 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! Alan Krigman Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
Alan Krigman Gaming Guru - Page 60  Should You Bet More on One Spot or Less on Two?21 October 2001
Bettors often play multiple hands at table games or commandeer several seats at the slots. What's behind this preference? How does it differ from betting more on one outcome or less for a longer period? Most importantly, which approach is best for you? As usual in gambling, no one collar fits all necks. ... (read more)
Why Blackjack Players Who Know What They Know Split Their 10s17 October 2001
Every so often, and I'm not sure but it may be correlated with the full moon, blackjack buffs who know what they know grab me to explain why they split 10s versus low dealer upcards. The "logic" generally boils down to three arguments: 1) Dealers will probably bust with low upcards, so they'll win twice as much. ... (read more)
Are You Ready for the Next Step in Casino Cuisine?8 October 2001
Not everybody's old enough to remember, let alone have been to, an Automat. If you're picturing a display at the 1939 World's Fair showing robots that wandered around the house vacuuming the rugs, or a seance at which a psychic summons spirits from beyond to speak to participants' minds from within, you're off track. ... (read more)
It's Time to Go Beyond Edge in Characterizing Bets4 October 2001
As a player, it's nice to know the house advantage or edge on the various bets you can make in a casino. It's even useful. Sort of. For instance, you can evaluate edge from the returns shown on the fronts of poker machines and use it to pick the most favorable games. Or, knowing that edge is lower at single- than double-zero roulette, opt for the former when feasible. ... (read more)
What Do You Do when Chance Says "No" but Expectation Says "Yes"25 September 2001
Normal folks talk about bets in terms of the chance they'll win, lose, or maybe push. Chance is expressed numerically as the odds or probability of an event. Gurus often discuss "expected value" or "expectation." These give theoretical profit or loss assuming a statistically-correct distribution of results over time. ... (read more)
Should You Split your Bankroll into Separate Session Stakes?17 September 2001
Mathematically, gambling is one extended effort. It's the same whether a bettor plays continuously, divides a lifetime into separate casino visits, or splits a specific trip into discrete sessions. And, if the latter, whether the chief exit criterion is time, profit or loss, exhaustion, or a nagging companion. ... (read more)
Is Volatility the Secret of Winning Big?12 September 2001
Basic Strategy for multi-deck blackjack dictates hitting rather than doubling on a two-card 11 against a dealer's ace. Both options favor the players. That is, the hand is projected to win more often than it loses, and to make money, either way. "The book" says to hit because doing so offers higher "expectation" than doubling. ... (read more)
Should You Just Hit 11 vs Ace, or Go for the Double?4 September 2001
How do you play a two-card 11 against ace-up in blackjack? Some stalwarts double - particularly at tables with "peek-a-boos" when they know the dealer doesn't have a natural. Others hit. Basic Strategy dictates doubling in one-deck games and in two?deckers when the 11 comprises 7-4 or 6-5; otherwise hit. ... (read more)
Gambling Is a Sometimes Thing, and Therein Lies the Rub27 August 2001
"What troubles me," wrote Michael Dertouzos of MIT in the Sept/Oct 2000 Technology Review "is the arrogant notion that human logic can anticipate the effects of intended and unintended acts, and the more arrogant notion that human reasoning can determine the course of the universe." ... (read more)
If Slots Return 93 Percent, Why Does Everyone Lose Everything?20 August 2001
Your favorite slots are most likely configured to pay back from 85 percent to over 99 percent of the money bet. The 'percent return' isn't a factor artificially adjusted by issuing win or lose edicts from time to time, or through some fickle facet of fate that enforces the law of averages. Rather, it's inherent in the payouts for and chances of various winning results. ... (read more)
< Previous 10 Articles | Next 10 Articles > Alan Krigman |
Alan Krigman |