 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! Alan Krigman Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
Alan Krigman Gaming Guru - Page 45  Put Craps Bets onto a Common Ground before Comparing Them6 September 2004
Most casino bets are resolved on every round. You drop money on the table or into
the slot then win, lose, or push -- completing the coup. Not always so in craps.
Some tosses may not yield decisions, but are deemed irrelevant or "no action"
rather than pushes. This, although they're equivalent to getting your money back
then making the bet again. ... (read more)
Why Skew May Be More Important to Casino Gamblers than Edge30 August 2004
Many casino aficionados choose games based on "skewness," although they
don't know what it is or even that they're doing it. Skewness puts a number on
the trade-off between a good chance at a small profit and a low probability of
a big score. Assuming some point on the spectrum between the extremes of ... (read more)
Would You Play the Slots if You Could See How They Worked?23 August 2004
Would slot machines be as popular as they are if the details of their operation
were transparent to players? Sure, anyone who's at all interested knows or can
find out about independent trials and random events, odds and probabilities, and
expected values and return percentages. But the way the devices ... (read more)
You'll See More Aces Playing Blackjack with Fewer Decks16 August 2004
Aces are a big deal in blackjack. They help on both sides of the table by reducing
the chance of busting on a draw. In general, though, they benefit the bettors
more than the bosses. The ace-10 combination is particularly important because
it pays 1.5-to-1 when players receive it, but costs only what's bet at the start
of the round when it appears in the dealer's hand. ... (read more)
Hey, Buddy! Wanna Buy Some Match Play Tokens? Cheap?9 August 2004
Casinos occasionally give solid citizens free match play tokens as table game
rewards and incentives. In case you're unsure how they work, you can augment your
wager with match play tokens up to the value of your cash bet on most even-money
propositions. Win, and you're paid based on the sum of the two ... (read more)
Does It Help or Hurt when Blackjack Dealers Hit Soft 17s?2 August 2004
In most casinos, blackjack dealers must stand on soft 17s -- combinations like
ace-six or four-ace-two. In some establishments dealers must hit these totals.
Which is better for players?
Puzzling out the answer intuitively doesn't necessarily work. Basic Strategy
tells bettors with soft 17 to hit or double, suggesting that a dealer doing
likewise would favor the house. ... (read more)
What If You Could Buy Gaming Chips at a Discount?26 July 2004
What if you could buy gaming chips at a discount? Say, 10, 20, or even 25 percent.
Special chips you bet at face value, get back with your payoff when you win, and
redeem at cost if any are left when you quit. Not a pipe dream. A deal you can
get on ships in Florida that sail past the three-mile limit then open the games. ... (read more)
What Do You Want from the Casino Experience, and at what Price?19 July 2004
Gamblers are often admonished to set loss limits and win goals, then quit accordingly.
Few do. Queues at casino cash and credit card terminals attest to solid citizens
who exhaust what they'd planned to risk and try to recover by digging a bit deeper
into the cookie jar. And everyone remembers at least once when their fortunes
peaked before they gave it all back. ... (read more)
Is There a Way to Evaluate Luckiness in the Casino?12 July 2004
Can you put a number on how lucky do you have to be to win in a casino? Bet-by-bet,
the value of probability might do the job. For instance, a Buy bet on a four at
craps is a three-out-of-nine proposition. For a Lay bet on the four, chances are
six out of nine. Buys therefore seem to need twice the luck as Lays. ... (read more)
How Vig Collected only on Wins Enhances Buy Bets5 July 2004
The vigorish -- or "vig" -- on Buy bets at craps is normally 5 percent
of the wager, rounded down to the nearest whole dollar. That's $1 on bets from
$20 up to but not including $40, $2 starting at $40 and up to but not including
$60, and so on.
Most casinos collect the vig up-front. You pay the $1 when you make the bet;
the house keeps the buck, however the dice roll. ... (read more)
< Previous 10 Articles | Next 10 Articles > Alan Krigman |
Alan Krigman |