Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 218

Blackjack: True or false?

Which of the following statements about blackjack are true, and which are false?1. Blackjack is more or less the same from one casino to the next.False. The playing rules are often different from one casino to the next, and even within the same casino...read more

What about 5-Card Charlie?

QUESTION: Can I tell a story? I’d learned to play blackjack at home years before I went to a casino, and that was about 10 years ago. The rules differences were a surprise. The first time I tried to claim a five-card Charlie and the dealer not only said no, he called out to the pit, “We have a Charlie player here.” I was embarrassed, but they explained to me that was a home rule that casinos don’t really use.Have you ever seen a casino use that rule? How much difference does it make, really?ANSWER: I have never seen a Charlie rule used in a casino, though you’re not the only newcomer to be surprised by its non-existence...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Slot and video poker tournament advice

Question: When invited to a slot tournament in which you have two to three minutes to rack up as many points as possible, are there any strategies players can use to improve their scores? Answer: Depending on the format of the tournament and how the tournament machines operate, there might be some things you can do to improve your score or your chances of winning something...read more

Nostalgia

I remember those old timers when I was a young timer waxing poetic about their youth, their days during the great Depression, in World War II, and how they raised their families, worked hard and believed in the American dream. Most pursued that dream and were by and large successful.That “greatest generation” is just about gone...read more

Getting the Roulette Edge

Questions readers ask most frequently go in cycles.For the first couple of years I wrote this column, when legalized gaming was new to much of the country, “How do I get a casino job?” was top of the list. Soon that was replaced by “How do I beat slots?” and then by strategy questions on video poker and blackjack.One that’s always been part of the mix has been, “How does the casino get its edge?” That’s the question that’s top of the charts right now...read more

Playing Video Poker Tournaments

Frequently I get questions from readers about the proper strategy for video poker tournaments. In general, tournaments are so short that luck is the major factor in winning one of them. Actually, for the games in which skill is not a factor such as slots, keno or roulette, luck is basically the only factor...read more

Odd Payouts

QUESTION: In cautioning to check for unusual pay tables you said you saw a Bonus Poker game that paid 2-for-1 on two pairs instead of the usual 3-or-1. Isn’t 2-for-1 the usual? I’ve never seen 3-for-1.ANSWER: That was a case my typing fingers moving faster than my brain...read more

Gambling and the Law: Supreme Court will hear NJ sports betting case

The Supreme Court hears less than 0.001% of decisions from the federal circuit courts of appeal.So, why the New Jersey sports betting case?The dispute involves somewhat complicated language of a relatively unimportant federal statute – the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, and attempts by the New Jersey Legislature to get around PASPA to legalize sports betting at racetracks and in casinos.The High Court has not suddenly become interested in gambling laws...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Double Your Royal promotion

Question: The Gold Coast in Las Vegas is running a Double Your Royal promotion on Sundays in June. Is this a good promotion? Should I change my strategy? And should I wait until the promotion to play video poker? I don't want to hurt my chances of hitting a royal during the promotion. Answer: Doubling the value of your royal flush is really a best case scenario in this promotion...read more

What would you do?

Albert Einstein discovered the most revolutionary truths by just thinking about the world. He called these thoughts “mind experiments.”We do mind experiments too, although not at Einstein’s level. For example, in certain college ethics courses you are asked questions about what you would do in this or that situation...read more