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Donald Catlin Gaming Guru - Page 8  Questions from the mailbag8 March 2008
Over the past couple of months I've received several letters from my readers. Here are three such.
Somewhere I read about an expert(?) gambler that charts the craps table. Isn't this heresy for number guys like yourself? The dice or table cannot remember. So why does his method make sense, unless ... (read more)
A Blackjack Ruin Problem1 February 2008
Dear Don,
I am hopeless at mathematics but I understand at Blackjack I have a 43% chance of winning and a 49% chance of losing - that is a difference of 5% advantage to the casino.
I am guessing that perfect basic strategy, double downs and splits, are responsible for bringing the advantage to 0.5% - ... (read more)
A Myth Comes to Life - Maybe4 January 2008
One of the amusing and often annoying things about gamblers is their belief in superstitions and their faith in things that defy common sense. You hear talk of hot tables, cold tables, hot machines, cold machines, machines that are due, pressing during winning streaks (as if one could predict such), and so on. ... (read more)
Odds8 December 2007
I was recently working a crossword puzzle that contained the word "probability" as the clue for a four letter word. The answer turned out to be "odds." I'm used to crossword creators providing questionable clues and this example certainly falls into that category. Well almost. Strictly speaking odds are not about probability. ... (read more)
Mailbag2 November 2007
Every now and then I receive a letter from a reader that is interesting but does not have enough substance to demand a whole column. Here are three such letters and I thank the writers - I'm sure my readers will enjoy them; I did.
Dear Don,
That article you wrote on Zzyzx Road. To my surprise there is a horse named Zzyzx Road that is running at Yonkers on 8/14/07 in the 7th race. ... (read more)
Blackjack Variance5 October 2007
I recently received an email from one of my readers, Paul, who was curious about the effect on variance when playing multiple hands in Blackjack. Here is part of Paul's letter to me.
I have a question for you regarding the determination of standard deviation (sd) and expectation in Blackjack. ... (read more)
Picking the Right Slot2 September 2007
You haven't seen much about slot machines in this column for the simple reason that I seldom play them. Why? Slot machines are not very good bets. Typical payback percentages are 96% (rare) down to 83% (typical of airports). 92% - 93% is common. In spite of this, slots are popular, enjoying the major portion of casino floor space. ... (read more)
An Interesting Question about Toking3 August 2007
Recently one of the readers of Casino City Times, Andrew S., sent Frank a question involving the toking of Texas Hold'Em dealers. Frank sent the question to Bill Burton, who in turn sent it to me. So, Andrew, I guess you're stuck with me. Here is Andrew's letter to Frank:
Frank,
This question may ... (read more)
New bet in Detroit1 July 2007
I recently received a letter from Nick in Ann Arbor asking about a new bet at the MGM Grand in Detroit.
Here is his letter:
First off let me state that I enjoy reading your articles at scoblete.com.
Now on to the question. MGM Grand in Detroit has created a new wager to compete with the "fire bet" found at a competing casino.
... (read more)
Video Poker at the Palms1 June 2007
One of my favorite casino hotels in Las Vegas is the Palms. This property is located on the southern side of Flamingo Drive on the west side of the strip. The rooms are very nice and are abundantly equipped. Their outstanding features, however, are the beds and pillows. I have never had a hotel room elsewhere with such comfortable sleeping. ... (read more)
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