Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 199

The slot manager vs. the slot player

This slot manager was a boss in the casino. He decided what machines were brought in and what machines were taken out. The player was, indeed, a slot player. They talked separately to me at different times at different places. I am taking the liberty of making it a conversation...read more

Advantage video poker

Video poker games in which skilled players can claim an edge over the house have become increasingly rare.Games such as 10-7 Double Bonus Poker, which pays 100.17% with expert play, and full-pay Deuces Wild, 100.76%, survive in limited numbers in Nevada...read more

The quick and dirty guide to comps

Comps is casino jargon for “complimentary,” the freebies that casinos give players to keep them loyal to their establishment. Freebies include everything from free meals to free show tickets to even cash or free play offers in the mail. And contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be a high roller to get your share of the over $1 billion worth of amenities that casinos give away annually (that’s right, a billion)...read more

Can card counting work at baccarat?

QUESTION: Please explain something to me about baccarat. I’ve read that the only strategy is in choosing whether to bet on banker or player, and that all the decisions on whether a hand gets a third card are automatic.Still, baccarat has to be a game where the odds are always changing, like blackjack, right? After cards are dealt, they’re not available for future hands, so that has to affect the probabilities...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Converting slot dollars to cash

This week, more comments I overheard in the casinos. How would you play 1,000 slot dollars? I overheard this while waiting to play in my session at a slot tournament. The top prize was 1,000 slot dollars. The game used for this tournament was one of the games in the Everi TournEvent series...read more

Don't be afraid

Many new casino players suffer from a strong case of fear, particularly when it comes to playing table games. Can they learn the game and play the strategies properly? This is especially true for blackjack, which has innumerable decisions to make, and craps, which has an amazing number of bets that can be wagered.Other players are a fear factor as well...read more

Mary and Walker

Every video poker player has favorites, whether they want the 2-for-1 two-pair paybacks on Jacks or Better or Bonus Poker, the wild cards on Deuces Wild or the big four-ace bonuses on Double Double Bonus Poker and many other games.At pick-and-choose time, Walker had another method.“We’re regulars at a casino that has an alcove with 50 video poker machines...read more

Throwing an ace in video poker

Hi Stickman:I enjoy your articles and especially when you show sample hands and how to play them. I almost always know the proper play.In a recent example you showed the following hand: Ts Ac 6s Qc JsYou stated that the proper hold was the ace of clubs and the queen of clubs...read more

Real blackjack versus video blackjack

QUESTION: My friend used to insist that he got a better deal on video blackjack than on tables. I showed him where the games he was playing paid even money on blackjacks and was a terrible game. He still insists some of the machines are better than tables...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Holding two pair when it pays the same as a high pair

This week I'd like to discuss some comments I overheard in the casinos. Don't hold two pair when it pays the same as jacks or better. Two people were playing some sort of bonus poker pay table that paid the same for two pair and jacks or better...read more