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Alan Krigman Gaming Guru - Page 57  Have You Learned What Casinos Teach about the Quick Fix?23 May 2002
Sometime when nobody was paying any attention, reliance on hard work gave way regrettably to the quick fix. At worst, quick fixes fail completely, sacrificing the opportunity to effect real solutions. And, when they appear to succeed, quick fixes often only mask problems, postponing the inevitable hour of reckoning. ... (read more)
Does Regis Philbin Have the Monte Hall Problem?14 May 2002
Slot machine moguls are on a tear over games with nostalgic themes. One of these is based on yesterday's TV show, "Let's Make a Deal." Seeing this model reminded me of an interesting puzzle in probability and logic, getting me wondering whether the same math applies to today's popular "Who ... (read more)
Recovering from a Bad Start Depends on You and the Game9 May 2002
It'll happen. You sit down at a casino game. And before you've gotten settled and ordered your Old Mr Boston Fizz, your worst nightmare becomes reality. You lose at the getgo and can't seem to catch a turn. Your bankroll plummets by half. Or more. And, although you know you're gambling for entertainment, not for a living or to pay the rent, you're definitely not having any fun. ... (read more)
What Happens to Chance when a Game Isn't Random?30 April 2002
Casino games are often described using "cycles." Few folks still take the idea literally, picturing predetermined sequences comprising all possible results. Most understand cycles as aids in applying the laws of probability to gambling. For instance, a slot machine with four 10-stop reels has 10,000 positions, so a cycle is 10,000 numbers. ... (read more)
Although Anything Can Happen, Something Else Usually Does23 April 2002
Someone gives you and three friends each a coin and asks you to do 10 flips, jotting down the outcomes with "0" for tails and "1" for heads. You get 0110001011, Elvira's flips are 1000110110, Flossie's are 1010101010, and Roscoe ends up with 1111111111. Your flips and Elvira's are unremarkable. ... (read more)
Pick a Number, any Number (Well, almost any)17 April 2002
About 10 years ago, word got out that slot machine payouts don't just "happen." Results are determined, ostensibly unpredictably, by internal electronic engines known as random number generators or RNGs. Ever since RNGs got unmasked, solid citizens wanting to understand the systems in which they're placing their hopes for comfortable futures, have been asking questions about them. ... (read more)
Which Blackjack Hands Are Strong, and Which Weak?10 April 2002
Blackjack buffs undergo an epiphany when they realize that the goal of the game isn't to get close to - without exceeding - 21, but to beat the dealer. Most come to this revelation understanding that success lies in accounting both for their own total and the dealer's upcard in deciding how to play a hand. ... (read more)
What Dealer Upcard Is Best for Blackjack Players?3 April 2002
The majority of solid citizens would guess that a five or a six is the most advantageous dealer upcard for blackjack players. Depending on rules in force at a table and, more significantly, what's in your own hand, either or neither may actually be best. The number of decks in play has an influence. ... (read more)
Law, Luck, and the Leningrad Elephant26 March 2002
The laws of chance seem similar, but have diverging implications, when applied to the questions of "when," "which," "where," or "who" as opposed to those of "whether" or "if." Casino games, by and large, involve the latter. But many solid citizens err by thinking in terms of the former. ... (read more)
The Daunting Diversity of Craps May Be Its Greatest Asset18 March 2002
Ask any dozen dice doyens and you're apt to get at least 13 different answers to the question of how best to spread money around a craps table. There's no one right way. And, what pleases some players may pique others. In picking a strategy, it helps to have an intuitive understanding of how and to what extent various alternatives affect the ebb and flow of the game. ... (read more)
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