Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 260

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

New blackjack games

Blackjack has been the most popular casino table game for more than 50 years. So naturally, side bets and variations on blackjack are among the first places developers turn in creating new table games. Here are a few I sampled at the Sept. 29-Oct...read more

Oh, shut up!

Here are two examples, just two, in the larger litany of hundreds of casino patrons that I wish would take themselves out of Lady Luck’s temple and (oh, I don’t know) take up knitting, parachuteless sky diving or something to that effect.These players are the inveterate complainers.Now most casino gamblers, meaning the overwhelming majority of them, have the sense to know that the casino has the edge on every game and that over time, sometimes a long time, sometimes a short time and sometimes an even shorter time, the casino player will be a loser...read more

Full-pay Deuces Wild

QUESTION: I have friends who live in Las Vegas, so when I go, I usually stay with them instead of at a hotel, and we do a lot of non-casino things. When they play, they don’t like to go to the Strip. They do like video poker a lot, and they take me to off-Strip casinos where the locals like to play.One thing they showed me was a Deuces Wild game that they said was better than the games I like...read more

Blackjack practice drills

How do you get good at casino blackjack? It’s simple, you practice and practice and then practice some more.There are no shortcuts to becoming a skilled blackjack player or a top-notch anything. You have to study, practice and in the case of blackjack, you have to play and play a lot.To get started on that road you need to set up a series of drills that you can use to do different things...read more

Criss Cross Poker

Usually, when I see a table game for the first time at the annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, I assume it’s going to be some time before I see it again. Table space is limited, it takes time for games to get a trial in casinos, and some games make a splash online before brick-and-mortar operators give them a look.Criss Cross Poker is different...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Was I cheated by this slot machine?

I recently played a 5-reel, 9-line Top Dollar machine. I played all nine lines and landed Top Dollar symbols in the top position on the first reel, the middle position on the second reel, and the top position on the third reel. They told me I was not a winner...read more

Booze cruise

Most gambling writers will caution players not to drink or not to drink too much when they play casino games. This is good advice because if your judgment is impaired, there is a decided chance your bankroll will become even more impaired. Money tends to lose its power as the gods of alcohol possess one’s body, mind and spirit.But there is a second way to look at drinking and casino gambling...read more