My Favorite Games

6 April 2024

By Jerry Stickman

From Steve,

Stickman,

I like reading the articles you write. You make some very good points. I notice you write mostly about video poker. I expect you mostly play video poker when you visit casinos. My question to you is what are all of your favorite casino game and how often do you play each of them.

Awaiting your answers.

Steve

Hi Steve,

Yes, I write a lot about video poker, but I play several games when in a casino – not every game on every visit, however. Which games I play depend on the conditions at the time of my visit.
Here they are, listed in no particular order.

Video poker: You were right that video poker is my favorite game. There are some very good reasons
for that.

Video poker has among the lowest house edges of any games in casinos. Granted, they are not as great as they used to be, but that is also true for many other casino games.

Video poker requires thought and skill in order to achieve the best return. I like the challenge. It makes the time go better than when playing what I consider mindless games such as slot machines where you simply make a bet and push a button with no thinking involved.

Like slot machines, however, players do not have to interact with other players – or more accurately have other players interact with them. That doesn’t mean that the neighboring player will not interrupt play with questions or comments. It is easier to discourage them at video poker than at a table game, however.

There is virtually no casino “heat” while playing video poker. I cannot remember the last time I encountered any kind of pushback while playing video poker. That is not the case with other games such as blackjack or craps.

It is a relaxing game because the player can set their own pace. There is no dealer setting the pace.

There are also some negatives, however.

Video poker generally has the lowest slot club point earning potential. Video-poker players generally earn one-half the slot club points that slot players earn.

As I mentioned above, it is getting more difficult to locate video poker games that
have decent returns.

Blackjack: Depending on the rules and limits, blackjack can be my second choice. Blackjack has a low house edge though it, too, is deteriorating.

It is another game where the knowledge and skill of the player helps improve the
return of the game.

Though it is very rare now, very good games can be found.

Negatives include:

• Finding a game with decent rules is becoming difficult.
• Tables tend to be either empty or full.
• Nobody wants to play blackjack alone – including me.

There was a time when it was easy to find blackjack games where a skilled player could get the edge. That was when to play the dealer heads-up.

With a player advantage, more hands played meant more profits. I now prefer a table with two or three other players.

Blackjack has a high variance. This is due to being able to split (and then double-down) multiple times on one initial hand.

Pit personnel closely watch blackjack players, they are worried about card counters.

If I can find a blackjack table with good rules and not too many players, I will play – otherwise I pass.

Craps: This is an exciting game with lots of possible bets. Some of the reasons I play craps include:

• It is a social game. Normally the entire table is pulling for the shooter.


• While the table has atrocious house edges on some bets, others can be the lowest in the casino.


• It is a game of skill – knowing which bet or bets to make and how to properly throw the dice help to improve players results.

?* Shooting the dice is enjoyable. It is also nice to be able to take a break every so often. Craps allows for that.

As with the other games, there are also some negatives to playing craps:

• While a social game can be good, having people huddled right next to me and around a table is not my ideal environment. If the table is less than 50 percent full, it is a much more enjoyable game.


• It appears to be a complicated game with all the different bets and weird names being thrown about.


• It can be very frightening to anyone new to the game.
• As with blackjack (and even though they say it doesn’t work), casino management is worried about dice control. The heat can get pretty intense for those who practice what appears to be a controlled throw.


• If there are craps tables that have enough empty space, I will try my hand at it. In keeping with a generally safe style of play, I make only the best of bets (and only one or two of them.

Pai-Gow Poker: If I am in the mood for some relaxed play, an empty or nearly empty Pai-Gow poker
table is where I head. It has a fairly low house edge of 2.84 percent (when not making
side bets).

It can be played at a slower pace and it is simple. Most hands end up as pushes, so the impact of the house edge is even less in this game.

Standard (dealer hand face down) Pai-Gow poker does not require a lot of skill. In fact, the dealer can arrange your hands for you using the “House Rules.”

If it is available, face-up Pai-Gow poker is much more stimulating. In this version of the game, the dealer's hand is face up so the players see what they must beat. It takes a bit of thinking sometimes, but it is amazing how many times a loss can be upgraded to a push and a push to a win with some creative rearranging.

Okay, there you have it, Steve - the games I 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