Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 305

Slot players vs. table game players

FROM LEW: My friend says that there is a difference between table-game players and slot players. I think they are all alike. They want to bet money and win money, what else is there to know? Gambling is gambling no matter how you slice it.FRANK RESPONDS: True, gambling is gambling; but there are some fundamental differences between slot players and table-game players...read more

Slot payouts are changing

QUESTION: On slot machines that have a "stop spin" button, does it make a difference or will you get what you would have gotten if it completed its spin on its own?ANSWER: It makes no difference. The reels are going to show what the random number generator tells them to, regardless of whether you stop them.There are a few rare exceptions...read more

The Best Game in the Casino

Best Bet in the CasinoStickman,What is the best bet in the casino? A roll at the craps table or a hand of blackjack takes approximately the same amount of time. So, if I played basic strategy blackjack the house edge is half a percent. Placing the 6 at craps has a house edge of one and a half percent...read more

Slot machines where skill counts

Nearly all slot machines are designed to be as close to pure games of chance as programmers can get. You have no control over where the reels are going to stop, and neither does the casino operator. A random number generator determines the outcome, and the odds are the same on every spin.A tiny percentage of slots incorporate elements of skill...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Identifying high-volatility slot machines

I am trying to put together a quick primer on how to identify a high variance slot machine from a low variance slot machine. Can you help me? Why? Because there are some good play methods where if I had $100, I might want to play $40 on the high variance and then finish out the remaining $60 on a low variance. What do you think of that strategy? I can help you identify high-variance (volatility) slot machines...read more

Place bets versus Come bets

FROM MARK: My first bet is $220 inside. After three hits I make a15 come and go down with full 75 odds. Playing in Atlantic City I can go 5x odds. Am I better off just pressing to 75 or continue to make the Come bets?FRANK RESPONDS: Dump the placing of $220 inside...read more

How's this roulette strategy?

QUESTION: Can you please give me your expert opinion on outside bets on black or red using the following roulette system?Place $1 on red and $2 on black. Ball lands on red. Next bet is $1 on red again because red won previously but place $4 on black (doubling your previous bet because you lost).Ball lands on black this time.Next bet is $1 on black and $2 on red and so on.It would seem that you are mitigating your losses as you win...read more

Is There a True Winning Betting System for Craps?

One of my readers, Lim H. , recently sent me the following email:Hi Don:Are the craps tables available in every casino? Does craps have the best odds for the gambler?I came across this website. The system seems to be able to make money consistently...read more

More video poker strategies

A couple of months ago I received several requests from readers to highlight best strategies for different video poker games. There’s not space in a column like this to detail every nuance of every game and pay table, but I promised to at least hit the hot spots of commonly available game.That started about a month and half ago with a look at Jacks or Better, the game on which most non-wild card video poker options are based...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Slot machine hit frequency triple play

Are there more wins on a higher-cost machine? In other words, will you hit more payback on a quarter machine versus a penny machine? I don’t mean the amount you win; I mean the number of times you get paid something. The statistic you're referring to is hit frequency, what percentage of spins pays back something -- anything, from the lowest-paying combination to the jackpot. A decade ago, I would have said that there is absolutely no correlation between denomination and hit frequency...read more