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John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 50  Holding the low pair at video poker1 February 2018
QUESTION: Video poker question: I know you've written that low pairs are more valuable than high cards, but what if you have two high cards in a hand? What if you have a hand like K-Q-8-8-4? Is it still better to hold the low pair instead of the two high cards? Does it make a difference if the king and queen ... (read more)
Slot games of yore28 January 2018
Slot machines come and slot machines go as gamemakers introduce hundreds of new themes every year. That doesn't stop players from yearning for old favorites. I asked slot players who have written to me in the past if there are games of yore they wish they could still play. ERICA: Saturday Night Live. ... (read more)
"Are you counting cards, George?"25 January 2018
QUESTION: I have a blackjack story for you. Full seven-player table, three players got blackjacks, one other had ace-7 and the dealer had an ace up. One of the three players who didn't have an ace was an older man, who said, "Look at all the aces! One, two, three, four, five aces!" Dealer didn't miss a beat. ... (read more)
Tackling the new year21 January 2018
As 2018 starts and I begin my 25th year of writing this column, I have a few traditions. One of them is to kick off the new year with a few words of caution. All year long, there are games and strategies to explore and fun stories from readers. One time each year, it's worth slowing down to urge caution and ... (read more)
The bad becomes good18 January 2018
QUESTION: I notice that video slot machines have more different symbols per reel than three-reel slots. On three-reel games, I figure a normal game has something like cherries, single bars, double bars, triple bars, 7s and a jackpot symbol. That's only six different symbols. On video slots, you might see five or more symbols based on the game theme, plus A-K-Q-J-10. ... (read more)
Different edges for the same bets14 January 2018
Even though the house edge at most casino games is unchanging on every play, you'll sometimes see different edges listed by different sources. It's not necessarily that one source or another is wrong. It's just that they start with different assumptions. Ray, who says he's been a regular reader for at least 10 years, e-mailed recently to ask about some of those differences. ... (read more)
Shills at slots?11 January 2018
QUESTION: This happened a long time ago, but I've always wondered if something was up. Maybe you have some insight. Early 1990s, my wife and I were in a casino for the first time. This other couple came up to us, both carrying buckets of dollar tokens. The woman said, "You wouldn't believe it. You HAVE to play that machine," and she pointed to a dollar machine. ... (read more)
Knowing a slot machine's return7 January 2018
There have long been two basic approaches to player rewards programs: Some reveal how many dollars in play it takes to earn a point and how many points it takes to redeem for free play, meals or other comps. Others keep that information confidential, leaving the club free to weigh other factors in awarding benefits. ... (read more)
Tracking and no tracking4 January 2018
QUESTION: Why does tracking cards work in blackjack, but tracking doesn't work in other games? If it matters what happens in blackjack, why wouldn't it give you an edge to know how many rolls since the last 7 in craps or how many spins since the last bonus round on slot machines? ANSWER: Counting cards in blackjack works because the odds are constantly changing. ... (read more)
Frequency of blackjack hands31 December 2017
Blackjack hands don't occur with equal frequency. You'll see 20 a lot more often than a staring hand of 5 or 6, and blackjacks more often than other two-card hands that include an ace. The frequency of 10-value cards makes a major impact. Because we treat 10, jack, queen and king as interchangeable 10s, there are four times as many 10s as any other denomination. ... (read more)
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