Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 127

Many Faces of Jokers Wild

A Joker's Wild video poker comes in many varieties, each with its own optimal strategy.A regular reader emailed recently to ask about a couple of Joker's Wild strategy points, and specified Kings or Better. A pay table was not specified, so I used these payoffs for a five-coin bet as a starting point: Natural royal flush 4,000, five of a kind 1,000, royal flush with Joker 500, straight flush 250, four of a kind 85, full house 35, flush 25, straight 15, three of a kind 10, two pairs 5, pair of Kings or Aces, 5.Average return is 98.09 percent with optimal play, and it's the kind of game you might actually find in a casino...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: How Covid precautions affected a casino promotion

Casino marketing is a black box. We know the inputs that go into the box and we know what comes out in comps and free play, but we have no idea what goes on inside that box. Which inputs are used in the calculations in the box? Certainly the amount you play and the games you play take part in the formula...read more

Terror at the Tables

Most table games most times run smoothly and players have little to complain about except maybe some bad luck. The casino experience for most players for most times is a pleasant one and when good luck hits them, well, it can be a great time.Smart players over time will have less “bad luck” than poor players since they will keep the house edge at the games they play lower than poorer players or they will play fewer decisions...read more

The Big 6 and Big 8

QUESTION: I have a craps question about betting on Big 6 or Big 8 vs. placing 6 or 8. I know the house edge is higher on the "Bigs," but to get the better odds on the place bets you have to bet in multiples of $6.What if I'm really short-bankrolled and betting $5 on Big 6 is going to make a difference to me vs...read more

Blackjack Strategies

Blackjack basic strategy is not a one-size-fits-all mandate. Casinos offer differing sets of rules and playing conditions, so there are basic strategies adapted to fit the major rules variations of number of decks and whether the dealer hits soft 17.In the last decade or so, it's become common for dealers to hit soft 17 even in six-deck games.That's far different than my first couple of decades as a player, when I rarely had trouble finding multi-deck games with the dealer standing on all 17s.Player shorthand calls them H17 vs...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: To figure out how magic tricks work, take a lesson from casino security

One of the ways that casino security personnel catch casino cheats is by studying the actions made by players and dealers. Actions by some players stand out when most other players don't act that way. Actions by dealers stand out when they don't follow the prescribed way to do things. You can use the same principles of an action that doesn't look natural or an action that is repeated to get an idea of how magic tricks work. Dealers are taught to do things in a standard way every time...read more

Outrageous Craps Experiences

I am sure that almost all casino gamblers have experienced crazy stuff at the table games and this could be especially so in the world of craps. I know I have been there for such memorable events..Let me start with the worst first – to get that out of the way: I saw a man die at the table in Atlantic City...read more

Are the Odds the Same?

QUESTION: You wrote recently that electronic games that use depictions of playing cards must offer fair odds. The odds of being dealt cards on electronic blackjack are the same as in table blackjack.Does the same thing apply to dice? I'm thinking specifically of the Hot Roll games on both slots and video poker...read more

Hold for a Royal Flush?

A reader has some questions about holding for a royal flush or something else while playing 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker. Here is the inquiry.Hi Stickman,I hope things are going well for you.I have some questions for you that have to do with Jacks or Better...read more

Reopening Remarks

After a long lull, readers have resumed sharing tales of back-to-back jackpots.Since casinos have re-opened, and reader experiences that have hit my email box include a couple of table stories that may not strictly fit definitions of "jackpot," but they're rare fun nonetheless.Merri: My favorite game is Three Card Poker, and my first two times back at casinos when they re-opened I couldn't get a seat.The third time, my husband and I got there at 7 in the morning and I think we could have played any open game...read more