Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 259

Ask the Slot Expert: How Class II slots work

I am confused about Class II slot games. Can you explain how they work? The classes of gaming are defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). According to IGRA's Wikipedia entry, Class I gaming includes traditional Indian gaming, which may be part of tribal ceremonies and celebrations and social gaming for minimal prizes...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: How Class II slots work

I am confused about Class II slot games. Can you explain how they work? The classes of gaming are defined in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). According to IGRA's Wikipedia entry, Class I gaming includes traditional Indian gaming, which may be part of tribal ceremonies and celebrations and social gaming for minimal prizes...read more

Cutting it down

Most players can't play the high-roller room baccarat because the minimums are too high; usually $100 and up. High-roller room baccarat is the preferred form of the game since the pace is really, really slow. However, mini-baccarat can come in with 150 to almost 200 decisions an hour...read more

Missing card at blackjack

QUESTION: I was playing at a charity event against the dealer who had a five deck shoe. I won huge.At the end of the night he counted his cards and realized that 11 of the "bust cards" (4, 5 and 6s) were missing from the deck. The total number of cards he had was only 249, by 260.He asked for all of his money back because he said the odds were way in the player's favor...read more

Jacks or better II

Hi Jerry,Last time I wrote I told you I was heading down to Alabama to visit my daughters and I had asked you about class "b" machines at Indian casinos. Well, I got my answer: they suck.One night we drove to a local Indian casino. The kids like the fun of playing penny slots...read more

Deal Me In: Let It Ride

Dear Mark: What is your take on Let It Ride? I love to play it, but how bad are the odds? The three-card bet seems to be the best chance to win money. Steve C.Let It Ride is a variation of five-card stud poker where the player wagers on a poker hand consisting of three cards in the player's hand and two community cards in the dealer’s hand.Play begins with each player making three equal bets in spaces labeled (1), (2) and ($)...read more

New machines unveiled

A period of merger and consolidation among gamemakers led to a different look at the annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas this fall. There was no separate GTECH booth after its merger with International Game Technology.The Cadillac Jack brand was on display at the American Gaming Systems booth after their merger...read more

I miss them

Over 25 years ago I took up casino gambling. At the time, I was an actor (and producer and director and teacher) about to perform a great role, the dimensions of which baffled me. I was playing a degenerate craps player although I knew nothing about craps; in fact, I knew nothing about casinos or casino gambling...read more

Gambling games and tips

QUESTION: I met the slot director at the casino by us, and we were talking about different games. He said one of them was a “gambling game,” and before I could ask him what he meant, he was called away. So I’m asking you: Aren’t they all gambling games? They’ll all take your money.ANSWER: High-volatility games that put an emphasis on big wins but which also have strong possibilities of fast losses sometimes are referred to as “gambling games.”Low-volatility games that features frequent small wins that extend your playing time but which do not offer players as strong a chance at large jackpots are called “entertainment games” or “time on device games.”When three-reel games dominated slot floors, virtually all were gambling games...read more

Non-intuitive blackjack

NON-INTUITIVE BASIC STRATEGY PLAYSBy Henry TamburinMost of the basic playing strategy is logical to players. For example, players understand why they shouldn’t hit a 16 when the dealer shows a 6 upcard, or why they should split 8s against a dealer’s 5...read more

Deal me In: Doubling as James Bond for $5 a pop

Dear Mark: What are your suggestions to win playing mini-baccarat? Keith W.Like baccarat, mini-baccarat offers a very low house edge, and for the low roller it is one of the best games the casino offers.With mini-baccarat, only two hands are dealt, regardless of how many players are sitting tableside...read more