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Alan Krigman Gaming Guru - Page 78  Why Casinos Dare Offer 100X Odds at Craps30 March 1998
In casino craps, players can augment pass, come, don't pass, and don't come bets after a shooter establishes a point. This is done by taking or laying "odds." Using odds rather than higher base wagers trims the house edge or advantage on the bets. The house theoretically earns 1.4 cents/dollar of the initial - "flat" - wager. ... (read more)
Why Luck Goes beyond the Law of Averages23 March 1998
Businesses such as banks and supermarkets can optimize their operations by balancing customer wait times against staffing needs. The starting point is average customer load during various periods. But savvy managers go beyond the law of averages. They employ a statistical tool, the Poisson Distribution, to estimate the chances of encountering heavier or lighter demand. ... (read more)
How Money Management Helps You Achieve Balance16 March 1998
Money management is like alchemy. Neither will turn lead to gold. And both can burn buffs who rebuff reality. Nice to have the law of unintended consequences! Alchemy served society by yielding useful metal alloys; money management benefits bettors by shaping gambling sessions to individual preferences. ... (read more)
You May Have an Edge in Blackjack after the Deal9 March 1998
Dealers act last in blackjack. This gives the casino the edge because solid citizens who bust - go over 21 - lose even if the dealer subsequently does the same. But edge depends on a priori chances of winning various amounts, before cards are dealt. After the deal, some combinations of player hands and dealer up-cards give bettors the best of it. ... (read more)
How to Lengthen Your Stay at the Tables2 March 1998
You begin a session at a blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, or other table with some gambling stake - $50, $100, $1,000, maybe more. How much action can you expect for your money? Or, put more bluntly, how can you get the most go for your dough? There's no way to predict the answer on an individual here-and-now basis. ... (read more)
What Does Multiple-Coin Slot Play Really Buy You?23 February 1998
Ask 100 slot regulars what playing the maximum number of coins on each try buys them. At least 95 will say it earns them bonus bucks when they hit the jackpot. Although you didn't ask, over 75 will add something like one or more of the following: a) You'd feel like a jerk hitting a slot jackpot for $1,000 with one coin in, when three would have paid $10,000. ... (read more)
Can You Parlay a Casino to its Knees?16 February 1998
You can make big bucks by parlaying high-payoff wagers at games like craps and roulette. The drawback of a hefty haul is that it won't happen often. And the richer the reward you seek, the less the chance you'll succeed. Still, you've seen solid citizens drop trifling side-bets on longshots - a dollar or ... (read more)
Can Bias in Roulette Wheels Give You an Edge?9 February 1998
Roulette players love systems. Of all kinds. Systems based on combining numbers and groups. On raising bets after losses or wins. On the supposed ability of certain dexterous dealers to drop the ball into designated grooves. On the phases of the moon. Systems based on patterns of past results are especially interesting. ... (read more)
When and Why to Split Pairs in Blackjack2 February 1998
Pair splitting in blackjack can be offensive, aggressive, defensive, or reckless. Offensive splits change expected results from losses to gains. Aggressive splits raise anticipated profits. Defensive splits lower potential losses. And reckless splits... well, don't do 'em. Ordinarily, blackjack buffs ... (read more)
How Doubling in Blackjack Wins More by Winning Less26 January 1998
Doubling down on blackjack hands can be highly profitable. Expectation - the average net of wins minus losses for the same bet over a long period - is always positive for proper doubles. And it exceeds that of playing the hand any other way. I'll cite a few examples. o Three-seven against four-up. ... (read more)
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