Casino Survey IV: Favorite Games

7 September 2024

By Jerry Stickman

Casinos have a wide range of games designed to attract nearly every type of gambler. Since there is such a variety, I thought it might be interesting to survey casino goers to find out their favorite games and why they play them.

This is the fourth article in a series of articles that explores this topic.

Responses from a recent casino sampling.

Debbi from Arkansas:

“I love going to the casino and since this one is about an hour away from home, I like to come as often as I can. My biggest problem – and I am very sure I am not alone – is my funds available for play are usually fairly meager. That means I play penny or nickel machines.

“I usually try penny slot machines first. I do not have enough cash with me to play the full amount so I limit the number of lines I play. Again, because of my financial situation, I have to make my money last. I do this by playing very slowly. Usually, friends come with me who are like minded when it comes to spending money gambling, so we usually sit together and chat in between spins of the slot machines. This really helps extend the time without getting bored.

“I like the slots because there is a chance to win some big money with not much bet. Yes, it is not very likely and cannot be expected each trip to the casino, but when it happens (and it has a few times for me) it is really exciting.

“If I do not have much luck at the penny slots (which happens most visits) I will try keno machines. I sometimes play bonus keno games such as Cleopatra, but prefer standard nickel keno. I generally play four cards with six numbers on each card. What makes this so great is it only costs 20 cents – five cents a card. Not only that but I could win $75 on the machines at this casino.

“The down side of the high winning amount is I have to hit all six numbers. I do not win anything for hitting zero, one or two numbers. If I hit three numbers I get my nickel back. That is not a real great deal.

“But penny slots also are notoriously poor paying – and you can go through a whole lot of spins in a really short time. Nickel keno plays much more slowly – and there is only twenty cents invested for each ‘race’ I have found that I can play five to 10 times longer (and sometimes even more) on the same amount of money by playing keno. Not only that, but I still have the chance of hitting a very nice win.

“Nickel keno is the ideal game for someone like me who likes to come to the casino regularly but is somewhat strapped financially.”

What about you? What casino games do you like to play – and why?

As always, may all your wins be swift and large, and your losses be slow and small.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He is a regular contributor to top gaming magazines and 888casino.com. He authored the video poker section of “Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker!” You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerryg@gmail.com