Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 109

Slot Revolution

In a former column I discussed the evolution of the slot machine over an approximately 130 year period beginning in 1890-91 with the Sittman and Pitt mechanical device which ruled the bar scene for a few years to be replaced by Charles Fey’s true slot machine, the Liberty Bell, in about 1893.Other unscrupulous manufacturers imitated Fey’s machine and some even had the gall to call their machines the Liberty Bell...read more

BJ Bob and Single Deck BJ

My card-playing pal Blackjack Bob contacted me early in June to say it was about time we got together. It had been more than a month, and he was ready for some 21 talk.We met for lunch at a non-casino restaurant, and after the usual small talk about families and work, I asked what was up."We had a large family gathering over Memorial Day weekend," he said...read more

Facts About Horse Racing

When we talk about racing and gambling, we mean horse and dog racing, (dog racing is a subjectfor another article). Horse racing goes back thousands of years and is known as the "Sport ofKings."The Greeks turned horses into racing animals around 2500 BC...read more

Three Card Poker and Pair Plus

QUESTION: I've been reading about Three Card Poker and Pair Plus, including something you've said about the house edge on the original version being 2.32 percent while the common edge today is 7.28 percent.The only difference between the two is that flushes pay 4-for-1 on 3-for-1 on the other...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Accounting for bonus rounds in long-term payback

Question: Interesting bit on the buffets. We always enjoyed them, however, the amount of food wasted bothers us more and more. And how much food should one eat at a meal anyway? I remember years ago the coffee shop at the Excalibur used to have a $4.99 ham and eggs breakfast special in the wee hours...read more

Meant to be Famous

I was meant to be famous. I knew this from the time I could speak and understand what others spoke. My father told me so. In fact, he seemed to demand it. “Frankie, you will be famous one day. I’ll bet on that.”Of course, this fame would be in athletics, baseball specifically...read more

MultiDraw and Lightning Poker

In the last year or so, I've spotlighted a couple of creative video poker games devised by independent developer Tim Nottke through his company, Realize Gaming.One is MultiDraw Poker, and we're going to be seeing a lot of that in the coming months through a distribution deal...read more

COVID and Las Vegas

The COVID-19 pandemic hit the world hard. Virtually no individual or business has been immune to its impact. Now that the country is starting to open up a bit, I thought I would take a tour of some casino destinations and report what I observed.This article presents my observations while visiting Las Vegas recently.This was a very short trip where I spent only one full day in Las Vegas, so not all casinos are included...read more

One Deck versus Six Deck Blackjack

QUESTION: I was walking through a table pit, looking at blackjack games. Most were six decks, but there was one single-deck game open.A guy walking past me said, "You don't want to play the single-deck. It's terrible."I admit I'm no expert...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Another helping of Vegas buffets

Question: I am always looking forward to your weekly articles. I find most to be thought provoking, always interesting, so when you 'touch a nerve', so to speak, I like to offer my unqualified, albeit honest opinion. To put things in perspective, (I have contributed letters recently) I live in the Chicago area which offers me the chance to gaming opportunities to about a dozen casinos within a 2 hour drive (my self imposed limit)...read more