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Mark Pilarski Gaming Guru - Page 28  On the trail of the best payout machine20 May 2011
Dear Mark: How does one determine which machines are high-frequency payers or low-frequency payers? I gamble at three local Detroit-area casinos, and they don’t advertise the different machines as such. I would very much like to know how a player could differentiate. George B. First, George, a quick review ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Some numbers – take notes – there'll be a quiz13 May 2011
Dear Mark: In video poker, do higher-denomination games always pay more than lower-denomination games? It seems nickel slots never pay as much as quarter slots, which pay less than dollar slot machines, so I assume that holds true with video poker. Claire D. Don’t muddle up slots with video poker, Claire. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Hope springs eternal29 April 2011
Dear Mark: A replay of the old Steve McQueen, Eddie Robinson movie The Cincinnati Kid was shown on TV. I assume you have seen it. Of course Texas Hold’em has pretty much supplanted stud poker as the gambling game of choice, has it not? Is that because hope springs eternal as the common cards are turned, or what? Which is more intellectually stimulating? Lawrence E. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: The oddities of odds22 April 2011
Dear Mark: Seems to some of us that the replacement discard is the same face value card but a different suit (of course) than random probabilities would warrant. Example: I discard a six of clubs and a six of another suit appears in its place more frequently than one would expect. Bob W. For openers, Bob, let’s get right to the math. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Getting more decisions per hour isn't necessarily a good thing15 April 2011
Dear Mark: What are your thoughts of betting multiple hands at blackjack? I do it now and again to change the flow of cards on the game, especially on the automatic shufflers. Cal F. There is no mathematical footing, Cal, for this misleading notion that by switching from one spot to two, you will "change the flow of cards," and that by so doing you will change your luck on the table. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: You heard it right: Split 'em!8 April 2011
Dear Mark: A prime rule in blackjack is always split aces and 8s. I recently watched a player split aces against a dealer 7. He drew a 4 on one ace and a 3 on the other. The dealer showed 17, so both hands lost. Is one card all you get on each split card? If so, what is the advantage of splitting? Dave S. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Many players believe the aisle-slot scuttlebutt4 April 2011
Dear Mark: Do slot machines that are placed on the end of an aisle pay better than those in the middle? Sandrine S. By and large, Sandrine, slot managers control the placement of their machines on the casino floor differently, each according to what they think will bring hungry players to the trough. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: High hit frequency doesn't necessarily mean higher payback25 March 2011
Dear Mark: Is it better to play on a machine that offers a high hit frequency or one with a higher payback percentage? Or, am I to assume that slot machines that have a high hit frequency by design offer a higher payback percentage as well? Mike R. There is usually no direct correlation, Mike, between payout percentage and hit frequency. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Clanking of coins silenced11 March 2011
Dear Mark: Where I play, the slots machines only allow for a cash insert and ticket play. Do slots now play less when they changed over from coins to tickets? Mary G. Termed TITO, Mary, which is gamblese for ticket-in ticket-out technology that pays players in bar-coded tickets, is a voucher system developed by International Game Technology that has replaced coin-based models. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: One annoying feature of randomness25 February 2011
Dear Mark: I read a recent article of yours on video keno so I thought you would be a good person to pose my question to. First, some background. I have been playing video keno since 1980 when I used to frequent Vegas two or three times a year. I hit 7 of 7 for $1,750 and was hooked. I usually I like to play 7 and 9s. ... (read more)
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