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Alan Krigman Gaming Guru - Page 23  Playing It Smart: Playing multiple spots at blackjack24 August 2009
Some blackjack buffs enjoy playing multiple spots simultaneously. Few have more than intuition and specious logic about their preference. Mostly, their explanations have to do with things like "you get more action," "you make more on hot shoes," "wins on one side can offset losses on the other when the ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Does the down economy herald a return of low-limit gambling?17 August 2009
The casinos used to think they were recession-proof. Lately, they've been asking themselves what happened.
Millions of solid citizens used to think the casinos offered lots of entertainment and vacation bang for not all that many bucks. For a while, now, they've been asking themselves what happened.
... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Should you make progressive jackpot side bets on table games?10 August 2009
Side bets on table games, especially those with high progressive jackpots, are popular on both sides of the great casino divide. They offer: 1) solid citizens who prefer tables to slots shots at big scores for small bets; 2) jackpots high enough to be seductive while occasionally also giving ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: How flexible are the return schedules for various games?3 August 2009
Many casino games have return schedules with payoffs contingent on the result of a round. Video poker and other slot machines are classic cases. Some table games now also have this feature integral to the primary action as well as on bonus side-bets.
On window-type slots, designers are free to ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: How does jackpot size affect slot machine performance?27 July 2009
You're cruising the aisles of your favorite den of iniquity. You see that some slots have huge jackpots while others have rather moderate high-end returns. Many solid citizens figure only suckers don't go for the gold. A jackpot is a longshot, anyway. And, OK, the chance may get more remote as the amount increases. ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Is no-commission baccarat an impetus or an impediment?20 July 2009
Baccarat buffs are generally irked by the commission the house collects from the payoffs when bets on Banker win. They earned it, and should be able to keep it all, not have to give some of it back. Right? Guess what! The casinos dislike the commissions, too. Sure, they want the dough; it's the collection process they'd rather eliminate. ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Doubling down in blackjack: is it the edge or the volatility?13 July 2009
Edge is what makes casinos win. But, is it what makes players lose? Collectively, yes, gambling being an instance of what the economists call a zero-sum game. For punters individually, no.
People may indeed lose exactly, or close to, the product of edge times their gross wagers during a session. ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Why almost everyone questions at least some blackjack pair splits6 July 2009
Bettors are allowed to split pairs in blackjack and play each side separately. This is among the features of the game that moderate the otherwise huge edge dealers would have by acting last. But many solid citizens question at least some of the splits dictated by Basic Strategy. This, for four key reasons. ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Blackjack can have a low edge, but you have to know how to lower it29 June 2009
House edge in blackjack arises because the dealer goes last. Players who bust by exceeding 21 lose, no matter what later befalls the dealer. The inherent advantage of this effect would make the game unworkable without provisions to curb it.
One way this is done is to impose restrictions on dealers' actions. ... (read more)
Playing It Smart: Passing up Basic Strategy splits at blackjack26 May 2009
Proficient blackjack players normally split pairs when Basic Strategy says to do so. "Normally," meaning having enough reserve to fund possible resplits and doubles-after-splits, neither sweating the outcome nor risking a bust-out if fate is frowning.
Circumstances that aren't normal may pose a dilemma. ... (read more)
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