Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 227

Ask the Slot Expert: Royal flush probabilities

Question: My friend said that he once read an article that said you were more likely to get a royal flush when you're dealt three of the cards than when you're dealt four. That doesn't make sense to me. Is he right? Answer: I think I read the same article, many, many years ago...read more

You can take it with you!

There is an old saying, “You can’t take it with you,” that is supposed to encourage limiting one’s greed and/or to encourage people to live for today because tomorrow, well, tomorrow you’ll be dead. So all the riches you’ve amassed are meaningless if you think they will belong to you when you are no longer you.So go to it, boys and girls! Spend away...read more

The magic bus

Casino players know well the ups and downs of wagering, with more downs than ups for most of us. But it’s the ups that are most memorable, like those relayed via e-mail by readers Betty and Pearl.Betty: "For me a perfect day is having a good time, a nice lunch out and not losing any money...read more

Playing 8/5 Jacks or Better

An acquaintance recently asked me to comment on playing the 8/5 version of Jacks or Better. He understands that 9/6 Jacks or Better is a better game to play, but says it is sometimes hard to find such a game.For those readers who are not familiar with video poker terminology, the Jacks or Better game is one of the first video poker games ever manufactured...read more

Yikes! 10 billion to one?

QUESTION: I was thinking about slot odds and something you wrote about how they can make a video slot reel as long as they want since it doesn’t take up space inside the game cabinet.Some of those video reels seem really long, so there could be 100 symbols, right? It there’s only one jackpot symbol per reel, and there are five reels like most video slots, then the odds of a top jackpot are 1 in 100 to the fifth power, or 1 in 10,000,000,000...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Hold pat straight flush, or go for the royal?

Question: My wife was recently dealt a straight flush starting with the 9 through king. What would you do, and what is the proper play? Keep the straight flush or throw away the 9 and go for a royal flush? Answer: What I would do is make the proper play, even though it's sometimes tempting to make a different play...read more

Hole-card or no-hole-card blackjack

Just about a year ago, I answered a reader’s question about strategy adjustments for cruise-ship blackjack in which the dealer takes no hole card, waits until all player decisions to take a second card and more.Most Americans don’t encounter that situation often, although some European casinos as well as some cruise ships have such games...read more

Managing your time at the tables

In addition to managing your bankroll while gambling, you should also learn to manage your time.It’s important to remember that most casino games have a built-in edge; the longer you play, the more the house edge kicks in, resulting in more of a chance of losing your bankroll...read more

You must pay the piper

QUESTION: When you see a slot machine like Wheel of Fortune or Seinfeld or Wonder Woman, are the people who were in those shows paid?ANSWER: Licenses for themed games have to be negotiated with the copyright holder. The owners of the TV shows, movies, board games and other intellectual property used in slot themes are paid...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Adding symbols in a bonus round

Question: I have a question about the Zeus slot machine. When you hit the free game bonus, there are two additional features with the free games. One is a symbol that awards one additional free game every time it appears on the screen. The other is the one I'm questioning...read more