Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 306

Switching games without switching strategies

Switching from one video poker game to the next often means big strategy changes on up. Versions of Double Bonus Poker that pay 7-for-1 on flushes and 5-for-1 on straights are far different games than Jacks or Better, Bonus Poker or even Double Double Bonus Poker.But in some games, we can lope along with Jacks or Better strategy with minimal tinkering.Bonus Poker Deluxe is one of those...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: How often do casinos move slot machines?

How often do casino move machines around and change them out? Pretty much as often as they want. Some casinos have a designated area in which they put new machines. That area will get changed frequently because machines stay there for a week or more and then either move off the slot floor or to a more permanent home on the floor...read more

The do's and don'ts of slot machines

DO select slots that have the highest return. How can you figure those out? Simple rules of thumb will help. Almost all inter-casino progressive slot machines such as Megabucks have the highest house edges, upwards of 17 percent which means an expectation of losing $17 for every $100 you wager...read more

Playing two machines at once

QUESTION: I was walking through the video poker area, and saw a guy playing two machines at once. He was touching the screen to hold and draw instead of using the buttons, and going back and forth so fast it made my head spin.I said in passing, “I don’t think I could do that.” He never looked up and never stopped, but he said, “You never know which is the lucky one.”Another guy down the row said, “Don’t let him fool you...read more

Progressives on Multi-Denominational Machines

Dear Frank:Much thanks for an always interesting column. I read it the day it is sent to me via email. Please keep up the good words.I have a question concerning Video Poker machines. Here in Vegas, there is a local casino that has a multigame, multi-denominational bank of progressive video poker bar-top machines...read more

Splitting fives at blackjack

Very little happens at the blackjack table that surprises me. I’ve been playing a very long time, and I take other players’ strategic idiosyncrasies in stride.Still, it gave me pause in early April when a 30-ish fellow at my table was dealt a pair of 5s and the dealer turned up a 6 in a six-deck game in which the dealer hit soft 17, double downs were permitted after any first two cards and pairs could be split up to three times...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: 100% hit frequency does not mean 100% payback

My question is how can a player be a "professional" video poker player when all they can expect to do is maybe make one or at most two percent including comps and incentives? I play deuces wild almost exclusively and enjoy it very much...read more

The do's and don'ts of blackjack

[The advice offered here is not for card counters.]DO get a “basic strategy” card which tells you what to do with your hand against every dealer up card. You can bring this card to the table with you and you’ll play a very tight game with the casino...read more

Team play at blackjack and roulette odds

QUESTION: Can you tell me anything about slot machines that also have a bingo logo with numbers being drawn while the reels are spinning? My wife and I were visiting her sister and brother-in-law, and they took us to a casino we’d never been to before...read more

Great Customer Service Contributes to the Bottom Line

No matter what’s happening in the world, casino guests want one thing – an outstanding gaming experience. Casinos that understand the significance of stellar guest service are on to something.Guests want an experience that is so memorable that it keeps them coming back even if they leave with less money in their pocket...read more