Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 305

How to treat dealers

I am a firm believer is treating dealers with respect. I think a friendly smile, a hello when you sit or stand at their table, and a calm understanding that the dealer actually knows what he or she is doing, will go a long way in making a table game a good experience for you and, hopefully, for the dealer.When I was a young man I was a waiter...read more

Random strategies

QUESTION: I teach statistics and probability at a community college, so my brother-in-law was asking me about betting systems. He showed me a book in which the author claimed the way to beat baccarat was by betting streaks. The BIL wanted to know if he could apply that to roulette, maybe starting to bet on black after it won twice in a row, then getting off after a loss and staying off until some other even-money bet won twice.I told him I couldn’t see any reason a system like that would win in either baccarat or roulette...read more

Odds Once Again

I recently received a letter from a reader named John regarding the odds involved in an odd/even or red/black roulette wager.FROM JOHN: Since there are 18 winning spaces and 20 losing spaces on the wheel the true odds will be 20 to 18 or 2 to 1.8.If the “actual odds” are 16 to 10 or 1.6 to 1...read more

Deal Me In: Chips Ahoy!

Dear Mark: I plan on purchasing a new set of poker chips for, as you so often put it, our weekly kitchen-table poker game. We currently use a cheap plastic set. Besides a quality upgrade, how many chips do you think I should buy? Paul M.Casino chips, also known as casino or gaming tokens, checks or cheques, are small round discs used in lieu of hard currency.When purchasing a set of chips, Paul, there are two things you should keep in mind: quantity and quality...read more

Side bets at blackjack: Are they worth it?

Side bets at blackjack are offered for two basic reasons: to add a little excitement for players who want more out of the game than trying to grind out a profit one bet at a time, and to increase action to generate more profit for the house.The house edge on side bets tends to be higher than on blackjack itself, provided the player knows basic strategy...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Changing RNGs in a slot machine

We live in South Florida where there are no regulations from the state as far as the casinos go. We have several Indian casinos and several privately run racinos. I am finding that the slots pay nothing as far as any of the jackpots go and most of the time they pay very little...read more

Strange letters from stranger people

Most casino gamblers are like most people. They work; they play; they have families, dreams and desires. The intelligence range reflects the intelligence range you see day-in and day-out in our population. Yes, there are brilliant people who gamble and, yes, there are total ploppies who gamble too.I think the ploppies are the more interesting because people who are on the far end of the intellectual spectrum are fascinating the same way bacteria are fascinating to a microbiologist...read more

Comps and commissions

QUESTION: I have a question about comps. My wife and I were on an overnight casino trip, playing mostly penny slots. We lost about $170 between us, but that was well within our budget and we had a good time. We got two buffets comped, for $15 apiece, and our points were worth $25 in free play.A couple of weeks after we got home, we got a mailer from the casino...read more

The Probability of Black

Dear Jerry Stickman,Hi. My friends and I have been having long hours trying to work out the math logic behind a simple betting scenario, but alas to no avail. We hope you can shed some light.Scenario:In a make-believe game where there are two equal options being RED or BLACK. A croupier, in an unimaginable scenario, has already drawn 9 REDs in a row. At this stage, Mr...read more

Deal Me In: Mucking has multiple meanings

Dear Mark: I was catching up on my "required reading" and noticed your June 12 column concerning a poker irregularity. This reminded me of a question I have. Pick a game, any game. Consider a situation where, in the final round of betting, I have bet and been called...read more