Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 218

Easy does it

FROM RICHARD: Hi Frank, I love your books. I have two quick questions.I have a $100 match play from a casino. Is it better to use the match play at once for $100 or use them at $25 each? Is there a difference in the end?Also I’ve read all of your books about craps...read more

A rare Pair Plus payout at Three Card Poker

QUESTION: Playing Three Card Poker, I found a Pair Plus pay table different than the ones I usually play. It paid 100-1 on a three-card royal, which I’d never seen. It paid the usual 40-1 on a straight flush, 30-1 on three of a kind, but then 5-1 on a straight, 4-1 on a flush and 1-1 on a pair.What’s the house edge on this? Is it higher or lower than usual?ANSWER: Most Three Card Poker tables do not distinguish between mini-royals and other straight flushes in their Pair Plus payoffs...read more

About Las Vegas

Las Vegas, officially the City of Las Vegas and often known as simply “Vegas,” is the most populous city in the state of Nevada. It is the county seat of Clark County, and the city proper of the Las Vegas Valley.Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city known primarily for gambling, shopping, fine dining and nightlife and is the leading financial and cultural center for Southern Nevada...read more

Basic strategy, and then some!

Basic strategy in blackjack is a great guideline, something every player should learn.It is not an end point. There are hidden subtleties that are glossed over for the sake of making the strategy easily understandable and playable. When the basic strategy table tells you to hit hard 16 when the dealer has a 10, it’s because with all permutations of the hand considered, your average losses will be lower if you hit than if you stand.But not all 16s are the same, beyond the distinction that 8-8 is a pair to be split rather than a hit/stand decision.A hand consisting of 10-6 is a different situation than one consisting of 7-5-4...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Completing flushes on multi-hand video poker

Question: I like to play Ten-Play video poker. It seems like I should get two or three flushes each time I hold a 4-card flush -- ten hands divided four suits is 2.5 hands. There are so many times that I get only one flush -- or none -- that I think my average is much lower...read more

Here they come!

FROM RICK: I have your dice book "I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps!" and thanks.My problem is when I am on a really good roll or someone else is having one, meaning the more a shooter wins, then the more he rolls, the other players wanting in on the action soon rush to the table and leave him NO PLACE to roll...read more

One coin or full coin? That is the question!

QUESTION: You answered a question about playing one coin on $1 video poker instead of five coins on a quarter game. What about slot machines? Dollar slots have higher paybacks than quarter games or penny games, right? Should I play one coin on a dollar game instead of three quarters or, say, 80 pennies?ANSWER: There’s more than one way look at that question...read more

How should I bet?

One of the most often asked questions from blackjack players is "How should I bet?" You've got several options, and I'll discuss them in this article and offer my recommendation.FLAT BETThis means betting the same amount all the time. Most players don't like to bet this way because they figure if the dealer wins more hands then them they'll never win any money...read more

Blackjack answers

Blackjack players come in a wide range of skill levels, from those playing a guessing game and hitting or standing by feel and instinct to basic strategy players to card counters – with several stops in between.In the last few weeks, I’ve received a number of e-mails from readers who are seeking a new level.Most are not trying to become card counters...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: The worst video poker instruction tape

You may have seen the recent announcement that the last company making VHS videocassette recorders discontinued making the units. I discovered the limited availability of new VHS VCRs last year when I needed to buy a new deck for converting old tapes to digital files. I recently started converting some of my gambling tapes and I discovered — re-discovered, actually — the worst video poker instruction tape...read more