Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 30

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery

They were in the pool at one of the most exclusive casinos in Las Vegas (And I do mean “exclusive”). Three of them; two older males (maybe in their late 40s or early 50s), and one younger guy, maybe in his late teens or young 20sAnd me. I was all the way at the other end.They were talking, loud.“Man, I showed her what I was worth...read more

My Winning Streak is Due!

My Winning Streak Is DueBy Jerry “Stickman”QUESTION:I understand that over time (in the long run) random events such as casino games will approach the mathematically calculated percentage. I have been playing video poker for several months...read more

Are Good Video Poker Games Available?

Is Any Playable Video Poker Left?From Lee in MinnesotaHi Stickman,I have been playing video poker in casinos for the last 25 years or so. I live in Minnesota so I go to my local Indian casinos most of the time. I also go to Vegas once or twice a year.The Minnesota casinos have always had lousy games, but that is to be expected when there is no real competition.But things seem to have taken a turn for the worse when it comes to video poker returns in Vegas...read more

A Gallon of Whine

CINDY: Hamlet said, “There is nothing good or bad but thinking makes it so.” He meant we could, in many circumstances, take something that is essentially good and make it bad or we could take something essentially bad and make it good.ABBY: At least our thinking can make these two opposites seem the same…so to speak...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: More likely to get dealt Royal on throwaway hand?

Whenever I throw away a hand at NSU, I remind myself that the bright side is that I'm sometimes more likely to get a Royal now. I've been thinking that for a while and I decided that it's about time that I did the math to see whether it is true or just wishful thinking. The chances of being dealt a Royal are the same for any video poker game that uses a 52-card deck: There are 2,598,960 5-card hands that be dealt from a 52-card deck; 4 of those hands are Royals; your chances are 1 in 649,740 (2,598,960/4) to be dealt a Royal...read more

The Why of It All

The creation of a proper structure for the casino. So how is this done? Are there elements that would encourage players to play more on a given night or session? Are these something that players actually want?Are these elements essentials to the gambling experience?I think so, yes.Let’s go simple first...read more

Best Time to Leave the Casino

From Joe C.Hi Jerry,I just finished reading your article in Casino City Times called Time to Leave the Casino. My answer is, "The correct time to leave is when you are winning." The rationale is that if you don't leave when you are winning, you are guaranteed to leave when you are losing.Regards,Joe C.Hi, Joe.Of course you are correct.It would be wonderful to be able to do that every trip to the casino...read more

Perfect Video Poker Play

From Randall in CaliforniaStickman,I very much enjoy your articles and read them every chance I get. You have written several articles about how to get the most out of casino play and they make a lot of sense to me.Recently you wrote an article about casinos being able to track your video poker play to determine how good a player you are...read more

Great Expectations

CINDY: “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” I guess Charles Dickens said this best. You see everything through your eyes of expectations and that has a lot to do with your station in society. Do you have a future? Some people do...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Split Card calculations: Light at the end of the tunnel

In probably the least anticipated series finale ever, we're finally ready to see which option has the higher EV for our hand in Split Card poker. Let's recap where we stand: A few weeks ago I played Deuces Wild with the Split Card gimmick...read more