Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 215

The look, the voice, the truth

When I mention to people that I am a writer and I often write about gambling and casinos, I will get “the look” from some of them. “The look” incorporates a scrunched-up forehead, a slight involuntary sneer, a tilt of the head often followed by the words, “Oh, you’re a gambler?” The tone of the question is in keeping with the scrunched forehead, the sneer and the tilted head – not pleasant at all.What have I done wrong? Have I murdered someone? Stolen food from a baby? Looted Little Lulu’s college fund?Being a gambler is not perceived as a good thing, as gamblers are often lumped in with problem or addictive gamblers...read more

Not so winning ways

When I’ve shared readers’ stories of their first casino trips, they’ve almost always involved winning times.There’s a great deal of selection bias there. The majority of players lose money on their first trip, just as most players contribute a little something to the casino’s bottom line more often or not...read more

How do you play this video poker hand?

Hi Jerry,How are you? I hope you are well.This is Jody. It has been awhile since I contacted you.I just have one question for you here: How would you play the following sample?6s, 4s, 2s, 8d, 7d? Would you hold anything here or scrap the whole hand and re-deal five cards?I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing from you.Thanks again,JodyHi Jody,I would be happy to answer your question...read more

Probability of great hands

QUESTION: I got three-of-a-kind two hands in a row in Three Card Poker. It was pretty exciting. I was betting $5 on Pair Plus, so at 30-1 I won $150 on the first time. Then I raised the bet to $10 and won $300 the second time. That’s all in addition to wining ante-play against the dealer, too, and getting the 4-1 ante bonuses there.A couple of questions about it...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: What determines the payback percentage on a slot machine?

Question: I vaguely understand the EPROM chip and its function. As you, and most readers, are fully aware, casinos order slot machines with a certain payback percentage for each machine. What determines the payback percentage on reel slot machines? Answer: Let's look at what happens during a spin and I think you'll see what determines the payback percentage on a slot machine before I say it. After you hit the Spin button, the program running the slot machine spins the reels — physical or video — on the machine...read more

The craps debate

There are two extremes when it comes to craps players. The first is the player who lets it all hang out, making every conceivable bet no matter how high the house edge. The second is the player who makes only the best bets at craps and ignores those high house edge bets.I brought two of them together to see what they would say to each other.Bulgess: It’s my money and I can bet that money anyway I choose...read more

Talking jackpots

Rick and Ellen are slot players who are friends of friends. I see them two or three times a year in group outings, but they’re always ready to talk slots.The last group get-together was on a Friday in early June. Rick and Ellen were psyched for a casino visit the next night, and they asked if my wife and I wanted to come along.I declined, noting their casino of choice is really crowded on Saturday nights...read more

Gambling potpourri

In English, “potpourri” is often used to refer to any collection of diverse items. It’s a kind of collection of miscellaneous literary extracts. In this case, we have a collection of gambling trivia that includes facts, events and oddities that do not fit into any specific category.The dictionary tells us that gambling is the wagering of money or something of value (referred to as "the stakes") on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...read more

Gambling and the Law: Will the Supreme Court give gambling back to the states?

Should betting on sports, or any other form of gambling, be legal?The first question is: Who decides?Until a few decades ago, no one would have thought the decision-maker was the federal government. In fact, for the first 150 years of American history, Congress had almost no role in matters that affected people’s daily lives...read more

Top 10 steps to winning more at poker

There are plenty of things you can do to improve your poker game and even gain an additional edge over your opponents that are not related to strategy. This article is dedicated to these things, and hopefully will give you a few ideas on how to improve your game and win more.10...read more