The Slot Expert's Guide to Winning at Slots and Video Poker

You can hear me give my slot and video poker tips live on The Good Times Show, hosted by Rudi Schiffer with Frank Scoblete, which is broadcast live from Memphis on WHBQ over the air on 560AM and over the Internet on Yahoo! Broadcast on Saturday morning from 8-10 CT.

I recently spent an evening at the Meadowlands race track in New Jersey. This was my second visit to a racetrack. The first was about 20 years ago.

When it came time to place our first bets, my friends consulted their racing forms and programs. One friend even had a page from the Meadowlands website that described the different types of bets that were available and the protocol to use when placing a bet with a teller. I realized that I was completely unprepared for this experience because I had failed to increase my knowledge of how to bet and how to evaluate horses beyond the little that I already knew.

I was going to really be gambling because I had nothing on my side except luck.

I usually never risk my money on a game until I've learned something about it. I want to know the rules of the game, how to play it, and the best bets to make before I risk a nickel.

Examples: For slots, I look at the paytable to decide how many coins I will bet per spin. For video poker, I don't play a game unless I know the strategy for it or I know that a strategy I do know is close to the perfect strategy for it. Finally, I didn't play blackjack until I had memorized basic strategy.

This week's tip: Learn how to play a game before you risk your money on it.

Send your slot and video poker questions to John Robison, Slot Expert, at slotexpert@home.com.

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