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Linda Mabry Gaming Guru - Page 3  A Quick Math Lesson on Craps, Casino Edges7 July 2006
A reader has asked me to explain how "they" come up with a casino edge of 9.09 percent on a craps hardway 6 or 8 and 11.11 percent on a hardway 4 or 10. (I should probably warn you at this point that obviously there's some math in the explanation, but trust me, it's not hard to follow.)
But first a short explanation of hardway bets. ... (read more)
Fellow Gamblers, Do As I Say, Not As I Do30 June 2006
I have a confession to make: I have uttered words that no serious video poker player should ever say. Not someone who plays strictly by the numbers. Not someone who doesn't believe in superstitious voodoo.
The words I said, out loud mind you, were, "This is my lucky machine."
But you gotta' ... (read more)
Always Split Aces and Eights, But For Different Reasons23 June 2006
When we were discussing blackjack basic strategy, I mentioned that one of the absolutes of pair splitting was to always split aces and 8s. Why? Because, I answered, they are horrible hands and splitting them is a defensive move that will help you lose less money than by leaving them intact.
Well, a reader took exception to my logic and stated that a pair of aces is actually not so bad. ... (read more)
Bad Beats, Part 216 June 2006
Okay, one more column on bad beats, and then I'll give it a rest.
Last week, I wrote about the bad beat I had experienced at the beginning of my poker-playing career. I had been dealt a pair of queens; the board flopped a third queen and a pair of 8s. Even though I had a full house, I lost to another player holding a pair of 8s. ... (read more)
Bad Beat Lesson: Don't Be Blinded by Good Hand5 June 2006
There are bad beats, and there are bad beats. They happen, and everyone has a bad beat story to tell. And the ones that happen to you early on, when you're first starting to learn poker, are the ones you hopefully learn the most from. This is what happened to me when I first started playing Texas Hold'em.
... (read more)
Don't Play This Field2 June 2006
Several weeks ago, we discussed proposition bets, which are in the center of the craps table and in front of the stickman. We talked about them not because I condone your making these bets but because I want you to know why you should not make them. They have a high casino edge, from 9.09 percent to 16.67 ... (read more)
Questions. I Get Questions.26 May 2006
This query was e-mailed to me from PM: "My question has to do with your opinion concerning whether to stick with one machine or move to another after it appears to be eating up your quarters with no return." Talk about timing. I've briefly talked about this in previous columns and was about to address the ... (read more)
More Refinements to Blackjack Basic Strategy19 May 2006
A few months ago, we started refining some of the generic blackjack basic strategy rules that I had originally given you. We talked about doubling hands with "hard" totals and what to do with "soft" hands.
The next topic of discussion is when to split pairs. Two of the rules concerning pairs are absolute: ... (read more)
More Info on Place Bets12 May 2006
Last week, we discussed another craps bet, the place bet, which is a wager that a specific number will appear before the shooter rolls a 7. You learned that because some numbers are harder to roll than others, payoffs on place bets differ for different numbers.
Casinos make their profit on place bets by paying winning bets at less than true odds. ... (read more)
Step Right Up, Place Your Bets5 May 2006
Let, see now: For the last few weeks, you've been walking up to a craps table, no longer intimidated by what you previously thought was a confusing and chaotic game. You have been confidently wagering pass bets and come bets and taking the maximum odds allowed by the casino you're in. Your money has been ... (read more)
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