Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 161

Beating the house

Wherever there are casinos, there are people looking for ways to beat the games.Mostly it's to no avail, and some attempts to swing the odds can even lead to larger losses. Still, you can't blame a player for trying.One who thought she had come up with something was Alysha, and her thought on beating the house is one of those that can lead to large losses.Alysha is a video slot player who noticed that she could stop the reels on some games instead of letting them spin to the end."The first time I tried it, I got a bonus," she said...read more

'No-bust' blackjack

Many blackjack players have learned a strategy called “no-bust.”The idea is if a player has a busting hand, 12 through 16, they should always stay and hope the dealer will bust. The player will win the hand if the dealer hits and busts, mainly because the player is still in the game.These players also will not hit even when the dealer has a strong hand, seven through ace...read more

Back-to-back wins and different colored cards

QUESTION: I read your column with players' stories about winning back to back, even if the jackpots were small, and I wondered if my story qualified.I still like Super Jackpot Party after all these years. The casino I usually go to still has two of them on pennies, and they're the first games I look for.It felt like I'd been playing a long time without getting the bonus...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Raising the W-2G limit

Question: As you may or may not know, voters in Florida will be asked to approve or disapprove Amendment 3: Voter Control of Gambling in Florida next month. If passed, voters shall have the exclusive right to decide whether or not to authorize casino gambling...read more

The Quotable Captain: 39 steps (Part II)

(The late Captain was my mentor in gambling. I’ve written six books about him. This series contains some of his quotes, ideas and advice. This particular article concerns how the Captain lists the most important aspects of behavior at the tables.)The Captain: The Captain gave me 39 rules to follow at the tables...read more

Multiple bets at roulette

I've often written that betting combinations of roulette numbers can increase your frequency of wins, but it can't reduce the house edge.With multiple bets on the table, individual wins are reduced by the amounts of your other bets. In the end, the house keeps the same percentage as if you'd stayed with one bet.That doesn't stop readers from sending me combinations they think are somehow different than they others...read more

Opportunities at new casinos

Anytime new casinos open up, there are typically a lot of opportunities for players to find more yield for their gambling dollars. As new properties open, they typically have promotions and offers that are above and beyond what a gambler would normally expect, and which, if played right, can be used at other properties as well.Tier matching and sometimes tier upgrades as well as free play and additional benefits offered are typically extended to existing players of competing properties...read more

Can all table games become machine games?

QUESTION: All of these poker games you see now, like Three Card Poker and Mississippi Stud, do you think any of them would work as video poker games? I have fun at Three Card Poker, but sometimes I think I'd like to play it by myself on a machine for quarters instead of having a $5 ante and then more if I want to stay in the hand, and another $5 if I want to play Pair Plus.ANSWER: Such games don't have the draw element that gives five-card draw video poker its interactivity and feeling of player control over results...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Betting more and winning less

Question: Do you play the slots? My observation is that as you increase your bet, the winning slows down. I have witnessed this repeatedly over the past 10 years. I watch a player on a penny slot making a minimum bet, say 40 cents, hit a lot and get five times more bonus rounds than I get playing max...read more

The Quotable Captain: 39 steps (Part I)

The Quotable Captain: The 39 Steps (1-14)(The late Captain was my mentor in gambling. I’ve written six books about him. This series contains some of his quotes, ideas and advice. This particular article concerns how the Captain lists the most important aspects of behavior at the tables.)The Captain: The Captain gave me 39 rules to follow at the tables...read more