Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 311

Class II and Class III Slot Machines

Dear Mr. Stickman:Please define the difference between Class II and Class III Video Poker machines.Thanx,Larry CosnerDear Larry,There is a lot of confusion surrounding the differences between Class II and Class III video poker games.Class III games are what you usually find in Las Vegas...read more

The new casino games

Most new table games come in two varieties: variations on blackjack and variations on poker. So naturally, anything really novel catches my eye when I walk the display floor at the annual Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas.Double Ball Roulette, from Vegas Game Points, is one of those eye-catchers...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Slot machine hit frequency, payback and volatility

Recent articles remind me of getting an answer from Casino Player magazine about whether to stay or stray from the machine. The answer was because of volatility I should stay. That's what I think is "wrong" with slots. High volatility and LOW hit frequency...read more

Don't kill the other video poker players!

FROM JANE: I, too, read your column in CasinoCityTimes.com and in the hard copy of Casino Player and Strictly Slots. I wish to share my frustration with people who regularly play progressive VP machines with one or two coins. When I ask them if they realize they are playing a progressive, they claim they ALWAYS know.I then ask them why they are playing one or two coins...read more

The best of video poker and roulette

QUESTION: You have said that for a serious video poker player, it is best if a person sticks to the following machine: 9-6 Double Double Bonus Poker with full houses paying 9-for-1 and flushes paying 5-for-1. You went on to say that an expert player could then expect as much as a 98.98 percent return, with the equivalent house edge of only 1.02 percent.Do you know of any online casinos offering the above and if so, may I know who they are?Lastly, I am looking to purchase software that would train me by simulated playing and teach me how to improve my plays and am wondering what would be the name of the software and where I could get it...read more

Let's have some fun

What is your idea of fun? Is it playing blackjack, roulette, craps, slots or keno in one of the new mega-casino resorts? Could it be cruising on a luxurious ship in the Caribbean? Maybe playing in Europe, like at the casino at Baden-Baden with its glamorous and intriguing décor?Whatever your idea of fun, you don't need to be a very experienced gambler or a high roller to enjoy the fun and excitement that modern gambling provides...read more

The IGT video poker empire

Video poker in modern casinos is almost entirely an IGT experience. The manufacturer that was founded on video poker before becoming a major player in slot machines is the maker of about 95 percent of the video poker games in casinos today.Any Global Gaming Expo tour of new video poker games starts, and almost stops, at the IGT booth.Most new video poker games are ways to spice up old standbys...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: A video poker triple play

I’ve noticed at my regular casino that there’s a $100 video poker machine that almost never gets played. I’m wondering if the machine pays back a percentage of what it takes in, does this mean that it won’t pay out until it builds up and takes in some cash over time? Or — assuming the paytable is the same as the $5, $10, $25 machine next to that does get played — are the chances of it paying the same as any other machine with the same paytable? Assuming that we're talking about a Class III machine (a Las Vegas-style machine), the machine has to deal from a fair deck of cards, just as if you were dealing at your kitchen table...read more

Two dice having a history

FROM LAWRENCE: I like to read various websites including your website here and at www.frankscoblete.com. I think you and your writers have the best information in the business. One website I read has a writer who said that the dice don’t have a memory but they have a history...read more

Hot and cold and shills

QUESTION: My wife and I went casino hopping, and we were on our fourth casino of the day. I play mostly blackjack and video poker, but this time the cheap blackjack tables were all full and the video poker pay tables were lousy. My wife wanted to play the slots, so I decided to play cheap, and sat down at a penny machine.I have to admit, I did OK on it and had some fun...read more