Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 251

The grass may just be greener

The saying that the “grass looks greener on the other side” (or variations thereof) has been around a long time, maybe almost as long as grass has been around.The common parlance comes from the idea that many cows are more interested in the grass on the other side of the fence – perhaps the neighbor’s grass – and will stretch their necks out to get some of that great green stuff.It also has to do with being jealous of what other people have until you learn that they might be just as miserable as you.Take your pick as to meanings.In casino gambling, it is quite possible that (like those cows) some players have gotten bored with the grass they have been eating as a steady diet, but they hesitate to stick their necks out to attempt to feed elsewhere...read more

The biggest jackpot stories

QUESTION: I have a good back-to-back jackpot story to add to your collection. My wife and I had been playing penny video slots and not doing very well. We’d both been losing $10 here, $15 there, and it added up.Finally I told my wife, “If we’re going to lose $100 or more, let’s go for something big.” So we went for the old three-reel games, to a $1 Double Diamond game...read more

The signs of card counting

I decided this month to answer a question on card counting and then to tell you about an exciting new blackjack book that I just finished reading (which ties in to the question very nicely). The reader’s question was, “How does a casino know that a player is card counting?”There are several ways that casinos can determine if a player is card counting and a threat to their bottom line...read more

Deal Me In: Are players falling in love with this machine?

Dear Mark: I have a comment on the recent column where the questioner asked, "Is there any chance that the slot machine senses a new player has not been at a particular machine for a specific period, and then pays off initially, then stops paying?" Is this guy serious? A slot machine that can "sense"? Does he live on Planet Earth? Sorry, but I HAD to give you my 2 cents worth...read more

Caddyshack slots

Two of the biggest names in slot machines, Bally Technologies and WMS Gaming, are together under the Scientific Games umbrella nowadays.Both have had more than their share of innovations in building games that keep us entertained, and Scientific Games plans to build on that tradition with its own iconic titles.One that players will just have to check out is Caddyshack, the classic 1980 golf comedy starring Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, Michael O’Keefe and Ted Knight...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Why do my friends get better offers for the same slot points?

Question: Does it make a difference in accumulating points or being rated in playing slot machines if one stays with one machine or flitter-flutters to various machines? I get bored easily and move from machine to machine. My friends are usually consistent in staying with a machine and they get better comp offers then I do although we accumulate the same number of points. Answer: Taking a trip to the past in the Wayback machine, there was a time when you were penalized for switching machines...read more

It happened one night

It is out there, somewhere, in some time, waiting for us: our greatest night in the casinos. The dream come true. It is there for us. You can just – just barely – grasp it.For most slot players, that dream is often a dream fully, if not permanently, delayed...read more

Automatic shufflers and hand pays

QUESTION: Do automatic shufflers change the house edge on blackjack? My father-in-law always wants to see the cards shuffled by hand. Does it really make a difference?A. The house edge on blackjack is the same with most automatic shuffling machines as it is when the cards are shuffled by hand...read more

How often should I complete certain hands?

Those who have played any reasonable amount of video poker have noticed instances where they do not complete any four-of-a-kind hands when three of the quad are dealt, or complete any flushes when four are dealt, or any straights when four are dealt...read more

Deal Me In: Betting patterns won't change the casino's advantage

Dear Mark: What are your thoughts about using a betting progression method in playing blackjack against a continuous shuffling machine? Is playing against shuffle machines ever a good idea? Tim R.Raising or lowering your wagers without the knowledge of the composition of the deck – card counting – does not change the house edge...read more