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Mark Pilarski Gaming Guru - Page 9  Deal Me In: Times to split 10s at blackjack are extremely rare27 February 2015
Dear Mark: I am aware that you never – ever – ever split 10s against a dealer’s 5 or 6. However, I have been tempted to do so when no one else is at the Blackjack table. My question is what is the percentage odds of winning (or losing) by doing so? Herb C. Surprisingly, Herb, there was a gaming writer, ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Player questions if he is a freak of nature20 February 2015
Dear Mark: I am a freak of nature. Of the 50 times that I have played slots, maybe twice I left with $20 to $40. All the other times I have lost big. One time, I went with a lucky elderly teacher friend of mine and she won $300. I lost $50. So, she gave me another 20, and again I lost. She then gave me yet another 20, and again I lost. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: A decent game, for those running the casino13 February 2015
Dear Mark: I happened to come across a game called 3-5-7 Poker. Could you please share some information regarding this game, and if it is a reasonable game for the player who follows your rule of “only make casino bets that have less than a 2 percent house edge.” Jeff J. The game 3-5-7 Poker is a simple poker-based hybrid found both in table and video poker form in many casinos today. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Does the Golden Arm exist?6 February 2015
Dear Mark: I have read about people who are selling info about how to set dice. Is there anything to someone's ability to set dice and to throw them a certain way to improve their ability to throw desired numbers? On the other hand, are you convinced no matter how you "set" the dice that you will have a ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Scores of one-button bandits seldom pay out super-sized jackpots30 January 2015
Dear Mark: A slot employee told me that some of the bigger jackpot machines, where he works, have not been hit in years. Does this surprise you? Alice L. Not in the least bit, Alice. The odds of hitting some of these super-sized jackpots can be higher than hitting the Mega Millions (258,890,850 to one) lottery. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Reader's take, well taken23 January 2015
Dear Mark: I know you must have been asked this question many times but I haven't seen, or more likely missed, your comments on this subject. I should say although I read your column with interest each week, I am not myself a gambler. My question is this. How do the gambling industry and individual casinos ... (read more)
Deal Me In: Murky waters when gambling at sea16 January 2015
Dear Mark: You have stated that casinos are regulated to make sure that slot machines are random and honest. Who regulates the casino slot machines on cruise ships? Phillip W. The origins of cruise ship gambling came about with the 1991 Cruise Ship Competitiveness Act, which gave U.S. cruise ships the opportunity to offer games once they hit international waters. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: We're all just grinding it out9 January 2015
Dear Mark: I agree with just about everything you write, especially making bets that have less than a 2 percent casino advantage. That said, I would not by any stretch call myself a successful gambler. It seems I am like every other want-to-be winner, just trying to grind it out. Is there something in the equation I am missing? Jimmy P. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: If it weren't for suckers, there wouldn't be any good bets2 January 2015
Dear Mark: I confess that I have hardly ever gambled. Although I have been in casinos on occasion, I never even dropped a coin in a one-armed bandit. I did play poker when I was young. In 1953 or 1954, I can't quite recall the exact year, while in the army in Korea, our unit was on alert to go to Vietnam to help the French who were catching hell from the Vietnamese. ... (read more)
Deal Me In: The illusion of skill26 December 2014
Dear Mark: I like to play on slot machines that allow me to stop the reels from spinning. Does having control of the outcome make any difference? Kate S. Whether you stop the reels yourself or allow the machine to do it, both ways, Kate, produce random results. Many a superstitious player believes in synchronicity, that simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related. ... (read more)
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