Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 285

Advantage-play slots and other things

FROM NEIL: Frank, excellent column, excellent advice about doing things other than gambling in casino towns. I'll take in an afternoon show, such as Mac King — highly recommended for all ages.I take my friends to Mt. Charleston, Valley of Fire, Red Rock, Fry's Dept...read more

Penny slots and roulette nots

QUESTION: I live in the Las Vegas area and frequent several local casinos. I play mostly video poker, but I keep my eyes open as I walk through the casinos. It seems that lately the turnover of penny slot machines has increased, with more titles and themes being introduced more often...read more

Sorry, There's No App for That

Don’t you wish there was an app that, with a couple of clicks, you could use to fix the problems facing casinos?Well, there is no such app. But there are three critical problems that casinos must face head-on if they want to survive (yes, survive) and, ultimately, succeed...read more

The joys of Three Card Poker

One of the best features of Three Card Poker is that the top-paying hands occur frequently. If you play very long, you’re going to get your share of straight flushes, which pay 40-1 on the Pair Plus portion of the game, and three of a kinds, which pay 30-1.Big wins with high frequency make possible beginner’s luck stories such as Kim’s...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: A slot ticket scam?

I put a slot voucher for $12.40 into a slot last night and the slot sucked it in but did not acknowledge it in the credits. I had a slot attendant open the slot and my ticket was not there, so she brought up some kind of message on the screen that said the last ticket that went in was only 10 cents...read more

Comps: meals and deals

When I was skinny (meaning 35 years ago) I could eat anything I desired in huge quantities — a couple of slices of pizza? No way. Think in terms of a whole pie. Think in terms of bricks of ice cream as dessert. I ate like mad and I stayed skinny...read more

Casino free is not free

QUESTION: I live near the Canadian border and frequent a Canadian casino twice a month. So I purchase a 72-trip bridge pass for $35, good for nearly two years. Recently this casino telephoned me (I’d never gotten a telephone call from a casino!) and told me to visit the players' club and receive my free bridge pass.When I got there the lady said, "Yes you have a 16-trip pass for an unlimited time." I said, "Great, that's worth about $8!" She said, "Oh no honey, it costs $2.75 one way." I said, "Not if you buy a 72-trip pass." She looked at me like I was crazy and decided to contact her supervisor.Supervisor came to the desk and told me the promo was for their "special" American patrons...read more

Down with 6-to-5 blackjack

I just returned from a short trip to Las Vegas. Sin City is still pulling in 40 million visitors a year to the oasis in the desert. I stayed on the strip and did all my gaming there. What surprised me the most was the number of casinos that now offer 6 to 5 for a blackjack...read more

The tuition for casino gambling

Learning to play casino games is strictly an immersion process for most of us. I’d played some no-wagering blackjack as a youngster, and played many a poker game in college and at the homes of friends before I first played in a casino.But roulette, craps, baccarat, Caribbean Stud and others were games I never played before plunking my chips down in a casino...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Should I avoid slot machines with stacked symbols?

Last October I had back-to-back royal flushes at the Pala Casino in California, but no big jackpot. I played craps for 12 hours until 3:15 a.m. and then sat down at a nickel video poker machine to play for a few minutes and sip a soda before I went back to my room. I put $20 in the machine...read more