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John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 130  Even skilled players lose sometimes2 June 2009
No doubt you've heard that certain skilled players — blackjack card counters and video poker experts — can swing the math and gain an advantage over the house.
This is true. Card counters with sufficient skill, discipline and bankroll can beat the house. Well-funded video poker players who stick to the ... (read more)
A shuffle through the gaming mailbag26 May 2009
Q. My brother-in-law says you and Henry Tamburin and Frank Scoblete all say not to take even money at blackjack. Can you tell me why? It makes sense to me to take a sure $10 when I bet $10 than to hold out for an extra $5 and risk not getting anything.
A. Guarantees are nice, but taking even-money in blackjack costs you money in the long run. ... (read more)
Why do casinos give slot players more comps than video poker players?19 May 2009
Carrie has been playing slot machines for longer than she cares to remember.
"There was no video then, just the three-reel games," she told me one day when she phoned to talk about slots and comps. "Blazing 7s, that was the one I liked to play. I still do, although most of the time I play penny video games now. ... (read more)
Video poker: Luck or skill?12 May 2009
The debate has long raged between a couple of video poker regulars.
"Video poker is a game of skill," says one. "If I play enough, and play well enough, the percentages are going to hold up, and I'm going to make money at the game."
Not so fast, says the other.
"This is still gambling, and at gambling there are no guarantees. ... (read more)
A shuffle through the gaming mailbag5 May 2009
Q. This isn't really about a casino game, but I have a question about odds. My brother-in-law and I were cutting cards to pass time before the start of a game we were going to watch on TV. High card wins, and the first to win 10 times is the overall winner. Ties didn't count.
We both had a couple of streaks. ... (read more)
My favorite promotions28 April 2009
In his boxing careeer, Thomas "Hitman" Hearns didn't rise to the top by picking off any collection of banty roosters. After all, he was the first fighter to pluck world championships in six divisions — welterweight, super welter, middle, super-middle, light heavyweight and cruiserweight.
But in a promotion at Detroit's Greektown casino, his opponent was a bird of a different feather. ... (read more)
Surfing casino-related websites14 April 2009
Let's do a little Web surfing, and catch a wave to see what's going on at casinos and gambling-related sites.
Empress Casino (www.empresscasino.com): Chicago area players might want to check in for progress reports on when the Empress in Joliet might reopen. With a pavilion badly damaged by fire on March ... (read more)
A shuffle through the gaming mailbag7 April 2009
Q. I have a question about strategy that you didn't answer in your Deuces Wild columns. If I'm dealt four parts of a flush and four parts of a straight in the same hand, is it always better to go for the flush? With 4 of clubs, along with 5, 6, 7 and 10 of hearts, should I automatically hold the four hearts, or go with 4-5-6-7?
A. ... (read more)
How do advantage players get the advantage?31 March 2009
Casinos make money by paying players less than the true odds of winning a wager. The red-black bet in roulette pays 1-1, even though the true odds are 20-18 against the player. The pass line bet in craps pays 1-1, but true odds are 50.7-49.3.
I've mentioned that before, and it was on the mind of a reader ... (read more)
Deuces Wild strategies24 March 2009
In any video poker game, expert strategy changes as the pay table changes. Best plays in 10/7 Double Bonus Poker, where full houses pay 10-for-1 and flushes 7-for-1, are a little different from those in 9/6 Double Bonus, where full houses pay 9-for-1 and flushes 6-for-1.
The effect is magnified in Deuces Wild, where pay tables are altered on so many different hands. ... (read more)
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