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Mark Pilarski Gaming Guru - Page 14  Deal Me In: Surreptitious jackpot shrouded in mystery14 February 2014
Dear Mark: I subscribe to the local paper and look forward to your column each week. I have learned a lot from it and was hoping to learn a little more, maybe. A friend and I went on an all-nighter junket to the Reno Hilton about 15 years ago and what happened to my friend has stuck in our craw for all this time. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Using Final Jeopardy tactics at blackjack7 February 2014
Dear Mark: A few weeks ago I got into the final round of a blackjack tournament. When we got to the final hand, the three remaining players with chips, me being one of them, had nearly an equal amount of chips remaining. It felt like we were on the game show Jeopardy, and it was the final question. Both player A and B bet all their chips, so I decided to go along and bet all of my chips. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Talk about a snowball's chance in hell31 January 2014
Dear Mark: I am sure you saw the news. Quicken Loans are offering to pay anyone filling out a perfect bracket for March Madness a billion dollars. Do you think anybody will ever fill out a perfect bracket? Jimmy K. Nada chance, Jimmy! Zippo, zero, zilch! The $1 billion prize is safe; and believe me, Quicken Loans knows the math of such a feat. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Progressives can offer winning opportunities24 January 2014
Dear Mark: I only play progressive video poker machines. You have stated in the past that a higher progressive jackpot will not make a machine any more likely to hit. That said, do you ever recommend playing on machines with lower jackpots? The best paying paytables on progressives where I play are 8/5 Jacks-or-Better machines. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: A double whammy for the house17 January 2014
Dear Mark: Thank you for informing the public in a recent column about the pitfalls of the 6:5 blackjack game. I am a dealer in a Nevada casino and I can tell you that most, if not all dealers, hate the game. We spend far too much time explaining to the player, “within limits,” what the rule change is all about. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: The subtle art of tipping10 January 2014
Dear Mark: Sometimes at a table game I will tip at the end of the session versus nickel-and-diming the dealer through the course of play. At some joints after I color up, if I flip the dealer a black chip, the dealer will convert to four green and place them behind the paddle. What protocol dictates why the black chip isn’t set behind the paddle as tokes? Randy S. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: "To one" and "for one"3 January 2014
Dear Mark: In gambling, the term “to one” and “for one” are often used. Any chance you can break down the differences with a few examples for us? I mostly play roulette and video poker. Fred S. Anytime, Fred, you notice "for" in the middle of something for something, it indicates that you are NOT keeping your original wager in addition to your payback. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: 6 for 5 blackjack tweaks the casino advantage tenfold27 December 2013
Dear Mark: It truly amazes me how many players I saw this past weekend playing on a single-deck blackjack game that offered 6:5 for a blackjack instead of the customary 3:2. The $10 6:5 games were packed, while the standard 3:2 multi-deck games were half empty. Don’t they read your column? If they did, they would surely know better. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: What's all the commotion about?20 December 2013
Dear Mark: I love the slot machine Wheel of Fortune. Surprisingly, I even get my fair share of bonus spins. My question is, does it matter when I press the Spin button, or is the outcome already predetermined? Kaye S. No matter what casino you play at, be it in Vegas, Atlantic City, or somewhere in between, ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Uncle Sam loves those $1,200 jackpots13 December 2013
Dear Mark: Who originated the $1,200 starting point as the amount that can be taxed when playing slots? It seems when playing today’s higher denomination machines, you get taxable jackpots far more often. Sam L. The $1,200 threshold, Sam, came about 40 years ago when the government and casino industry negotiated that specific sum. ... (read more)
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