Worthy slot writers

28 February 2017

By Frank Scoblete

I know it is rare for a gambling writer to review other gambling writers, especially since some of these writers write for the same publications (including this one) and some of these writers are friends of his.

My answer to the conundrum is this: So what?

I enjoy reading other gambling writers, I do, although most of the genre is filled with silliness and poor advice, and nowhere is that more evident than in books and articles about slot machines, the casinos’ golden cash cow. Like a good conversation at a fine restaurant, I want to share my ideas with you.

When it comes to slot machines there are only a few writers that I made a point of reading that did not disappoint me. Now in this column I am not writing about video poker writers such as Jean Scott, Jerry “Stickman” Stich (except for his slot contributions), Bob Dancer, Gayle Mitchell or Henry Tamburin. Video poker is a whole other world that I may get to in the future. For now I am dealing strictly with slots.

So here they are, the best slot writers, in my (humble) opinion and in no particular order:


John Grochowski

I think of John Grochowski as the best overall casino gambling writer out there. I love his articles on slots (and all forms of gambling). His writing style is crisp, insightful, fun and always on the mark. He hits the bulls-eye every time.

Grochowski has the ability to engage you about various forms of play, but he also has the talent to relate the stories of players whom he has met or with whom he has corresponded. Although his slot machine book The Slot Machine Answer Book was written in 1999, it still holds up and is definitely worth a read.

Frank Legato

Frank Legato is my favorite writer for funny and insightful articles and columns. Not only does Frank Legato know slot machines inside and out, he can relate, often in hilarious ways, his experiences playing those machines. His articles for Strictly Slots are usually gems. His is always the closing column in just about every issue, deservedly so.

His book How to Win Millions Playing Slot Machines…or Lose Trying is something of an oldie but it is still a goodie (I wrote the introduction). If you’ve overlooked Legato, start peeping into his world. You’ll enjoy him, learn from him and have a grand time all the way.

John Robison

John writes for this publication and is one of the most knowledgeable slot writers in the country. He is a player and a researcher and he really knows his stuff. He has a good writing style.


Marshall Fey

He doesn’t explain how to play the machines, but his book Slot Machines: A Pictorial History of the First 100 Years of the World's Most Popular Coin-Operated Gaming Device is a must-read for anyone who wishes to know where those one-armed bandits came from, how they grew, how they became sophisticated and how they spread throughout the country.

In pictures and words this book will have you travelling in time from the end of the 1800’s to today. Great reading. Slots are (when all is said and done) the dominant form of casino gambling and as such deserves its own history, one filled with amazing moments.


Jerry “Stickman” Stich

Jerry “Stickman” is a video poker writer for Strictly Slots, and his columns are always well written and interesting. But his slots writing and research is also second to none.

“Stickman” contributed the most valuable information of advantage-play slots for my book Slots Conquest: How to Beat the Slot Machines. His advice was unparalleled.

Although advantage machines have decreased markedly in recent years, some of them are still out there and you might be able to find them if you know what to look for. In Slots Conquest, Jerry not only explains what these machines are but exactly how to play them to increase your chances of winning.

Jerry “Stickman” is an excellent writer and a great casino player in many games, advantage-play slots included.


Charles W. Lund

I don’t really know much about this guy, but the one thing I do know is that he opened the whole slot-playing world to the idea that there were indeed machines that could be beaten. He created and exploited advantage-play machines, the first person to ever do so with mathematical proof of his methods of selection and play.

His book Robbing the One-Armed Bandits: Finding and Exploiting Advantageous Slot Machines was written in 1999, but it is another absolute must if you wish to see how great minds figure out how to outsmart the brilliant casino planners.


J. Phillip Vogel

OK, this man is my editor at Strictly Slots, but that’s not why he is included. Check out his columns that open each issue and you will see that he is more than an editor but a writer who knows his stuff.

Often editors of gambling magazines don’t really know much about what they are editing, Vogel does. In fact, he has a series of books on various games.

OK, these writers have impressed me. I think you can’t go wrong making an effort to read their articles and books. If you find playing slots to be fun, then I think you will also find reading about them fun as well. Heck, you’re reading about them now!


Frank Scoblete’s new books are I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps; Confessions of a Wayward Catholic and I Am a Card Counter: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Blackjack. All available from Amazon.com, Kindle, Barnes and Noble, and at bookstores. Visit Frank's new website at www.frankscoblete.com.