Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 234

Using someone else's player's card

QUESTION: It used to be my wife and I shared slot club accounts. Now the casinos want us to have separate accounts. Sometimes, when we want to build up her account, I use one of her cards. Sometimes she uses one of mine. One thing worries me...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Another misleading pick-em bonus

Question: I have a question about Treasure Chest video poker machines. You get to pick one of five treasure chests after hitting a four-of-a-kind. The amount you can win ranges from 140 quarters to $1199. Does it matter which treasure chest you pick? My belief is that it doesn't matter which one you choose...read more

Winning is the most fun

A quarter century ago I coined the phrase “Winning is the most fun!” I thought it fit the casino experience for almost all players. Seriously, why play casino games if you didn’t give yourself a chance to win? But I was probably not right in my assumption.I now know that many gamblers just enjoy the sheer act of playing; it does something for them, perhaps gives them some internal thrill whether they win or lose...read more

Video blackjack

Video blackjack games come in all shapes and sizes. There are single-player games, usually part of the package on multigame machines such as IGT’s Game King. There are multiplier consoles. Some games pay 3-2 on blackjacks, while others pay only even money.Seth, a regular reader who sometimes plays table blackjack and sometimes plays video poker, spotted a video blackjack game with the 3-2 payoffs...read more

Managing blackjack losing streaks

That’s a strange title for an article on blackjack. I mean, usually, I write about winning, not about losing, right? However, no matter how good a player you are, you will experience losing streaks when you play blackjack (even playing professionally)...read more

Keno or yes and blackjack insurance

QUESTION: I like to take an occasional break and play keno. It is a game where I can play a quarter at a time and take a little time off. You can bet anywhere from one to 10 numbers at a time. I know the best pay tables for the number groups I play, but I do not know the intricate math to know which number group has the best payoff percentage...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Changing the minimum bet on a slot machine

Question: I play Double Double Bonus Poker at the Parx Casino in Pennsylvania. I have always wondered if I'm playing a VLT or RNG machine. At times I have been dealt two pair and discard one of them and still get two pair. Or if I hold just the high cards, I get the same payoff...read more

Confessions of a crazy crapper

Craps has a cornucopia of bets, ranging from the truly awful to the quite good in terms of the house edges. There are any number of ways you can bet the 11 numbers at the game (those 11 numbers being 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12). Some of these ways have low house edges and some — you guessed it! — have high house edges and some — you probably guessed it — have everything in between.The best bets at the game are pass and come, or don’t pass and don’t come...read more

New slot machines of interest

Designing slot machines is partly about designing games that are fun to play with paybacks and bonuses that occur often enough to hold your interest while also offering large enough potential jackpots for a “what if?” fantasy factor.But before players even get to the point where those elements can hold their attention, the game has to attract them to give it a try in the first place.Incredible Technologies has a new cabinet ready to blare its message that it has must-play games...read more

Should you use a player's card?

Some of my friends and acquaintances refuse to use a casino player’s card while playing video poker. They believe that their payoff will be reduced because of the comps they receive from having the card inserted. If you happen to be someone who always uses a player’s card when playing your favorite machine, congratulations...read more