Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 273

You Can't Fool the Random Nature of Craps

An email exchange from Bill:Hello Stickman,First, I really enjoy your writing. It is very informative.I have been studying craps a lot and in my upcoming trip to Las Vegas, I am trying to guestimate my approximate win/lose amounts. If I make two $10 bets and have 9 as the point and 8 as the come bet number do I lose 28 cents (1.4% x $20) per roll which in 36 rolls would be a loss of $10.08 or do I estimate by knowing that when I get in that situation I have 9 ways to win $10 and 6 ways to lose $20 which would be a $30 loss? I am a little confused and would appreciate your insight.Thanks,BillHi Bill,The best way to look at this situation is by taking the 14 cents per bet that you will lose PER DECISION...read more

Floyd Mayweather versus Manny Pacquiao: a prediction

A word of caution to my gambling friends. I am not betting on the Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao fight. My boxing betting ended when I bet Muhammad Ali to beat George Foreman. I had won three fights up to then (including Foreman/Frazier) in total, but I knew I was no boxing handicapper.I quit when I was ahead, in other words.So take what I am about to say with a grain of whatever grains you enjoy eating.If the fight actually happens and isn’t canceled because of non-tickets being available to the fans or some injury to one or the other or both fighters, Pacquiao will win, perhaps by stoppage (more than likely Mayweather quitting on his stool) and this is why:I am taking a very narrow view here, a one-fight view...read more

Three Card Poker, video roulette and blackjack

QUESTION: I played Three Card Poker for the first time. It was really easy to pick up, and I did OK.One thing threw me a little. On the Pair Plus, I looked at the payoffs on the table felt, and it said straights paid 6-1 and flushes 3-1. I asked the dealer, “Is that a typo on your table? I’ve never played where straights beat flushes.” He said no, that was right, that it was easier to get flushes in this game.Is that right?ANSWER: Yes, it is easier to get flushes than straights in three-card games...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Including gambling winnings in AGI is unfair

There is one more point about the unfairness of the IRS's method of reporting gambling wins and losses that no one has yet mentioned. Wins are reported as income. Losses are reported as deductions. With this method, the wins count toward gross income, which determines how much retirees pay per month for Medicare, as well as limiting deductions such as medical expenses...read more

On beating the house edge in roulette

FROM JAGGY: I always read your articles just for fun. As you say the casinos always have the edge. The percentages are the bottom line to be successful in business which I learned at Wharton Business School.Common sense tells me to never play the slots which I don't...read more

Super Times Pay

When it comes to wide-area progressive slot machines with huge, lifestyle-changing jackpots, International Game Technology has been the leader since the very beginning. IGT introduced Megabucks in 1986 as the first WAP – games in which players at different casinos can chase the same jackpot, which builds with every bet made at any participating casino.IGT also is far and away the market leader in video poker...read more

It's all about Aces

QUESTION: I have a blackjack strategy question. I was playing in a casino that allowed you to split Aces more than once. I don’t think I’d ever seen that before. I split, and when I got another Ace, I groaned because I thought I was stuck with 12...read more

Roulette systems

When I play roulette, I stick to the low-roller tables and don’t bet much above the minimum. The house edge of 5.26 percent on nearly all bets on a double-zero wheel is too steep for my liking, so I use roulette as a little diversion, an interlude between blackjack or video poker sessions.Still, I get a lot of entertainment value out of watching other players...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: A strange total for W-2G

I've been reading about the IRS desire to reduce the W2-G limit. Here in Indiana we have a few racinos with digital blackjack and "digi" (human) dealers who put your money in the machine and root the table on. The limit per hand is $145...read more

Cruising and casinos

FROM JACK: I haven't written you in a while about the casinos at sea, so here is the latest. Recently I have been on four different cruise lines but have highlighted my two favorites, specifically their gaming and entertainment programs. As you said in your last excellent post, there is more to a casino trip than gambling...read more