Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 187

The Big 6 and Big 8 are bad bets

QUESTION: Weird experience at the craps table. Guy next to me kept betting $5 each on Big 6 and Big 8. You know, the ones in the corner with the big red numbers.I told him he'd get better odds if he placed them instead, and he said, "I've tried that, but the dealer keeps trying to upsell me...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Be careful with touch-sensitive displays in button decks on a slot machine

Question: A warning about 88 Fortunes slot machines! This can actually apply to many slot machines. Recently I sat down to play an 88 Fortunes machine at Resorts Catskills. I inserted my player card and then inserted a $20 bill. As I let go of the bill, my pinky knuckle must have touched the surface a couple of inches in front of the acceptor for inserting bills or tickets, which is level with the deck of the machine...read more

Strategies for top four table games

There are four table-games that many players tend to enjoy playing in the casinos: blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat/mini-baccarat. Each one has decisions dealing with what strategies to play, how to play them along with money management methods that reduce the risk of going home empty.Let’s take a short look at all of them:BLACKJACK: The most popular table-game in the casino is one that requires accurate decisions on each and every player hand against each and every dealer up-card...read more

Creating a new table game

Introducing a new table game to the public isn't as simple as hitting on a concept that's fun to play, gives the house a reasonable edge and convincing a casino to try it. There's a seemingly endless series of hoops a game developer must jump through.That's something Jason Kobal knows all about with his Casino Over Under, newly licensed in Washington state after initial licensing in Mississippi.To get to the point of licensing, game developers must ask themselves: Is the game easy for players to understand? Is there enough player involvement to keep it interesting? Is it easy to deal rapidly and mistake-free? Is the layout clean and uncluttered so as not to be confusing? Is the math rock solid, preferably done by someone with an established reputation in evaluating casino games and their house edges?After that comes the big hoops of licensing before state gaming boards, convincing a casino to host a field trial and, finally, selling the game.Casino Over Under definitely falls in the easy to play, understand and deal category...read more

Reading playing card spots

When counting cards at blackjack, it’s important to see each specific card that has been played or exposed. Sometimes it can be difficult because the dealer is very quick in scooping up a bused hand or the cards are at the other end of the table and hard to see...read more

Slot screw-up?

QUESTION: On a three-reel, one-payline slot machine, there are two wires that stretch above the reels resting on top a metal lip extending from one end of the slot to the other. The lip appears to have holes on each end and in the center to secure the wires with rip ties.I have seen where the wiring was only secured at each end but not in the center...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: About those "guaranteed to hit by" progressives

Question: Is there any way to tell if you’re playing a server-based machine? Answer: The term server-based gaming is like the lyrics to a Yes song — it can mean almost anything you want it to mean. Let's look at different things server-based gaming can mean and whether you can tell if you're playing that kind of server-based machine. One meaning is central determination...read more

The Quotable Captain: Gambling

(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 views gambling.)The Captain: “I have been gambling all my lifetime, be it in business ventures, or games of chance and skill...read more

Winning big at roulette

When my longtime Jim and I get together, talk usually centers on family, kids and a lot of baseball.Gambling rarely comes up. Jim doesn't play much, and when he does, it's Hold'em if the casino has a poker room and blackjack if it doesn't.Imagine my surprise at our June lunch outing when Jim wanted to talk roulette."I'd been reading about Charles Wells, the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo in the 1890s, and I got curious," Jim said...read more

Taking advantage of promotions

Casino promotions are a form of inducement to bring players in at a time that revenue or occupancy is expected to be lower than desired. These promotions come in many different formats, with varying expected values and durations. Some of them even provide long-term benefits...read more