 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! John Grochowski Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 43  Doubling 11 versus a 104 October 2018
QUESTION: Why should I double down on 11 when the dealer has a 10 up? It seems to me the dealer is trending to a really good hand, with a 20 likely and possibly a blackjack. This seems like spitting into the wind. ANSWER: At nearly all U. S. tables, the dealer will check for blackjack before players make any hit/stand/split/double decisions. ... (read more)
Paul talks video poker30 September 2018
I first met Paul, a big video poker fan, when I was giving a daylong seminar for a park district in the Chicago suburbs. Over the years, Paul contacted me frequently with video poker questions. Sometimes, he has stories, and he had a fun tale of a big comeback for a winning session when he reached me in early September. ... (read more)
Regression and slot graveyards27 September 2018
QUESTION: I have a question about regression as it applies to gambling, but what leads me into it is baseball. Whenever a player or team has a hot streak, I read the statheads start talking about regression. When the St. Louis Cardinals went 22-6 in August, I heard they were due for regression. The implication was that they would lose more games to make up for the hot streak. ... (read more)
They are out there23 September 2018
Casinos attract players from such a broad cross-section of the population that it would be surprising if they didn't also bring a broad sample of quirks. From time to time, readers tell me about a few of the odd things they've seen at the table. Here are a few for the collection. MARV: I was playing at a $10 blackjack table — the lowest limit available. ... (read more)
Five-card draw video poker20 September 2018
QUESTION: Why are video poker games five-card draw? Casino card rooms don't even offer five-card draw. Why isn't a more popular game like Hold'em the base for video poker? ANSWER: The short answer is that five-card draw has resonated with video players and Hold'em has not. Over the last couple of decades ... (read more)
More on slots16 September 2018
The most-played games in American casinos are slot machines, and the most-played slot machines are the penny games. Naturally enough, questions about slots are high in the mix of e-mail I receive from readers. Let's try to answer a couple that have come in recently. "What if there was an obstruction on a ... (read more)
Where does the blackjack edge begin?13 September 2018
QUESTION: At what point does the house edge in blackjack kick in? I recall reading that a casino would never allow a person to make a one-time bet of a million because the house edge would not factor into a single transaction. So the issue then is at what point does the edge kick in. Since it is a proven ... (read more)
Getting help playing cards9 September 2018
It's a given in casino card games that you're supposed to play your own cards. Nonetheless, players often request and receive advice — sometimes from the dealer, more often from other players. In mid-August, I found myself at a Mississippi Stud table with a player in obvious need of help, and the others weren't at all shy about lending aid. ... (read more)
Long sessions or short sessions at blackjack?6 September 2018
QUESTION: I seem to do better at blackjack with short sessions and leaving the table when I'm four or five betting units ahead. I then move to another table. My friend tells all these sessions are not independent and the house advantage will still exist on a cumulative basis. Can you help? ANSWER: There's ... (read more)
What if dealers played basic strategy?2 September 2018
When my old blackjack-playing buddy Bob and I get together, the talk doesn't always center on the game of 21. We've known each other long enough that talking blackjack usually means rehashing oft-told tales. But when we met at a casino buffet recently, Bob had a new topic. "What do you think the effect on the game would be if dealers could use basic strategy?" he asked. ... (read more)
< Previous 10 Articles | Next 10 Articles > John Grochowski |
John Grochowski |
