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Gaming Guru  Some Craps Numbers5 August 2021
By John Grochowski QUESTION: On slot machines with multiple coin denominations, does every game have its own random number generator? What about machines that have multiple games? Are there different generators for each game? ANSWER: Not necessarily. The same RNG can drive results for different games and different payback percentages. The RNG does nothing but generate random numbers. It doesn't tell the reels where to stop, nor does it tell the game to launch a bonus event. That's up to other portions of the programming. Numbers from the RNG are mapped onto possible outcomes. If the game designer needs more frequent bonus events in a higher-paying version of a game, it can use number that are mapped onto other symbols in the low-paying game onto bonus symbols in the high payer. If there's a game that doesn't have bonus events, numbers mapped on to bonus combinations in other games can be mapped onto other combinations instead. In the casino world, RNGs are single-purpose devices, adaptable to any number of games. QUESTION: I'm not a craps fanatic, but I've played maybe five or six times a year for 10 years or so. I knew all the major bets years ago, or at least I thought I did. When I was playing at a $10 table a few weeks ago, a player called out "$64 across." The dealer then took his chips and covered all of the point numbers. Are those just place bets, or is there some secret sauce? If they're just place bets, there are some high house edge bets in there. ANSWER: Yes, $64 across at a $10 table is telling the dealer you want table minimum place bets on all the point numbers. It comes to $10 wagers on 4, 5, 9 and 10 and $12 bets on 6 and 8. You want bets on 6 and 8 to be in multiples of $6 to take advantage of 7-6 odds paid on those bets. You are correct that the combination includes high house-edge wagers. The edge is only 1.52 percent on 6 or 8, but rises to 4 percent on 5 or 9 and 6.67 percent on 4 or 10. Sometimes, those who bet the place numbers across are looking for a quick strike. You don't have to play place bets until there is a decision. You can take them down at any time. With five ways each to roll 6 and 8, four each to roll 5 and 9 and three each to roll 4 and 10, there are 24 winning rolls. There are only six losers -- the six ways to roll 7. If the roll is 2, 3, 11 or 12, it does not affect the place bets. The money just stays in action unless you tell the dealer to take it down. With 24 winning rolls and six losers, there is an 80 percent chance of winning one bet on the first deciding roll, with wins of $18 on 4 or 10 with 9-5 pays $14 on the other place numbers, with 7-5 pays on 5 or 9 and 7-6 on 6 or 8. The problem comes if the first deciding roll is a 7. That sinks all bets and you lose the whole $64. The six times you lose $64 per 30 decisions outweighs all the smaller wins combined. Craps gives players many opportunities to bet combinations that will win more often than they lose. Betting the place numbers across is one of them. But combos don't change the house edge. Losses are costly and the house makes its expected percentage. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net. Tales of the Unexpected1 August 2021
No matter how much -- or how little -- preparation you do, unexpected things happen when you play casino games. For a couple of readers who relayed their stories via email, trying games for the first time brought some embarrassment to go with the learning experience. CONNOR: My dad had old books on blackjack. ... (read more)
That Double Double Game29 July 2021
QUESTION: The best video poker game near me is dollar 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker with progressive jackpots on royal flushes, four Aces with a kicker, four 2s, 3s or 4s with a kicker and four Aces without the kicker. I was wondering about hands with 2s, 3s or 4s. If you have two pairs like 4-4 along with 9-9 and a throwaway card like a 5, the normal play is to hold both pairs. ... (read more)
The Reverse Martingale25 July 2021
Roulette-playing readers often have asked about the Martingale system, which involves doubling bets after losses. My early July email brought a question about the Reverse Martingale, and that's relatively novel among players who contact me. We'll reverse course in a minute, but first, understand that I always warn against the Martingale, which typically is used on bets with even-money payoffs. ... (read more)
Craps SystemsCraps players love systems, trying to mix and match bets in hopes of finding the magical formula that will beat the casino. Just about any system will work sometimes, and when a player wins with a system, it encourages another try, and another, and another. In the long run, of course, the casino comes out on top. ... (read more)Multi Strike PokerIt was a Friday morning in Joliet, and I'd been playing a little video poker aboard Empress II, waiting for the 11 a.m. opening of Empress I and its video poker room. Soon, if it hasn't already happened by the time you read this, Empress' new barge will open, ending such little scheduling inconveniences, but on this day, I found myself passing time with a little quarter Triple Play Poker. ... (read more)Comps - The BasicsA colleague of mine likes to refer to casino comps as "free stuff." And for those who know their basic strategy in blackjack, optimal strategies for certain video poker games and who know how comping systems work, the "stuff" really is free--the value ... (read more)Basic Strategy for Spanish 21In the last couple of weeks, we've looked at basic strategy in blackjack. Sit down at most blackjack tables in any jurisdiction, play basic strategy and you'll narrow the house edge to a half-percent or so, perhaps a little more or a little less depending on house rules. ... (read more)Single-Deck Basic StrategyThose whose casino memories stretch back far enough may recall a time when the standard "Las Vegas Strip" blackjack game was dealt from a single deck of cards, with the dealer standing on all 17s. That started to change in the 1960s as operators grew ... (read more)John Grochowski |
John Grochowski |
