Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 321

Blackjack stories

Amid the cheers and high fives of the craps players when the shooter’s on a roll, and the music, TV/movie dialog and sound effects of the slot machines, blackjack players live a quieter casino life. Not everyone wins together, so the craps-like cheers are rare.But there is time for a little discussion and storytelling...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Skill in a slot tournament

Is there any skill at all for winning a slot tournament? Or is it all luck? The good news (or bad news) is that winning a slot tournament is 99.99 percent luck. There are a couple of things you can do, though, to improve your chances. One thing you can do is to keep the reels moving by constantly hitting the Spin button...read more

California dreaming and women's purses

FROM ALAN: Aloha, Frank. I'm from Hawaii and get to Vegas about three or four times a year. I have read a few of your books and am an advocate of your precision rolling techniques and theories.My question is, when being rated on craps, what bets are taken into account for the total spread? Also does this differ by properties or ownership? I usually stay at Planet Hollywood.By the way, I enjoyed reading your article on your vacation to Hawaii at http://frankscoblete.com/travel/fear-and-loafing-in-hawaii-by-frank-scoblete/...read more

Top-10 things we'll miss about Al Krigman

It's been almost eight years since I saw the "Poker Reporter" job opening at Casino City.I was a journalist in my mid-20s who had been swept up by the Moneymaker wave, so of course it piqued my interest. But I also had some reservations. I didn't want to be a shill for a company that deluded people into thinking that they could get an edge against the casino.So, like any job candidate, I did my research...read more

Was this craps player harassed?

QUESTION: My usual spot [when rolling the dice in craps] is slot right of stickman, and I try to kerplunk the dice in the same area on the right side of the back wall. Same arc, same drop every time. So I'm hitting all sorts of numbers (I had my 6 up to $180) and the pit boss comes over and says, “We have a policy here of hitting the CENTER of the back wall.” I didn't want him to get into my head, but i still said, “Really? Is the center part of your policy in writing?” (He was dumb enough to say it was.)So I shift my body a little bit and start throwing to back wall CENTER, but it's too strong, dice off table...read more

Mystery Shoppers

Casinos use mystery shoppers for a variety of reasons but the mistakes made by these shoppers, and the properties themselves, can be costly to the point of driving customers away.Casino marketing departments often use mystery shoppers to gain insight into how guests feel about the property’s customer service...read more

Blackjack strategy for dealers hitting soft 17

I was playing blackjack in Nevada, and the gentleman sitting at third base, all the way to the players’ left, had a basic strategy card in his shirt pocket. He didn’t use it on every hand, but every so often, he’d check it before he played.The dealer mostly looked amused...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Parallel versus serial deal in video poker

Regarding your answer on why the casinos want you to play another spin after winning a jackpot: You might also consider that the casinos want to remove the big win from the screen before someone else comes along and says that they won the jackpot that shows on the screen and tries to claim the money again. I don't think another player would be able to re-claim the jackpot on today's machines...read more

Are casinos changing the percentages?

FROM DIANE: I would like your opinion on Indian casinos in Oklahoma.Can they change the payout with the click of a mouse when machines seem to pay more than they want since they are not regulated? Do they have "off" and "on" times where the machines pay and other times where they don't?They are building a new hotel with a movie theater and a bowling alley at Choctaw and rarely do I hit even 20 dollars anymore...read more

Tulley's Treasure Hunt

QUESTION: Please tell me about a slot called Tulley’s Treasure Hunt.When I went to a bonus round, it gave me a choice to take either free spins or the treasure hunt. I decided to try the treasure hunt, and it had me use a joystick to take a sea turtle around the ocean, picking up objects to get my bonuses.Does it really matter what you do with the joystick, or is your bonus pre-determined? If I never touch the joystick, will it just pick up the bonuses I was supposed to get anyway?ANSWER: If you choose the treasure hunt, your skill with the joystick does matter in Tulley’s Treasure Hunt...read more