Gaming Gurus: Strategy Expert Article Archive - Page 322

Match play, bad manners and two great casinos in Vegas

Hi Frank:Ref: match playAt Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut they wouldn't allow me to place a $10 match play on the Don't Pass line but on the Pass Line it was OK. Why? In the past I was able to do it on all even money bets. Are they getting so cheap that the difference of a 10th of a percent means that much to them?--GeorgeDear George:The casinos can do what they want with match play...read more

Royal flushes and handles on slot machines

QUESTION: I have a couple of questions about royal flushes. How much do they contribute to the payback percentages you give on video poker games? I rarely get a royal flush, so what can I really expect to get back when I play?While we’re on the subject, how much difference does a progressive jackpot mean in video poker? Can a good-sized progressive on the royal increase the payback percentage by very much?ANSWER: Royal flushes account for about 2 percent of video poker paybacks, give or take a few tenths of a percent depending on the game...read more

Video poker for dummies, part II

[Note: This is a continuation of a two-part article on video poker. Part One appeared on June 15.]Greater than 100 percent return on video poker means what?In order to receive the greater than 100 percent return on the games I mentioned in Part 1, you need to hit the royal flush since it contributes somewhere around 1.5 percent (depending upon the game) toward the overall payback percentage...read more

Deal Me In: A low house edge isn't necessarily the end-all, but it sure helps

Dear Mark: When it really comes down to it, isn't, in the end-all, all about the house edge when it comes to winning and losing? Wayne L.All casino games, Wayne, fall into one of two categories. They are either games of luck or games of skill...read more

Splitting 10s in blackjack

It was late on a Monday night in Las Vegas, and I was playing blackjack head-to-head with the dealer until a younger couple joined me. They were in their late 20s or early 30s, and obviously had already had a few drinks before they asked the cocktail waitress for a couple of beers.“How’s Kim been treating you,” the man said, noting the name on the dealer’s badge.“Not bad,” I replied...read more

Ask the Slot Expert: Misperceptions about the RNG

If events are random, controlled by the RNG, why is it when I miss a pay I can get the same losing results often (for example, single bar--blank--single bar, or something along those lines). Many times I get the same results twice in a row...read more

The don't, the buy and the Speed Count

Dear Frank:In the column on April 9 about the person that would not play “don’ts” a few words. A few months ago while playing at the I.P. in Biloxi, it got so bad that ALL FOUR of us were playing the “don’t” only. Even when we had the dice! Everybody was going 3-4 seven-out.Some people walked up and started playing the pass line...read more

Penalty cards in video poker and splitting 8s in blackjack

QUESTION: I’ve been going nuts trying to memorize penalty card exceptions in video poker. How important are they? Would I be just as well off to use a simpler strategy?ANSWER: For the uninitiated, penalty cards in video poker are those that if discarded, decrease your chances of drawing flushes or straights...read more

Adventures in casino collecting

There are many “treasured” items that can be collected when visiting a casino. The best, of course, are casino chips. It’s nice to collect as many of these as possible. The reason is that the casino will always buy them back from you anytime you like, which is very nice of them.You can also keep a chip and develop a collection of them from every casino you visit...read more

Deal Me In: Check your ticket!

Dear Mark: I had an unfortunate experience at Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel recently.Moving from a winning penny slot machine with a cash voucher for $50.17, I decided to play a quarter slot and inserted the voucher. The voucher was rejected, and I inserted it again, still rejected...read more