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John Robison Gaming Guru - Page 4  Ask the Slot Expert: On the slot floor, sometimes the grass is greener on the other side29 April 2026
A long time ago, in a casino far, far away...
Actually, it was in The Mirage about 30 years ago. I was walking through the casino with my cousin's boyfriend.
As we passed a bank of upright video poker machines, he said, "I like to play those Draw Poker machines." Draw Poker was the name on the top glass.
... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Advantage slot play for everyone22 April 2026
In my unpublished book on video poker, which may never get to the printed page, I wrote that the casino will let you get the edge over it, but it won't make it easy.
Card counters at the Blackjack table can determine when the odds have shifted in their favor and thus raise their bets.
(A quick aside: One ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Here yesterday, gone today - Part 215 April 2026
Last week I asked you to think about things that used to be on the casino floor but are not there today.
My example last week was the Cash/Credit button on some slot machines. Someone realized that slot players could play faster if machines didn't have to drop coins for a win and players didn't have to insert coins for each spin. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Here yesterday, gone today8 April 2026
Jack White's keyboard player had a short organ solo in the middle of White's first song on the April 4, 2026, Saturday Night Live. I wanted to watch him play, but a few seconds into the passage the director cut to a shot of the drummer, who was just providing a background beat.
I get mad when a director ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Going beyond just seeing the future on a slot machine1 April 2026
Last week I described a parlor trick in which, under certain circumstances, you could see into the future on a slot machine and know whether you were going to get a bonus on a spin before the machine has revealed that result.
Let's take it one step further this week.
I'll begin by describing an experiment.
... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Seeing into the future on a slot machine25 March 2026
One tip that gaming writers give to help players stretch their bankrolls is to play more slowly. Do anything to slow down the rate of play. Things like: taking a sip of your beverage or looking around the casino at regular intervals (possibly can be done), pausing between plays (very difficult not to speed ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Superstition or routine18 March 2026
The reporter asked Shaun White, three-time Olympic gold medalist, how he dealt with the pressure of competing at the Olympics.
He said that he tried to treat the Olympics like any other competition. He had the same routine at the Olympics as he had at any other competition. He had the same training regimen. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: In video poker strategy charts as in Slopestyle, order is all that matters11 March 2026
Athletes competing in Slopestyle events at the Olympics qualify for the finals by finishing in the top 12 in the qualification round. They are ranked using their better score of two runs. The higher the athlete's rank, the better the athlete's placement in the starting order for the final.
While waiting ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: A quirk about when I sometimes stop playing a machine4 March 2026
I've always enjoyed playing with numbers and looking for patterns in them. The number of my first house was 413, 4=1+3. My next house was at 1023, 1+0+2=3. Another was at 2244, 44 is twice 22. My current house is 2401. Having a pattern in the house number isn't a requirement.
It bothers me when a Jeopardy contestant wagers an amount not divisible by 200 on a Daily Double. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: To be progressive or not to be progressive25 February 2026
Question: There are 3 new machines in Mesquite, NV, that have progressive 5 play for dollars. But only 3 of the lines are progressive, the other 2 lines remain at $4000. Is this legal?
Answer: I don't know of any regulation that this situation violates. Any entry on a payable can be progressive or fixed. ... (read more)
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