Doubling 11 versus a 10

QUESTION: Why should I double down on 11 when the dealer has a 10 up? It seems to me the dealer is trending to a really good hand, with a 20 likely and possibly a blackjack. This seems like spitting into the wind.ANSWER: At nearly all U. S...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Lack of replacement parts another reason old slots disappear

Question: Regarding a recent question about slot paybacks on cruise ships and your statement that generally the video poker machines have worse pay tables than land-based casinos, I can attest that it is true. Having sailed on many different ships, the VP tables are "not playable" by Vegas standards...read more

Same or different?

Here is a question I’ve pondered: Do you prefer to go to the same casino(s) time and time again, or do you prefer to spread your play around and visit many casinos for the first time? Of course, it is possible that you might like to do both.DARREN: I enjoy going to the same two casinos...read more

Top 10 reasons to visit the newly renovated Palace Station Hotel and Casino

When Frank Fertitta Jr. realized his dream of opening a Las Vegas casino back in 1976, he did so with the intention of making it a place where locals felt like it was a home away from home.The Casino certainly served that purpose well, attracting a steady crowd of Las Vegas residents and hospitality workers from the area to a centrally located venue less than three miles off the Strip with cheap eats and service with a smile...read more

Paul talks video poker

I first met Paul, a big video poker fan, when I was giving a daylong seminar for a park district in the Chicago suburbs.Over the years, Paul contacted me frequently with video poker questions. Sometimes, he has stories, and he had a fun tale of a big comeback for a winning session when he reached me in early September."You know me," Paul started...read more