Gaming Gurus: Latest From Our Strategy Experts

Ask the Slot Expert: A gaffed Big 6 Wheel?

Question: The Horseshoe casino in central Indiana has a big 6 wheel. It Will consistently land on in bed or low pay numbers. After over 2oo landing on multiplier, it always resulted in the lowest 20 x. Always. The craps bonus of 6numbers will roll 40 or more and never hits. Answer: "Landing in bed" reminds me of a near miss I had with ladies plying their companionship services on a street on the east side of the Strip many years ago. A friend owned a penny stock that represented ownership of a building on this street...read more

The Truth About Slots

[Please note: Okay, I have met the greatest living expert on slot machines. He used to be a “pert” on the machines but he retired to take up leisure-time activities, like giving people information in his unique style, so now he is an “ex” “pert.” In this article he will be asked questions by an anxious slot player and he will give his answers in his unique way...read more

For or To?

QUESTION: Whenever I read about video poker, I see payoffs "for one," like a flush might pay 5-for-1. In other games, I'm used to 5-to-1, or 5-1, or 5:1. Why does video poker specify "for"?ANSWER: Odds-for-1 mean your original bet is included in the payoff...read more

Video Poker Strategy Quiz: Royal Flush or Straight Flush?

This article contains a video poker strategy quiz. The game is full-pay (9/6 – 9-for-1 full house, 6-for-1 flush) jacks or better.The quiz assumes the maximum five credits are played. The maximum bet produces the highest long-term return because the royal flush pays 800-for-1 (4,000-for-5) rather than 250-for-1 when less than the maximum is bet.Look at the dealt hand below and decide which card or cards you would hold...read more

What Do Casino Players Know?

CINDY: Okay, I am going to ask a question that all casino players should be able to answer. Maybe not perfectly, but at least enough to show they know what they are doing at the games they love to play.ABBY: I’m ready. Speak on.CINDY: How much do players know about the mathematics of the games they play?ABBY: Huh? You mean how the math is figured?CINDY: No, actually much simpler...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Slot handpays starting at $300?

Question: Here at the the tribal casino in Prescott, AZ, they require a handpay for hits of $300 and up. In addition, anyone within hearing distance of the machine involved knows about it due to the loud tune played until the attendant turns it off...read more

Play Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker could be one of the great casino games, if more people knew about it and if more people played it. I happen to love the game and I wish to impress upon you that you might come to love it too – if you give it a try.Of course, small casinos probably don’t have the game on their floors...read more

Slot Myth Busting

Over the years. I've tried to help slot players through a little myth-busting.Nonetheless, myths persist. It's easy to see why. Table games allow you to see cards being dealt, dice being rolled or the ball rolling around the wheel. You can't see random numbers being generated.Let's take a fresh look at a few of the common myths about modern slot machines.MYTH: Paybacks on pick-a-prize bonus rounds have to be fixed in advance or they couldn't program a payback percentage.ANSWER: Your choices count on most manufacturers’ bonus events...read more

My Favorite Games

From Roy:Hi Stickman,Thank you for your response to my original question. As a reminder the question was“I am fairly new to video poker. I am a member of a couple of video poker online VP groups. Many of the other players say that the best game is double double bonus...read more

No, No, Never

CINDY: Every game has its rules of play. You must know the rules –ABBY: And traditions such as the things you should and should not do at a craps table. These traditions are sometimes not written down but violate them and other players will get very, very annoyed.CINDY: Correct...read more