Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 263

Blackjack busts and slot revenues

QUESTION: What is it about blackjack that makes players bust so much more often than dealers? There must be a cause. It can’t all be luck.ANSWER: Actually, players bust less often than dealers – a LOT less.In a common six-deck game, dealers bust about 29% of the time if they stand on all 17s, and just under 30% if they hit soft 17...read more

It's you and the dealer

When it comes to table games it’s between you and the dealer. He or she controls the cards, sets the pace and can make the visit one of enjoyment or one of pure misery. So, what kinds of dealers are there?There are four types of dealers. Male, female, young and old, that’s it...read more

Craps and video poker conundrums

A couple of messages popped into my e-mail box in early August, both on the theme of “what you’re telling me just can’t be true.” I get these every now and then from players who want to argue odds and strategies.This time, one came from a craps player who wanted to argue in favor of placing 6 and 8 instead of betting on the pass line, and the other came from a video poker player who couldn’t believe it’s a better play to hold two high cards of different suits than to pick just one card to keep.Let’s take the craps question first.“You’ve said pass is a better bet than placing 6 and 8, and that just can’t be right...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Changing the hit frequency on a mechanical slot machine

Can you tell me if there's an adjustment on Mills mechanical slots to increase the frequency of payouts? I can't find anything about it in the service manual I have. Granted, I know it's normally a game of chance, but it would be a little more interesting if it paid out more often...read more

Better betting

JOE: Hi Frank, big fan of yours and enjoy your articles.In the game of craps, which of the two is the better?1. $30 on the 5, 6 and 8 and $10 on the field (the iron cross bet) with a total outlay of $100, or2. $10 on the 4 and 10, $15 on the 5 and 9 and $24 on the 6 and 8 for a total outlay of $98.I appreciate your time and thoughts on this question.FRANK: The best way to figure this out is to pretend that different players are making one of the bets to see what the expected loss per placement of the bet will cost him in the long run...read more

Winning and losing and dealer hits

QUESTION: When you rate slot games, does winning or losing factor into what you write?ANSWER: I’m human, so of course it does. I know full well that all machines pay big sometimes and hardly at all on others, but if I encounter one that yields its bonuses early and often, leaving a warm glow in my wallet, I’m more likely to remember it fondly when it comes slot-writing time.However, my first encounter with most of the games I write about is at manufacturers’ booths at the annual Global Gaming Expo...read more

Video poker percentages

I read your column all the time, but have a question on how to figure video poker returns, especially Double Bonus Poker. I know 10/7 is the best return, but it's almost impossible to find. What is the return on 9/7, 9/6, 8/6 and 8/5?Thank You,TedHi Ted,When a Jacks or Better game is described with two numbers such as 10/7, the first number refers to the pay per credit played for a full house and the second number the pay per credit for a flush.Generally speaking, for a Jacks or Better based game, for each reduction of one credit in the pay table for a full house or a flush, the return drops slightly more than 1%...read more

Better blackjack

It has seemed to me over the years that players have been getting better at blackjack strategy. This is strictly anecdotal in time spent at today’s common multideck games where the dealer hits soft 17, but I don’t see players stand on soft 17 anywhere near as often as I once did...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Do MyVegas rewards decrease Mlife comps?

First, let me say that I love your articles! It sometimes creates disputes between my wife and me because she refuses to believe slot machine outcomes are random. It's very entertaining. I was wondering whether the sudden explosion of popularity of Mlife's MyVegas slots on Facebook has an effect on the comps you receive while playing real slots in the casino...read more

The lowdown on Never Ever Craps

FROM DANNY: I read your articles all the time. Could you do one on the craps games called Never Ever Craps? This is the one where every number is a point. Is this a better game than traditional craps?Thanks so much.FRANK RESPONDS: Never Ever Craps is often called Crapless Craps because you cannot lose on a craps number during a come-out roll...read more