 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! John Grochowski Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 122  A shuffle through the gaming mailbag7 December 2010
Q. Suppose a casino offered a game with no edge at all, such as a coin flipping game. Would the casino make money over time on it? The obvious answer of course is no, as they have no edge. My thought was that since there are a certain number of compulsive gamblers that will insist on betting until all their money is gone, the casino could make money on such a game.
... (read more)
New slot games at G2E 20101 December 2010
Slot players do not live by spinning reels alone. There must be novelty, innovation, cool new ways to play and fun bonus events to hold interest nowadays.
At November's Global Gaming Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center, I explored the booths of 14 slot manufacturers, looking at all their latest and greatest wares that we'll be seeing in the coming year. ... (read more)
Roulette's worst bet30 November 2010
For many years, I've warned roulette players that there's one bet on a double-zero wheel that's more hazardous to the bankroll than the rest.
You can bet a single number and face a house edge of 5.26%. Make a two-number split: 5.26%. A four-number corner, a 12-number column or dozen, an 18-number red or ... (read more)
A visit to WMS23 November 2010
Looking back over their nine-plus years at WMS Industries Inc., Larry Pacey and Phil Gelber can recall a certain resistance to change in the casino industry.
"Everybody kept telling us what we couldn't do," Pacey, executive vice president for global products and chief innovation officer of WMS Industries, said before he and Gelber took me on a little tour of WMS' plant in Chicago. ... (read more)
Blackjack Switch16 November 2010
When it comes to blackjack, I'm a bit of a purist. I don't make side bets, regardless of whether the offering of the day is Royal Match, 21 + 3, Lucky Ladies or anything else that requires a separate bet.
I'll play variations such as Spanish 21 or Super Fun 21 just about long enough to make sure I really understand what's going on when I write about them. ... (read more)
Back-to-back jackpots9 November 2010
Life's little coincidences can be fun, or at least intriguing. I know I was intrigued when I received a letter — an honest to goodness, paper through the post office letter — telling of two royal flushes within 25 minutes on the same machine.
"About 15 years ago, I was staying at the Stardust," it started. ... (read more)
Cutting Edge Craps2 November 2010
During a seminar break a few years ago, I found myself dining with gambling author Frank Scoblete and the craps shooter known as "the Dominator."
I don't remember if it was Frank's Golden Touch Craps seminar, which I attended as a student, or one of several seminars where I served as an instructor in other games. ... (read more)
The effect of card removal in blackjack26 October 2010
Every now and then, I get an inquiry from a blackjack player who suspects one casino or another isn't playing with a full deck. I've never been able to confirm any shenanigans — I've watched as new decks are prepared for shuffles, counted down shoes and never been able to detect any funny business.
I won't go so far as to say no casino anywhere finagles game conditions, but it's rare. ... (read more)
A shuffle through the gaming mailbag19 October 2010
Q. The random number generator on a slot machine stops as soon as you press the button or pull the handle. So how does the RNG work when you play a cascading machine? You don't press any buttons, you just watch. So how does the RNG determine what comes up and when to stop?
A. On a cascading machine, ... (read more)
Comparing tax situations at tables and slots12 October 2010
Three Card Poker is not one of my wheelhouse games. I prefer the games with larger skill elements, and tend to look first at blackjack and video poker.
Still, Three Card Poker is a nice change of pace, an easy game that's kind of fun, and its biggest-paying hands — straight flushes and threes-of-a-kind — ... (read more)
< Previous 10 Articles | Next 10 Articles > John Grochowski |
John Grochowski |
