Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 145

Ask the Slot Expert: Back on the slot malfunction/denied jackpot merry-go-round

Here we go again. A casino refuses to pay a player a jackpot because of a slot machine malfunction and every story about the incident says you never know if a casino will really pay you when you win. The current incident occurred at the Newcastle Casino in Oklahoma...read more

Breaking Bad

The outstanding television series Breaking Bad had some horrifying things to tell us about being addicted to methamphetamine – popularly known as speed. In the show speed certainly isn’t good for the poor souls using it. Speed – to put it bluntly – kills a person’s personality and ultimately his or her life...read more

Early Slot Machines

QUESTION: I’ve heard that the really early slot machines didn’t pay jackpots like today, but I was wondering how much of that is inflation. What were the old jackpots worth in today’s dollars.ANSWER: Until technological advances that enabled gamemakers to create big enough odds against winning, jackpots were tiny in the money of any era.The first three-reel slot, the Liberty Bell in 1895, accepted bets of one nickel and had a top jackpot of 10 nickels – 50 cents...read more

A Simple Summary

Casinos, racetracks, poker rooms and even lotteries are all designed to win money from players. By playing carefully, though, you can collect from them instead of the other way around. Knowledge is the key. Obtaining the knowledge requires lots of work on the players' side.Reading, studying and practice are the hallmarks of obtaining the required knowledge...read more

Newbie video poker questions

Along with questions about the fine points of casino games and tales of memorable casino trips from veteran players, my email box brings a steady stream of questions from newcomers.Lately, that stream has included several inquiries from video poker newbies trying to understand basic strategy points.For this week, let’s take Jacks or Better, the game on which many others are based, and explain basic strategy concepts – a refreshers for video poker veterans and a crash course for newcomers.The expected value figures below are for 9-6 Jacks or Better, but the broad strategy tips also apply to 9-5, 8-5 and 7-5 games...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Does my payback percentage go up when I bet more on today's penny machines?

Question: I am aware that the expected return on a slot machine is directly related to the denomination played, i.e., a penny machine will have a much lower expected overall return than a $1 or $5 machine. However, today's penny machines can handle bets of $5 or even $10 or more per spin...read more

Slot Critic Lashes Out

Not everyone likes playing casino games. Indeed, many casino table-game players don’t like playing slot machines even though slot machines are overall the players’ favorite games in the entire casino world.Critics of playing slots have marshaled their arguments and I have decided to outline in a question and answer format what such critics have to ask and say.CRITIC: It makes no sense to me playing a machine that keeps somewhere in the vicinity of 10 percent of everything you bet more or less...read more

The Anti-Tipster

FROM HAROLD: I’ve read a lot about tipping casino people such as parking attendants, bellhops, cocktail servers, dealers, maids and even hosts. This tipping has gotten out of hand. These people all get salaries and if they don’t like what the casino pays them, they are free to move on...read more

Top 10 tips for novice live poker players

Handling your chip stack properly is an important component of playing live poker. If you are used to playing poker on online sites, you know how easy it is. While there are most certainly some things you should be aware of before playing online, live poker is a different animal...read more

Odds are Not Odd

QUESTION: I’ve played craps a little bit, but I have to admit most of what I know is from reading online instead of being hands-on.I don’t quite get why odds make a difference. OK, they’re an even bet with no edge, but you have to make them in addition to a pass or come bet...read more