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John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 120  The house edge on the don't pass3 May 2011
Craps can be a game of opposites. You can bet the shooter's going to make his points on pass and come, or bet he won't make 'em on don't pass or don't come. You can place the 6, betting the shooter will roll a 6 before a 7, or lay the 6, betting the 7 will come first.
And so on.
A reader who ... (read more)
What's in a (video poker game's) name?26 April 2011
Usually, the name of a video poker game is enough to give you an idea of what to expect.
If it's Jacks or Better, you know you're going to get 2-for-1 on two-pair hands, that all four of a kinds are going to pay 125 credits for a five-credit bet, and that the play experience is on a fairly even keel.
If ... (read more)
How can a slot machine pay back 95% when I just lost all my money?19 April 2011
It was a quiet Monday morning, and I was strolling down an aisle of a casino on a barge, dollar slots to my left, video poker to my right. A voice rose over the background hum — not that difficult in this relatively quiet corner, away from the clamor of the penny video slots and their bonus ... (read more)
Why blackjack players learn basic strategy12 April 2011
For every player who gets serious about blackjack, there comes a big question: How do they give themselves a better chance to win?
That starts with learning basic strategy and knowing when to hit, stand, double down or split pairs. But how does someone who doesn't even know basic strategy exists make that step?
I asked blackjack players what pushed them toward improving their games. ... (read more)
Triple-zero roulette5 April 2011
Anna was a casual acquaintance in college, a friend of a friend of a friend who I used to run into at the odd party. I was more than a little surprised to receive a message from her via Facebook — and then I saw it was about gambling.
"At a charity casino night, they had a roulette wheel with three zeroes," she wrote. ... (read more)
The Sahara's swan song29 March 2011
In another time, but the same place, the Las Vegas Strip embraced its desert setting,
The Sands. The Dunes. The Desert Inn. Playgrounds for Frank and Dean and Sammy and Joey — that's Sinatra, Martin, Davis Jr. and Bishop, for those too young to remember the Rat Pack. Can't-miss desert oases for those who ... (read more)
Video poker: A game of skill22 March 2011
Video poker, as played in state-regulated casinos or on Class 3 machines in Native American casinos, is a game of chance with strong elements of skill. Your choices in drawing and discarding cards make a difference.
At a seminar I gave not long ago, one younger man was unclear on where the skill makes a difference.
... (read more)
Slot trends15 March 2011
When a slot machine innovation is successful, it quickly brings new spins on the idea — or at least imitators. If the new spins and innovations are successful, you have a trend on your hands.
We're in an age of innovation at the slots, and also in an age of trends. Let's take a stroll through the slot ... (read more)
A shuffle through the gaming mailbag8 March 2011
Q. On slot machines, does the random principle change when you stop the spins yourself?
A. Nearly all games remain random when you stop the reels yourself. Game designers call it "illusion of skill." You feel like you have control of the game, but the random number generator has already determined your result immediately after you start the reels spinning. ... (read more)
Paybacks on video slots1 March 2011
As long as there have been slot machines, there have been players looking for the highest-paying games.
That hasn't changed in the video age. While we can't tell a big-payer from a coin-gobbler from the outside, it doesn't stop players like Kathy from looking for a few clues.
"The video games are fun," she wrote, "but I need to know if they give me a shot to win. ... (read more)
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