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John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 25  Slots and Tables2 July 2020
Slot machines have more similarities to table games than many players realize. Odds and the house edge work in much the same way: Games are designed so that random results and normal probability will work toward an expected house edge. Slots and tables have their differences, too. That’s something Blackjack Bob has been thinking about during his casino hiatus. ... (read more)
Royal Flush Percentages28 June 2020
QUESTION: I’ve been practicing video poker on my laptop, and I looked at some statistics. They say that there are 2,598,960 possible hands. Only four are royal flushes, so 1 in 649.740. I get that royals come up a lot more often because of the draw, 1 in 40,000 or so. What I’m wondering is if the 2,598,960 are unique hands. ... (read more)
Odds on the Don't25 June 2020
A recent discussion of don’t pass plus laying odds as a low-house edge craps method brought a response from Roy, who said he’s played since the 1980s “I was taught by my uncle to skip the odds on the don’t side,” Roy said. “Odds just water down your advantage when you have the edge. “Don’t talk to me in terms of edge percentages. ... (read more)
Online Play21 June 2020
QUESTION: I read your column about people who have been playing online while live casinos are closed, and I had to laugh with the blackjack player who’s playing mostly slot games. I’m in exactly the same situation. I don’t live in a state where you can play for money, so I play a little in the social casinos. ... (read more)
Making It Easy18 June 2020
A few months ago, when we were still crowding into live casinos, I relayed reader tips to help make a day out go a little smoother. They weren’t earthshaking strategy tips that will help you win. Instead, they were little peace of mind tips: Put low denomination chips on the outsides in the craps rack to ... (read more)
Low Rolling Craps14 June 2020
QUESTION: Assume I can’t afford to back my pass or come bets with odds. You can assume that because it’s true. I buy in for $100 at a $5 table if I can find one, or sometimes $200 at a $10 table, and that buys me a little time with pass or come with no odds and place bets on 6 and 8. Is that the low roller ... (read more)
This New Casino World11 June 2020
Like many of you, I have friends of longstanding I haven’t been able to see face-to-face during the healthcare crisis. Ellen is a longtime reader who first contacted me way back in the ’90s to ask about player rewards. In mid-May, she reached out again, this time to tell a story about what she’s been up to since the healthcare crisis led to shutdowns of live casinos. ... (read more)
The Cut Card Effect in Blackjack7 June 2020
QUESTION: I recently heard of something called “the cut card effect” that raises the house edge a little when a cut card is used in blackjack. Why would that make any difference? Isn’t the proportion of the cards the same? Does it apply to online blackjack? ANSWER: Last question first: Most online blackjack games have a fresh shuffle for every hand. ... (read more)
Mining Information4 June 2020
Connor is a New York player with a difference: He’s been spending his down time trying to see what he can glean from casino revenue reports. “They tell us how much casinos are earning from slot machines, from table games, from sports betting,” he said via email. “Those have to give me some clue as to what ... (read more)
Hitting Soft Hands31 May 2020
QUESTION: My friends and I were joking about doubling down on blackjack, not that we’d really do it. But it got us to talking. How high would you really go in hitting or doubling on a soft hand? I guess you’re supposed to hit or double on soft 17, but what about soft 18 or soft 19? Surely not soft 20? ... (read more)
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