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John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 18  The Nephew Learns Blackjack7 March 2021
My longtime casino pal Blackjack Bob has a nephew, Eric, who has taken up his uncle's hobby. "Blackjack Eric doesn't roll off the tongue, does it?" Bob said on a Zoom coffee morning. "But he likes the game and he's learning. "Eric was surprised when he sat down to play and they wouldn't let him double down on soft hands. ... (read more)
Table Games on Machines4 March 2021
QUESTION: I was playing video blackjack and the machine offered three side bets: 21 + 3, Lucky Ladies and Lucky Lucky. I'd seen 21 + 3 and Lucky Ladies before, but didn't know Lucky Lucky. Later, I was playing at a live blackjack table, and there were no side bets offered. I got into a conversation with the dealer and asked why the bets weren't at the table. ... (read more)
Good Paybacks28 February 2021
Smart video poker players shop for the best payback percentage available on their game of choice. A Double Double Bonus Poker player will choose a 9-6 pay table if available over 9-5 or 8-5 games. Top pay tables have become less widely available than they once were. Max Action video poker from IGT leaves ... (read more)
More About Dirt25 February 2021
QUESTION: I had to laugh when I read the question a few weeks ago from a reader who was comparing sanitizer stands in casinos now to how dirty our hands used to get when we used coins in slots. ANSWER:I was a resister, but I'm glad we used tickets now instead of coins. For a long time, I didn't like the ticket printers. ... (read more)
Learning is Important21 February 2021
Games of strategy require learning, and the learning curve isn't always smooth. There are fits and starts, detours and sometimes an "aha!" moment where things suddenly make sense. A couple of blackjack players reached out recently with moments when the light bulb switched on. Suddenly, something about the game made sense. ... (read more)
Hold and Spin14 February 2021
One of the ways slot machines evolve to enhance your entertainment experience is by taking popular features and using them in new ways. We're seeing that now with hold-and-respin features. They were growing in popularity before COVID limited player access to casinos. In the interim, game makers added new wrinkles. ... (read more)
Three-Card Poker Hole-Card Play11 February 2021
QUESTION: I get that basic strategy in Three Card Poker is to play with Queen-6-4 or better and fold with less. What if you can see one of the dealer's cards. A couple of years ago, I was playing in a casino where the shuffler at a Three Card Poker table was out of order. I don't know how long it took them to get another shuffler out there, but they didn't shut down the table. ... (read more)
Video Poker's Variance and Volatility7 February 2021
Payback percentage tells us much of what we need to know in comparing video poker games, but it doesn't tell us everything. There's also volatility to consider, and that can be measured in variance. Given a large number of sessions using expert strategies, what portion will bring larger than average wins? What portion will bring larger than average losses? Those things go together. ... (read more)
Oh, Lucky Day!4 February 2021
QUESTION: I had something happen at a Mississippi Stud table I thought would make a fun story to tell your readers. There were only two players at the table, me in the middle and a woman on the end to my left. The casino had a limit of three players per table, so there was one spot not being used. She was ... (read more)
Three Card Poker31 January 2021
There aren't a lot of subtleties to Three Card Poker. It's easy to play and the basic strategy for the ante-play portion of the game is simple: Bet when you have Queen-6-4 or better and fold when you don't. The Pair Plus option requires no strategy at all. You win anytime your three cards include a pair or better. ... (read more)
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