Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 285

Ten mistakes of slot play

Let’s have done with the sarcastic response first. Question: “What are the biggest mistakes of slot play?” Sarcastic answer: “Number one is playing the slots! Yuck, yuck, yuck.” So much for that.In truth, the biggest mistakes of slot play have nothing to do with playing slots...read more

Strategy changes for video poker

QUESTION: The casino near my home has a lot of progressive video poker games. They usually have pay tables a little lower than on their non-progressive games, but then you get more on the royal flush. I know you’ve written about this before that there are break-even points, but doesn’t it make a difference in your strategy, too?ANSWER: Yes, getting the most out of progressive video games does mean adapting your strategy to chase royals more often as the jackpot grows...read more

Video poker players: Don't be fooled!

I’ve written a lot about the 9/6 Jacks or Better video poker game, touting it as one of the best video poker games to play because it returns 99.5 percent with expert play. (For those that don’t know, the 9 refers to the payout for a full house per coin played, and the 6 is the payout for the flush per coin played.) A recent trip to the casinos with friends alerted me to mistakes players might be making when looking for the 9/6 game.As we were walking through the casino, my friend shouted, “Here’s a 9/6 machine.” He was all set to sit down and play this 9/6 game when I came over and looked at the video poker screen...read more

All-star video poker

When I’m looking for a video poker game, the first thing I do is to check out the pay tables. If I see high pay tables, I play, and if I see low pay tables, I move on to other games.I don’t stop to worry about how the pay tables got there and who set them up, but it’s a concern for casino operators who are always looking for ways to save time and money.International Game Technology, which dominates the video poker market with a share estimated at 95 percent, has moved to ease set-up with its All-Star Poker II and All-Star Poker III units...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: What happens to the slot machines when a casino closes?

On Wednesday I received another sad e-mail from the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in AC advising me that it is closing. Here is my question: Several other casinos in Atlantic City have closed recently. What happens to all of the slot machines? I would love to buy one and put it in my sunroom as a piggy bank for my wife and myself...read more

The bus people

The “bus people” is a common phrase in Atlantic City because so many of the weekday players come from different areas of the Northeast on buses for single-day visits. You see those buses tooling along the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway in the midmornings, bringing players to the casinos, and in the early evenings, bringing them home to rejoice in their good fortunes or complain about their poor luck.One thing is certain: The bus people love to play, and many come down once a week for the opportunity...read more

Where are the good machines located?

QUESTION: The new Race Ace slot machine you described sounds like fun, and I’d like to give it a go. However, when you’ve written about skill games in the past, I’ve never been able to find them in casinos. Do you know who will have Race Ace?ANSWER: I’m afraid I’m not going to be much help here...read more

Fun new table games

Casinos use hundreds of new slot machines every year. Games rise to popularity, hit their peak, decline and are replaced by new themes in a matter of months.Table games are different. Blackjack and craps have been favorites for generations, and probably will be for generations more...read more

Switching Casinos for Better Slot Club Points

Dear Stickman,During my May visit to the Atlantic City, I decided to try my luck at one of the four full pay Jacks or Better video poker machines.Recognizing that these were dollar machines, I wrongly assumed that they would accumulate player points at the same rate as the other video poker machines in that casino...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Reaction to 'You cannot call yourself a slot expert'

I too believe that there is a lot more to the story about random number generators, near misses, etc. for regular slots — and also how cards were and are being dealt in video poker. (And I have been a casino marketing director for almost 15 years.) And if there was one gaming writer who questioned this the validity of how slot machines/RNGs work — then obviously where there is smoke, there is fire. The fact that a gaming writer was stonewalled or his sources clammed up when he asked real questions adds even more credibility to his claims — and I suppose with lack of industry cooperation is why he is no longer publishing in print or online. ...where's there is smoke, there is fire....and when you send smoke down a rabbit hole, they run out!!! It's time the "scams" or whatever truths they are hiding about slot machines get exposed to the light of day. I assume the reason you and Scoblete didn't follow him "down the rabbit hole" is that you want to keep making a living doing what you do — which may not be the outcome your colleague achieved. Maybe we need to get some investigative reporters on this.....read more