Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 186

Gambling and the Law: Why retaliatory tariffs on playing cards?

The bad news for the legal gaming industry is that Canada and the European Union have imposed a 10% additional import tax on playing cards manufactured in the United States. The only good news, if you can call it that, is that China has so far not followed suit.The new added import taxes are expressly called “retaliatory tariffs” by our trading partners – retaliation for tariffs President Donald Trump unilaterally imposed on some products exported from Canada and the EU into the U.S.But why playing cards?For Canada and the EU, winning this trade war means returning to the way things were before Trump interfered with the up-to-then smoothly operating world markets...read more

The Quotable Captain: The struggle

(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 the biggest problem gamblers have at the games.)The Captain: “The struggle is not between you and the casino; it is between you and yourself.” — The Captain’s Craps Revolution (1993)Casino gambling is fun...read more

Sports betting arrives

Since the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way in May for states to legalize sports betting, New Jersey, Delaware and Mississippi have been the quickest off the mark.All already have sportsbooks up and running, a huge change from the decades when only Nevada had legal, full-scale sportsbooks.How did we get to the point that states could legalize other forms of gambling but not sports betting?The ban on legalization, overturned in response to a challenge from the state of New Jersey, had been in effect since enactment of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992.PASPA prohibited legalization of sports betting in any state that did not already have it...read more

Why get a host? And which type?

Hosts come in a number of different flavors. For simplicity’s sake, I will break them down into two categories: independent hosts, who may represent several different corporations or properties, and captive hosts, who are usually employees of a certain brand or property...read more

Gambling and the Law: Professor Nelson Rose Speaking at the IMGL Autumn Conference

Among the topical discussions at IMGL’s Autumn Conference, we’ll be paying special attention to the Social Responsibility panel. I. Nelson Rose will join Sebastian Blohm, Global Head of Corporate & Legal Affairs at ZEAL Network SE and Chris Elliott, Solicitor at Wiggin LLP on the panel moderated by Cosmina Simion, Partner, Nestor Nestor Diculescu Kingston Petersen (NNDKP) where the debate on finding the right balance between regulating the market and letting it trade freely will be of particular interest to industry executives.The industry is facing many social challenges today and how it reacts to those and how could it do things better form the basis of this important conversation...read more

Hundred Play Poker and doubling on blackjacks

QUESTION: Tell me about Hundred Play Poker. The one machine at the casino near me has 8/5 Double Double Bonus, the same as on the quarter single-hand games, but not as good as the 9/6 DDB on one-hand dollar games. You can play Hundred Play for pennies, two cents or nickels.Is there any advantage to playing all the hands at Hundred Play, or is it OK to play fewer? Will I get a higher payback if I play nickels instead of pennies? I play quarter Triple Play and Five Play sometimes, but I'm not sure what to be careful of in Hundred Play.ANSWER: The average payback percentage with expert play in 8/5 Double Double Bonus Poker is 96.79% regardless of whether you're playing one hand, 10 hands, 100 hands or anything in between.Likewise, the payback percentage does not change with coin denomination...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: I'm a picky video poker player

Question: WOW . . . I hope I never sit next to you in a casino. You just telegraphed how picky you are. You kept saying "their doing nothing wrong, so nothing can be done about it." Bet a dime to a dozen donuts you would if you could. Your true colors came shinning through, and I don't think you realized it. I do enjoy your read though. Answer: I'm the guy you want to sit next to...read more

Being tough at slot play

Even though the house has an edge on just about every slot machine and video poker game (with some few, hard-to-find exceptions), players can still play a tough game against the casino if such players use intelligent strategies in deciding which games to play and how to play them.Pessimists might say that all slot and video poker players are doomed to forfeit their money to the house edge, and they are right, except that how you forfeit the game against the house is where the gambling pleasure comes into the picture...read more

Woulda, coulda, shoulda

There are times — frustrating times — when playing slots or video poker is a matter of woulda, shoulda, coulda.If only you woulda bet the max on video poker, covered all the paylines on video slots or made the qualifying bet on a progressive like you shoulda, you coulda left the casino with a nice payday.A few readers recently shared their woulda, coulda, shoulda stories...read more

Differences in buy bets

Hi Stickman.I just returned from a week in LV (went to G2E) and just now read your article which I get via Casino City Times.I spent the better part of a day hunting for a decent craps game.I normally play in MS where the vig on Buy bets is collected only upon a win...read more