Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 188

Two big slot questions

Slot machines are the most widely played games in American casinos. And naturally enough, the largest share of my e-mail from readers is about the slots.New players and new readers come aboard all the time, so there are common themes to reader questions...read more

Don't fear video poker

I receive many communications from slot players who want to play video poker but don’t know how and don’t even know where to start. Many think the games might be too tough for them to learn. This is not true. Video poker is fun and the games are relatively easy to learn.A big problem is that many players are indeed confused by the myriad of different video poker games in different denominations that they see on the casino floor...read more

Get the strategy right

QUESTION: I don’t understand why 9/6 Jacks or Better is supposed to pay more than 9/6 Double Double Bonus Poker. You’re really playing for four of a kind, and those pay so much more on Double Double Bonus. All you can get is 125 coins on Jacks or Better no matter what the four of a kind, and on Double Double Bonus you get at least 250 and can get 2,000.ANSWER: The key is the payoff on two pairs, where Jacks or Better pays 2-for-1 and Double Double Bonus pays only 1-for-1...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: The Max Bet button on a video poker machine

Question: I would like to point out a suggestion concerning the use of the max bet button in video poker. For the majority of your article I totally agree. However, not all VP machines are the same. For example, in some jurisdictions, hitting MAX doesn't play 5 credits, it plays 20...read more

Getting the edge with comps

If you think the tricks last week were, well, tricky, now we get into some serious comp-duggery, which will allow you to actually get what I call the “monetary edge” over the casino, which means that between the comps you don’t deserve and the ratings on the game that you don’t deserve, you’ll actually be getting more back from the casino then you’re shelling out at the table-game of your choice...read more

Superstitions

I’m not a superstitious sort. I don’t carry lucky icons, wear lucky clothing or perform good-luck rituals while I play. I’ve been known to egg on my brother Jay in his jackpot dance, probably to the amusement of surveillance rooms everywhere.If others have rituals they like to follow, more power to them...read more

Good, bad and ugly blackjack games

Blackjack has been around casinos for decades. It is available in virtually every casino that allows table games. It is by far the most popular table game. Blackjack games, in general, have among the lowest house edges of all casino table games.Scores of books have been written about how to play this game...read more

Playing big baccarat

QUESTION: I have a baccarat story and question.I hadn't played very much, and when I had it was at mini-baccarat. The $10 mini tables are more in my price range than the big bets in the high-limit rooms, and really, I like making my own hit/stand decisions...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Annoying video poker players

Question: Seriously? You are annoyed by the noise the machines make? Get a set of headphones. That way you can be more certain no one will talk to you either. My wife lets all the credits ring up all the time. It takes more time, she plays less hands that way, and therefore is putting less money at risk. She also plays less than max coins, which I'm sure would bother you too, and will hit the play one button multiple times rather than re-deal, just to change things up a little. What bothers her is that even though there are ashtrays at the machines, and even though she is smoking at the time, someone will sit down right next to her and then be offended that there is smoke nearby...read more

Comp secrets of the undeserving only I know

Now I’m going to share with you the secrets of getting much more than you deserve in comps. Most of these secrets are only known by me and everyone I’ve ever talked to about comps. But some of the following secrets are actually being revealed here for the first time because that’s the kind of guy I am – a blabbermouth!If you are a tipper — and you should be, because if you don’t tip the dealers, they will hate you — then always tip on top of your bet, not next to it or in front of it or wherever the casino wants the bet placed (like directly in the dealer’s bank account).Let us say you are still that $25 blackjack player, still solvent, alive and kicking, and you want to give the dealers a $5 tip...read more