 Newsletter Signup
Stay informed with the
NEW Casino City Times newsletter! John Robison Archives
More Strategy Experts
|
John Robison Gaming Guru - Page 4  Ask the Slot Expert: Slot machine malfunction headlines lack context4 February 2026
Headline writers have a limited number of words in which to tell what an article is about and tell it in such a way as to get the reader to read the article. Context is frequently a victim to the hype.
A recent example. An article in Forbes: Why Bad Bunny Won't Get Paid For The Super Bowl Halftime ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Is my slot machine malfunctioning?28 January 2026
The computing world overflows with acronyms. One used in User Support is PICNIC. It stands for Problem In Chair Not In Computer. A synonymous acronym is PEBCAK: Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard. In other words, user error.
Whenever players tell me that they think their machine has malfunctioned, my first thought is, Probably not. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Ignorance can be bliss21 January 2026
It was the next-to-last point-multiplier day of the year. I still had to earn a few thousand tier points to re-qualify for a VIP parking pass. My original plan was to play until it was dinnertime and then return on the last point-multiplier day to earn the remaining points I needed.
I changed my mind. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Phony jackpots?14 January 2026
I started 2026 off with a bang. I hit a Royal Flush on 1/3.
When the slot attendant came, she looked at my screen and said, "Oh, this is a real jackpot."
"There are phony jackpots?" I asked.
"Yeah. We don't have to give tax forms for jackpots under $2000 now," she said.
I had heard that the threshold might be changed. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: My two cents on how eliminating pennies will affect slots7 January 2026
My grocery store had a sign at the entrance. It said they had a shortage of pennies. I don't remember what they wanted customers to do. The shortage wasn't going to affect me. I can't remember the last time I used cash in a supermarket.
For that matter, I can't remember the last time I used cash to pay for anything. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Deuces Wild doesn't pay enough31 December 2025
In 1933, The Mills Company introduced the Mills Mystery slot machine. I don't know what was so mysterious about this machine. I do know that it broke tradition for paytables of the era. From the brochure:
For 30 years all manufacturers have agreed that Bell rewards should be 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20.
The ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Slot machines don't need no stinking paylines24 December 2025
As I wrote in my column on December 10, 2026, a change in the number of paylines is something to look out for when you change denominations on a slot machine.
I decided that I would bet $1.50 per spin on a Ramosis' Treasures machine. I had multiple ways I could make that bet. I could bet two credits per ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Rooting against a progressive?17 December 2025
It's that time of year again. I don't mean the holidays. I mean time to re-qualify for upper tiers in slot clubs.
Because I let re-qualifying go to the last minute, instead of playing mostly video poker to re-qualify, I'm also playing a bit more slots than I usually do because I earn three times the tier points per dollar played through a slot than through a video poker. ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: Should I increase the line bet or increase the denomination?10 December 2025
Modern life has many age-old questions.
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Is it live or is it Memorex?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
When does it stop being partly cloudy and start being partly sunny?
Is it better to increase the line bet or increase the ... (read more)
Ask the Slot Expert: A better example of the dark side of Quick Hit3 December 2025
Last week I wrote about the dark side of Quick Hit slots and other games with scatter pay symbols. You can land two symbols that are part of a paying combination on a payline and have your payout ruined by a scatter pay symbol landing on that payline. Sometimes there's still a happy ending when you land ... (read more)
< Previous 10 Articles | Next 10 Articles > John Robison |
John Robison |
