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Mark Pilarski Gaming Guru - Page 56  Calling all hands!18 April 2005
Dear Mark,
What are you thoughts about poker players who call an abnormal amount of hands?
I find them very frustrating to play against. Is there a way to beat them? Tom
C.
Calling a hand in poker is essentially matching the current wager. For instance,
if there had been a bet of $2, then a raise of $2, it would cost a player $4
to call. ... (read more)
Barnum Bets for those born every minute11 April 2005
Dear Mark,
I was told that the tie bet on a baccarat table was the worst bet in the casino.
Someone else told me the blackjack insurance bet was. I’ve been a fan of
both for years. Any chance you list some of the sucker bets the casino offers
so I can avoid them in the future? Charles J.
The ... (read more)
Counters, markers and the occasional check4 April 2005
Dear Mark,
I'm not a gambler, so please excuse the ignorance of this question — but assuming
card counting is a mental exercise, how do the casinos know someone is doing it?
Janet C.
All card-counting systems, Janet, keep track of the ratio of small cards (2,
3, 4, 5, 6) to big cards (10, jack, queen, king, ace)
remaining in the deck. ... (read more)
Casinos offer kitchen table kid's game25 March 2005
Dear Mark,
What do you know about a game called Battle Royale? Is it the same game and odds
as the game of War that I’ve seen offered in the casino? Kevin T.
Yes, Kevin, Battle Royale is a variation of the same game that you played
as a youngster at the kitchen table and analogous to the game of ... (read more)
A backroom tour21 March 2005
Dear Mark,
On your Hooked on Winning tapes, you said you worked in the soft and hard count
rooms of a casino. What are they and what’s the difference?
Tom G.
Hard = coins. Soft = paper. There’s the distinction, Tom.
When I worked hard count, I removed and collected coin drop buckets from slot
... (read more)
Hold, house edge and no-no-no14 March 2005
Dear Mark,
In casual conversation with a pit boss while noting that everyone on our blackjack
table was losing, I asked him how he thought the casino was doing that evening.
He replied; "we're probably going to hold about 50%." Seems
high, especially since you have stated that blackjack is one of the best games
in the casino to play. ... (read more)
The REAL Vegas, from a REAL Vegas cocktail waitress7 March 2005
Dear Mark,
I am planning on moving to Las Vegas this summer. Though I have no gaming experience,
I have been a cocktail waitress here in Chicago for the past seven years, and
would be doing the same in Vegas until I find something else that interests me.
Would you know if there are any special requirements up-front to getting a job
as a cocktail waitress in Nevada? Katie S. ... (read more)
Bounding o'er the salty main with the IRS28 February 2005
Dear Mark,
Could you please tell me if cruise ships are required to issue a W-2G to passengers
who win more than $1,200? We have friends who won $7,000 on a cruise ship and
were paid in cash, with no paperwork whatsoever. I thought you had to pay taxes
on that amount. Don M.
Dear Mark,
I was ... (read more)
Price of comp munchies and kitchen etiquette21 February 2005
Dear Mark,
You column last week was very interesting regarding RFID chips tracking your play.
I'm with you, I too prefer playing anonymously, though working over the pit boss
for an occasional buffet pass (I'm a low limit player, and that's usually the
best I can do) is always my goal. You stated, ... (read more)
Chips within chips14 February 2005
Dear Mark,
Gaming chips are now being developed that can track players' habits from the moment
they sit down at a table until they cash in their winnings. The chips are embedded
with radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips that carry uniquely identifiable
serial numbers. Will the casino ... (read more)
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