Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 193

Bad blackjack mistakes

I’ve been playing blackjack in casinos for some 50 years. In Vegas, Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, the Midwest, Canada, Atlantic City, Connecticut and many more places that would just bore you if I listed them all. So I’m not kidding when I say I’ve watched a lot of blackjack players during my lifetime...read more

A Walk on the Wild Side

QUESTION: I was playing a video slot with stacked wilds, and I got a stack filling the last reel.I said to myself more than anyone else, “I hate when that’s on the last reel.” I guess I was loud enough for others to hear, because the lady next to me said, “Really? I like it there...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Do all 3-card royals have the same chances of completing the royal?

Question: In response to the annoyance of people that hit the Bet Max instead of the Deal/Draw button: I am one of these people for a couple reasons: In a high-distraction (and to be fair, varying state of inebriation) environment, it reduces potential errors of mistaking which stage of a hand I am on It helps slow play slightly, which is an obvious benefit in a negative-return game Thought I’d chime in with a perspective. Answer: Thanks for providing some more reasons why a player would use the Bet Max button to start a hand rather then Deal/Draw. Slowing down your play is one way to ensure your bankroll lasts for as long as you want to play...read more

Alone or Together?

Most days and nights casinos go from crowded to packed, as in crowded like a subway car just before rush hour or almost as packed as Times Square on New Year’s Eve.You hear people talking, laughing, cheering and, yes, moaning. High fives are exchanged at the craps tables and jackpot winning slot players can be heard as their screams howl through the casino air...read more

The math of the pass line

Connie was a student at a daylong seminar I gave for a park district group around 10 or 12 years ago. I taught the basics of how to play casino games, and Connie discovered she loved craps.“I could never figure it out before that day,” she told me later...read more

Heads or tails?

Dear Jerry Stickman,Hi. My friends and I have been having long hours trying to work out the math logic behind a simple betting scenario, but alas to no avail. We hope you can shed some light.Scenario:In a make-believe game where there are two equal options, being RED or BLACK, a croupier, in an unimaginable scenario, has already drawn nine REDs in a row...read more

The Martingale and full-pay Deuces

QUESTION: I have a question about the double-up Martingale, where you keep doubling bets until you win.I’ve looked online and I know you recommend against it, as do lot of gambling experts. But suppose I decide to try, starting with betting $5 on black in roulette...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Using earplugs while playing video poker

Question: I was playing in the high limit area in Caesars AC a couple of years ago and someone hit something like two cherries and a Double Diamond on one of their $100 machines. Many people came to see what the hit was, but hung back in awesome respect of someone even playing a $100 machine...read more

How to be a good dealer

If you think it is easy being a casino dealer then just give it a try. The public can be a real pain in the “you-know-what” in all situations but in a casino, losing money, the player-public can be downright nasty.Nasty players blame the dealers for bad luck, scold other players for making the “wrong” decisions, and generally make a nuisance or worse of themselves.Still, there are dealers who can also be described as pains in the “you-know-what” and these dealers are not fun to be with...read more

Their first time

A while back, I relayed a story from a slot player who had a pretty bad time on her first casino visit. She’s a regular player today only because a friend convinced her to give it another try, and she had more fun the second go-round.That drew responses from many readers who wanted to share their own first-time experiences.Kari: Like that woman, my first time was on a bus trip...read more