 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! John Grochowski Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
John Grochowski Gaming Guru - Page 77  Those party pits2 July 2015
I like the idea of party pits in casinos, though I’ve seen so many with 6-5 payoffs on blackjacks that I rarely play in them. You know the drill. Party pits are supposed to be more relaxed and fun than regular pits. Rather than just dealing the cards as quickly as possible and running an efficient game, ... (read more)
Expect different comps for different games28 June 2015
QUESTION: Three of us go to the casino every week – it’s our boys’ night out. One sticks to the penny slots, I play mainly quarter video poker and our other friend plays $25 a hand blackjack. We all have a good time, and we all have our winning sessions, but more often than not we all lose a few hundred dollars. ... (read more)
Winning slot machines25 June 2015
Every spring, "Casino Journal" magazine, a leading resource for casino industry professionals, announces its awards for the 20 most innovative gaming technology products. Many are products important to casino operators, even if they’re nearly invisible to players. Galaxy Gaming’s Spectrumvision solution for ... (read more)
Handling a darkside bettor at a rightside table21 June 2015
QUESTION: I was shooting craps, and I thought this one guy was going to cause a riot. Everybody was betting with the shooter except this one guy. He was betting wrong, and he was really loud about it. He’d scream, “Come on, seven!” when the dice were in the air. The worst was when the sevens would come. ... (read more)
The lucky and unlucky ones18 June 2015
In a former column, I wrote about a woman who had been betting one coin per hand at a 10 Play Poker game. She accidentally hit the max bet button, but her mistake paid off big when she was dealt four aces, then drew several low card kickers. That accident turned into a $6,000 win. In the same column, I ... (read more)
Tribal slot machines14 June 2015
QUESTION: A person I know goes to the Hard Rock Seminole casino in Tampa; she plays the $10-a-pull Wheel of Fortune slot machine. She claims she can tell when the machine is going to hit. I disagree; I say that the random number generator has already determined the outcome, so nobody knows when a machine is going to hit. ... (read more)
The 'split-flip' slot display11 June 2015
Here’s a term you’ll not often hear applied to slot machines: “split-flip display.” In the reel symbols on its hit game Money Rain, Incredible Technologies uses a video representation of a split-flip display. The reels don’t spin. Instead, on each new play, each of the 15 symbols on the video reel display split and flip. ... (read more)
Taxes, game creation and penny machines7 June 2015
QUESTION: I was playing on an electronic roulette table game machine. On one spin I made three outside bets totaling $745 and winning $1,240. After state and federal tax I got $821.11, a $76.11 profit. What's up with that! ANSWER: The federal government requires casinos to have you sign tax form W-2G on any win of $1,200 or more on electronic games. ... (read more)
Multiple games play4 June 2015
A few months ago, I did a little informal, totally unscientific survey among table-playing friends, acquaintances and readers who e-mail me frequently. I wanted to know how often they throw a change-up, trying new games or going to a backup game. Most stuck with one prime game, but had one or two other games they played for variety or for a break when things were tough on their main game. ... (read more)
Even-money blackjack payouts and Casino War31 May 2015
QUESTION: You have warned against playing blackjack when blackjacks pay only 6-5 because that increases the house edge. I assume that means you’d also warn against playing on machines where blackjack pays even money. What does that do to the house edge? I ask because I was playing on a dollar machine that ... (read more)
< Previous 10 Articles | Next 10 Articles > John Grochowski |
John Grochowski |