Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 14

Playing Games

CINDY: Sometimes you sit up and notice. I just sat up and noticed that we have a whole industry that promotes games, a whole world of games that we can play for money or just the fun of competing. Table games, machine games, sporting games, amateur and professional sports...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Video poker machine that paid all winning hands

Question: Your article on "Only highest winner paid" reminded me of a game that once existed many years ago called Multi-Pay video poker that did pay on all winning combinations. I forget who made it but I'm pretty sure that it wasn't IGT. Answer: Ah, yes...read more

The Captain Part Two

How should a player who does not have an edge at craps play the game? I guess the wisest of us would say “don’t ever play a game where you don’t have an edge.”That would be a speech of folly if given in seriousness because craps is just so, so much fun and otherwise sane people will play the game because they enjoy it...read more

The Captain of Craps

My gambling mentor was the late, great Captain of craps who was a weekly Atlantic City player and a man who taught me everything I know about casino playing. He and his crew of 22 high-limit players owned Atlantic City in the early 1970s through the early 2,000s.My, my were they comped!Mostly they played craps although the wives and girlfriends tended to play the slot machines...read more

In Video Poker Should I Hold an Ace with Two Unsuited High Cards?

From Ron G.Hello Stickman,I very much enjoy your articles. The information you present is interesting and easy to understand.I am emailing you with a question. My wife and I have a small bet going. We both play jacks-or-better video poker. We are fortunate to have full-pay (9-6) games available locally...read more

Irritations

CINDY: Last week I discussed what behaviors of some poker players that disturb me. While on that topic I thought it might be fun to discuss general disturbing behavior on the part of some other casino players.ABBY: Maybe that would get some players not to do those behaviors.CINDY: I guess it’s worth a try.ABBY: Why not...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Only highest winner paid

Have you seen the notice on a slot or video poker machine saying something like "Only highest winner paid?" Even though I've seen this notice on many (all?) slot machines, I can't think of an instance in which it is relevant. Well, let me take that back...read more

A sister's winning bet

I am not a collector of anything. There was a time when I was writing for over 50 magazines and newspapers, mostly monthlies, but some weeklies too. Over the decades, I spent a huge number of hours writing away in my office.Sometimes I forgot what season I was in...read more

Seven Deadly Sins for Video Poker Players: 4. Envy

Preamble: While browsing through the offerings on television the other night I came across Se7en. It is a 1995 movie about detectives hunting a serial killer that uses the seven deadly sins as motivation for killing. While I am not much of a fan of the movie, lessons can be learned from it regarding video poker play and gambling in general.This is the fourth in a series of seven articles that each cover one of the seven deadly sins – fourth article, fourth deadly sin – envy.Envy is defined in Merriam-Webster as “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage.”This is the proverbial “green-eyed monster.”It seems to be more prevalent now than in the past.Thoughts like “I should be able to have a great house like others do,” or “how come they get to have a new car when I cannot?”More closely related to video poker the following thoughts are likely:• “I have been playing this machine for hours yet the guy at the next machine sat down just a few minutes ago and he got a royal flush...read more

Seven Deadly Sins for Video Poker Players: 3. Lust

Preamble: While browsing through the offerings on television the other night I came across Se7en. It is a 1995 movie about detectives hunting a serial killer that uses the seven deadly sins as motivation for killing. While I am not much of a fan of the movie, lessons can be learned from it regarding video poker play and gambling in general.This is the third in a series of seven articles that each cover one of the seven deadly sins – third article, third deadly sin – lust.Lust is defined in Merriam-Webster as “unusually intense or unbridled sexual desire,” or “an intense longing or craving.” The first definition would be a particularly unusual example of lust playing video poker or playing any casino game...read more