Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 171

Gambling and the Law: The Supreme Court changes everything

Late last year, I wrote a blog about the then pending sports betting case, entitled, “The Most Important Case of the Century.”It turned out to be even bigger than thatIn the coming days and weeks, I will be discussing in detail what this major change in the law means...read more

Players' stories

Whenever I relay readers' tales of their experiences in casinos, it seems to inspire other readers to share their own stories.That seemed to go double for craps players several weeks back, after three players told of their first-time experiences and overcoming the game's learning curve...read more

Obey the rules in blackjack

Casino management is very fussy about what goes on at the blackjack table. They worry about cheating both by the customer and dealer. They have firm procedures that the dealer must follow at all times. In addition they have procedures they want the player to follow...read more

A personal superstition

QUESTION: Your column on superstitions got me thinking. I don't know if it's superstition or not, but in general, I will not consciously go back to a machine that I played no matter the result on the same day.If I win a significant amount (for me that's $50 or more on slots, and it varies on video poker depending on the denomination), I will make it a point to avoid that machine for the rest of the day, even though I know that my win doesn't change the probability.Conversely, if I seem to be losing at every machine I play on a given day, I will seek out games that I usually don't play because of prior bad luck, kind of a reverse luck mentality.With VP, I usually play Bonus Poker and I love Deuces Wild, but I will switch to either less volatile Jacks or Better or more volatile Double (or Double Double) Bonus just to change my luck.Without believing that any of this changes anything, I think it's just searching for the lucky spin that is out there waiting for me to press.ANSWER: Thanks for the story...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: 88 Fortunes and resetting progressives

Question: I am one of those who wrote in previously having said that I was fortunate enough to hit the Grand Jackpot a total of three times playing 88 Fortunes. Twice at CasaBlanca Casino ($11k+ and $13k+) and once at Eureka Casino ($11k+), both casinos are located in Mesquite, Nevada. I hit the jackpot on two occasions playing the minimum ($0.88) and once while playing $176. I will also mention that the progressive resets almost immediately as I have hit the bonus almost simultaneously with a player sitting next to me...read more

Why I am special

FROM DONALD: What makes gambling writers so special? Do you guys and gals go to a school to learn how to give everyone advice? I doubt it. Therefore why do you think your advice is so special that the rest of us should follow it?Seriously how many gambling writers actually play the games they pontificate about? I would say almost none of them do...read more

The cost of standing at blackjack

A long time ago, I attended seminar in which Peter Griffin, the late mathematician and author of "The Theory of Blackjack," told the imaginary tale of Mr. Fourteen.It was Griffin's way of illustrating why the best play on many hands depends on the dealer's up card...read more

The four steps of video poker

Tip No. 1: Play video poker games that have the highest Expected Return (ER).Expected Return (ER) is a percentage that tells the theoretical amount of money you can expect to win in the long run assuming you play every hand perfectly. The most important variable that determines the ER is the game’s pay schedule...read more

Math rules for video poker and craps

QUESTION: I have a question about a multi-hand game that I play at times. (I usually play nickels Triple Play.)The cost is the typical five per hand plus five more coins for the wheel feature. If in the first five cards you are dealt a hand that includes three of a kind — including four of a kind or full houses — a wheel at the top of the game spins...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: You can hit the big progressive on 88 Fortunes with a minimum bet

Question: I read your June 2016 article on 88 Fortunes and was wondering if you ever found out about whether it was possible to win the grand jackpot when betting only 88 cents. Answer: Yes, it is possible to win the Grand jackpot when betting only 88 cents...read more